The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-20
DOOMED MURDERERS
JACKSON AND wALLING ON BRINK
OF ETERNITY THIS MORNING.
Their Last Hope Blasted by Governor
Bradley i'm Vigorous Condemna-
tion os Their Confessions.
REFUSED TO GRANT RESPITE
AND ORDERED THE STATE MILITIA
TO PROCEED TO NEWPORT,
where sheriff PIummer Has Every
thing i'm Readiness to Hang Pearl
Bryan's slaycrs To-Day.
DETERMINED TO DIE GAME
NO EVIDENCE OF WEAKENING ON
THE PART OF EITHER PRISONER.
Little Probability that Any Further
Statements VIII he Made by
the Murderers.
INJUSTICE DONE DIR. WAGNER
TESTIMONY PRODUCED TO PROVE
HE WAS NOT IN BELLEVUE
At the Time He Is Alleged to Have
Assisted in the Tragedy-What
His Friends Say.
Little Probability that Any Further
Statements VIII he Made by
the Murderers.
INJUSTICE DONE DIR. WAGNER
TESTIMONY PRODUCED TO PROVE
HE WAS NOT IN BELLEVUE
At the Time He Is Alleged to Have
Assisted in the Tragedy-What
His Friends Say.

Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
FRANKFORT, Ky, March 19.-The last
hope of Scott jackson and 'Alonzo walling
was blasted to-day by Governor Bradley.
Their alleged confessions were made in
vain. The Governor read them carefully.
weighed them with his judicial mind and
found them wanting in truthfulness and
sincerity Such was his decision, for he
denied the petitions for respite. and di-
rected the militia TO at once proceed to
Newport and report to Sheriff Plummer.
who will use the soldiers to guard the jail
while he is hanging the murderers to-mor-
row. Governor Bradley is noted criminal
lawyer, and he dissected the so-called con-
fessions with that legal acumen he has dis
played in many famous cases. No one here
doubts that he acted with wisdom. Many
people have asked him from time to time to
respite one of the prisoners, in the belief
that If he did so the other would confess,
but he has remained firm in his purpose
to let the law take its course. Among
those who asked for a stay of execution
to-day were the family and friends of DR..
Wagner, who desired an opportunity to
prove the doctor had no knowledge of the
crime. In refusing to postpone the eXecu-
tions Governor Bradley said:
1.-The common law concerning the crime
admitted in the confessions to have been
committed is in force in this State. The
confessions show that Pearl Bryan was
killed by drugs administered to produce an
abortion. If this be true, she being quick
with child, as shown by the evidence the
child killed also. Her death was
caused by drugs deliberately administered,
the effect of which clearly manifests an
utter disregard for human life. The agency
employed was not only one from which
death or great injury would probably result
but from which, considering its rapid op-
Grafton, death would necessarily result.
Either the physician who administered the
drug knew, or had every reason TO sup
pose, it would cause death or should have
known it. Under either state OF the case
he was guilty of murder. and Jackson and
Walling were, and are, equally guilty under
the statutes of Kentucky. All this must
be conceded IL the confessions are true.
1.-The confessions, however, are inconsis-
tent and contradictory. utterly at war with
every statement that each of the defendants
made on the witness stand. 1t is urged
mat this should be overlooked. because
they were then swearing for their lives.
Concedng that their false statements were
made to escape danger then pending, it
may we'll be asked how mncn greater is
the danger that now confronts them when
they stand in the shadow of the gallows
If they are excusabe for false swearing.
then how much more are they excusa ble
and how much more likely is it that they
would speak falsely, now?
lone of them says that the body was
taken away in cab, the other that 1t was
taken in a wagon. This conflict would be
quite immaterial but for the fact that Jack
son says they got inside the cab while Dr.
Wagner drove The contradiction there
fore becomes material. Walling says that
Wagner and Jackson removed the head.
while Jackson says that Wagner did il.
The removal of the corsets might have
taken place to distribute the blood more
generally through the system, or they may
have been loosened when the injection was
administered. and fallen when the girl was
being conveyed TO the place where she was
found.
WHERE THE CONFESSION is WEAK.
The whole confession bears a striking
similarity TO the testimony of George Jack
son, for it is admitted that the BODY
was removed by both Jackson and Walling
and both were present when the girl was
decapitated, thus destroying the defensive
theory on the trial that the tracks were
made by others than Jackson and WalIinc
The note or letter said by Walling to have
been received from DR.. Wagner asking
that the clothing of Pearl Bryan be sent
TO him and stating that she was under his
care is not produced. nor its absence in anv
way accounted for
Not only is the confession a contradic-
tion of the evidence OF both defendants. bur
fiat contradiction OF the letter of Wallinp,
sent me only few days since and claimed
to have been written by him under a sense
of rapidly approaching and impending
death.
These men have not only trified with
human life. but have trifled with the courts,
trified with the execution and set at def
ance the laws of God and man. If IL be
established that one criminal after such
conduct as this, can, by a mere pretended
confession, obtain a respite then every
other is entitled TO like treatment. and this
would result in frustrating justice and
bringing the execution of the laws into con-
tempt.
THE wounded hand of Pearl Bryan SOL
emnly and surely points TO the fact that