The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-25
FORMURDEROF PEARL BRANl
SCOTT JACKSON AND ALONIO
MAILING WERE HANGED YES
TERDAY At NEWPORT.
CONFESSIONS AND RETRACI|ONS
Followed Each Other to Delay the Exc
cution- They Protested Their limo
ccncc on the Gnlows-Grcat In
tcrcst Taken in Execution.

Newport, Ky, March 20.-Thc murder
Of Pearl Bryan fourteen months ago. was
avenged today by II double hanging. Scott
Jackson and AlOnzo VI. Waliiig were "N'
ecuted at 11:14 Il. ~, on the same sea
fold. There was Il double trap, but only
one lever.
When Sheriff plummcr pulled the lever
sOth dropped at the same instant, The
snck Of neither one was broken. and both
irugglcd hard in the process Of strangu-
nti0n.
The arrangements were complete, ana
NE performance so perfect that il was
without any incident unusual on such 0c-
sasions. Both men were ncrvy TO the
last on the gallows, protesting their N
nocencc, and died with their secrets, so II
may never be- known what was done with
the head Of Pearl Bryan. or where 1ho
lodged the two nights previous to her
murder. or what part each took in the de-
capitation or whether others were i'm
plicatcd.
There were over 800 within the en-
closure 10 witness the hanging, and many
thousands around the jail yard. but the
militia, special deputies and police main
tanned order. The execution was quickly
dispatched, az neither had anything TO
my on the gallows, except TO declare his
innocence, and Rev. j. A. Lee was brief
In his services. There was, however,
a long delay, because Jackson and Wall
ing continued their tactics of false con
LESSONS ms long rs possible Sheriff.
Plummer intended to hang the men ut
u. m. 40 as to avoid the great crowds
that assembled later in the day. On nc-
count of the promises Of Il confession lhc
execution was postponed until Il. m and
then TO . II. ~. when Jackson declared
that Mailing was not guilty. These
statements were tclegraphed to Governor
Bradley. When il was learned that Jack
s0n was making confessions and that
Governor Bradley was still considering
the respite of Walling, there were many
demonstrations in the large crowd assem-
bled, but the military and police kept all
'at safe distance from the enclosure.
Both men had been making confessions
for some weeks, and c0ntradicting them
again. Both men rctracied all their con-
fcssions before they were hanged. When
Governor Bradley instructed Sheriff
Hummer TO press Jackson for details,
thc latter said that he could not say on
the eve of his death that Walling was
innocent. Then Governor Bradley or
dcred the execution to proceed.
There were cheers for the governor
when this was made known.
Governor Bradley analysed the case too
closely for the schemes TO gam time to
succeed. Many rumors were circulated
about Walling being rcsptcd. and these
reports caused excitement around the Jail.
The scaffold was in the open air. in the
court yard enclosure, and the outside
crowd was easily kept advised rs to what
was going on in the enclosure The
strictest secrecy, however, was kept Us Ia
what was going on in the Jail, TO which
only a few were admitted. The excite
ment was intense in the vicinity, while in
Cincinnati large crowds surrounded the
Offices of the newspapers. Extra chi-
tons of the local papers confirmed the
rumor of the probable respite of Wallmg.
and added to the excitement. During
the noon hour. when the streets were
crowded with people going To luncheon,
the black flags were up announcing that
the execution was over. and the crowds
everywhere expressed their qualification.
None of the members of the Bryan FAM
lily, from Grccncastlc Ind, were present.
but they were represented 10y friends of
the family.
Soon after the execution the crowds lcii