The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-21
REVIEW OF THE CRIME.
killing Of Pearl Bryan and COnvic-
ticn of Her Nurderers Briefly Told.


ticn of Her Nurdcrers Briefly Told.
The review Of the crime for which jackson
and Walling were hanged. given below, was pre-
pared by the Associated Press. : more ex5
in last Fridays issue of the Indianapolis Journal.
A boy going to work on the farm of
John Locke. near Fort Thomas, Ky. on
Saturday morning. Feb. l. 1896, was startled
by finding the headless body of a young
woman in an obscure part of Mr.. Locke's
farm. Mr.. Locke's premises adjoin Fort
Thomas and extend from Fort Thomas av-
enue to the Alexandria pike. 1t is a part
of one of the most beautiful landscapes In
the picturesque Kentucky highlands. y
deep. narrow. winding ravine runs from
Fort Thomas avenue to the Alexandria
pike. In the bottom of this ravine a hoard
fence froms the southern boundary of the
Locke farm. Next TO this fence was ii
long-disused. narrow wagon road. over
grown with bluegrass, leading from the
Alexandria pike to a point where a barely
passable road winds up the hill to Mr..
Locke's barn. On one side of this blind
road. opposite the boundary fence, was "a
bank. sloped by hand and running parallel
to the fence. The crest of this slope was
lined with privet bushes. whose clustering
branches were still covered with dead
leaves.
1t was close TO a gap in the hedge that
the boy discovered the headless corpse. II
lay chest downward. arms outstretched
palms Of the hands down, fingers half
closed. feet at the top and head at the bot
tom of the slope. Above the feet, which
were near the little gap in the privet hedge.
was a small pool of blood. On the leaves
or the priyet bushes, TO a height OF nearly
three feet. and over an equal breadth, were
drops Of blood. On top OF the leaves there
were crimson stains. while on the under
side blood hung like beads of ruby-cOlored
dew. Near by was a No. 3 woman's shoe
with a needle toe. and a worn rubber over,
shoe with an extra toe. Close to the pool
of blood. on the top of the bank were two
or three strands of blonde hair. BY the
clot of blood at the neck, which lay at the
edge of the blind road, were two tortoise
she'll and one metallic hairpin. On the body
was nothing but a woman's knit union un-
dersuit. and over it a thin sickroom wrap
per Of plain checkered goods. .rne wrap
per was rolled up inward to the woman's
waist. Only the waist and arms of the
wrapper were stained with blood, while the
union suit was saturated with it. The arms
and part of the body were singularly free
from bloodstains. Above the body, on the
hillside, lay a corset, white and clean. ex-
cept for one spot of red stain made by the
finger of the bloody hand that tossed IT
there.
TRAGIC MYSTERY.
Here was a tragic mystery, far more
chilling to the blood than the cold air of the
midwinter morning. -Bloodhounds were
brought to the scene. They followed a trail
TO the Covington waterworks reservoir. a
few hundred yards AWAY and refused to go
further. The reservoir was promptly
drained. but the head of the dead girl was
not found in it. All search for the hidden
head was fruitless. Meantime the body was
taken to Newport, three miles from the
scene. There it was first embaImed. and
then afterward twice examined by post
mortem. Cocaine was found in the stOm-
ach. In the womb WAS found a foetus about
i've months old. For several days the body
was on exhibition at the Newport morgue,
where II was viewed daily by thousands,
but recognized by none. Saturday, Sunday,
Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday passed
with no solution of the mystery. Meantime
the murderers were walking the streets OF
Cincinnati. attending church. visiting
young ladies. pursuing their studies at the
Ohio Dental College. eating and sleeping
with all the Semblance of innocence.
ON Thursday morning, Feb. o. people read
that the perpetrators of the black crime
Scott Jackson and AlonZo NJ. Wallfng. two
students of the dental college. had been ar
rested. and that the murdered girl had beer
identified as Pearl Bryan. of Greencastle
Ind. the ~daughter of Alexander s. Bryan
a respected and well-to-do farmer. livine
within a mile of Greencastle. Pearl Bryan
was a trifie over twenty years old. had
School. was a Sunday school and church
worker. ~sprightly. vivaciops and was (
great favorite in Greencastle.
No living witness of this crime. or identi
fer of its victim had been found. The wit.
nesses that had identified the victim anC
brought her murderers under the shadow oil
the gallows were voiceless, though no.
speeches.. That No. 3 shoe left on Pear
Kryan's foot was marked Lewis q Hayes
Greencastle, lnd." 1t turned the steps OF
Sheriff Plummer. of Campbell county. Ken.
lucky, to Greencastle. Lewis d Hayes iden
titled the shoe as sold by them to Pear
Bryan in the preceding November. The par
ents of the dead girl corroborated the iden
tification of the shoe and also identified tn,
blOOd-flecked wrapper as one made by
Pearls deceased sister. and worn by Pear
herself. The family came to Newport, anC
there by the web toes on one foot, q sea-
on the back of the hand. the marks of
wart removed from the end of the thimbl'
finger OF the right hand. settled the per
s~onality of the dead girl beyond question.
Meantime Scott Jackson. who, after hi
arrest. first denied having seen Pearl Rry
an since Jan. ,. admitted that she had beer
In Cincinnati. and that he had been will
her on Jan. y and -. and then he turne'
1 ltT over u iaS tOOiH il0IG. AiblLo ~. w al
ling. who was To relive her by a crimina
operation. AIonzo Nj. WallinG. after his ar
rest, said he had not seen the girl sine,
Wednesday night. Jan. %. and that Jack
son had charge of her after that date Eacl
accused the other of having mmit tn
murder. Both admitted that. OF Saturda,
night of Feb. /, they were engaged il
throwing their own bloody il
sewer basins. and dropping Pearl Bryan
crimsoned clothing into the river. Each &C
cused the other of throwing the girls hea'
into the river.
BLOOD-STAINED EVIDENCE.
After all this. Jackson's blood-hecke
coat was fished out OF a sewer. He accuse
Walling of having worn it. Walins'
trousers. muddy at the knees and spotte
with blood on the legs, were found at IN
dental college in his own locker. Pear
Bryan's valise. p%rofusely stained wit
blood. was brought in by a saloon keeper
with whom Jackson had left it. Jackson
when asked about it,. said the stains insid
might have been caused by carrying Pear
Bryan's head in it," and added: Il didn'
carry IL: Walling wanted me 10. but / re
fused" In Jackson's pocket. when ne wa
arrested. were found. six linen handkeI
chiefs which were proven Z
be the property of Pearl Bryan. In n!
trunk were found the dead girls pocket
book. All this evidence appeared on IN
day OF his arrest.
Moreover. the two prisoners admitte
that on Monday, Jan. p. Jackson had gon
TO the Central Railroad Station. and Wal
ing to the Cincinnati. Hamilton x Dayto
Depot. to be sure TO meet Pearl Bryan. an
neither met her. The cabman Who too
her from the depot 10 the Indiana Hous
stayed az the Indiana House Monday an
Tuesday nights. She was seen by a wit