The herald., 1897-03-21
A STORY OF CRIME
Which Ends In Deserved Death on the
GalloWs


Gallows
CINCINNATI, March 20.-ln the early
morning of February /, 1885, boy going
to work discovered the dead body of a
girl in an obscure part Of John Locke s
farm, adjoining Fol Thomas. KY. The
murderers had cut OF the girls head
to prevent Identification and removed. II
to some place that has never been dis
covered. The only garments on the body
were a union undershirt and a cheap
checked wrapper. A pair of shoes lay
near, also kid glove, two hair pins and
few strands of blonde hair. The shoes
were a woman's No. 8, and on them were
opera toe rubbers we'll worn. Inside the
shoes, which were of the needle-toe de-
scription, was the stamp of Lewis e.
Hayes of Green Castle, with a Ports
mouth, o., firm as the makers. Near by
was white corset, spotless, except for
bloody finger prints. At the top Of the
bank where the feet lay was pool Of
blood. This spot was in the gap of pri-
vate hedge on which remained dead
leaves. On both sides of the leaves,
above and below were drops of blood.
At the foot of the bank near the neck
was another pool of blood. On that
morning these few garments were the
only clue to the identity of the dead girl.
Bloodhounds were taken to the spot and
they followed trail to the Covington
reservoir, but could be induced to go no
farther. The reservoir was drained but
the head was not found. All subsequent
search for the head has been fruitless.
Four days later the hairpins, shoes and
glove were identified at Green Castle,
Indiana, by her parents as belonging to
Pearl Bryan, the daughter of A. s. Bry-
an. a well-to-do farmer, living near
Green Castle. This Identification of the
girl was brought about by Sheriff Plum
mer of Campbell county, KY, who had
followed the slender clues furnished by
the shoes and garments to successful
issue. This discovery also identified
Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling as
the perpetrators of the crime. These
young men were room-mates and fellow
students in the dental college at Gin
cinnati. Scott Jackson spent several
months of the summer and early autumn
of 1895 at Green Castle as a member of
the family of his brother-in-law, DR..
Edwin F. Post, professor in the De-
pauw university. There he became ac-
quainted with Will Wood, lad 20 years
old. the son of Rev. D. M. Wood, presid-
ing elder of the M. E. church, residing at
Green Castle. Through Will Wood. who
was second cousin to Pearl Bryan. he
obtained an introduction to her and
visited her frequently. She was grad
uate of the Green Castle high school, was
vivacious. pretty, fond OF society and
very popular. Jackson, when absent,
kept up a correspondence with her,
which was continued until within
fortnight Of the day Of her murder. The
last two or three months of this corre-
spondence was carried on clandestinely.
Will Wood was the medium at Green
Castle by which these letters were pass.
ed to their destination.
Jackson's last visit to Green Castle
was in the holidays of 1866. Only few
persons at Green Castle, confidants of
Jackson, knew that Pearl Bryan was in
delicate condition. To one of these,
DR.. Gillespie, a dentist with whom
Jackson had worked, also a relative of
Pearl Bryan, Jackson admitted that he
was the author Of PEARLS trouble. Gill
lespie. during the holiday vacation. ad-
vised Jackson to marry her. He said
that he would not do anything of the
kind. There were others who knew
about the affair, among them Will Wood
and Mr.. Early, telegraph operator at
Green Castle. Through Will Wood,
sometime in December, 1896, jackson
had sent Pearl Bryan letter containing