This settled the fact that Pearl Bryan had purchased the shoes, and at
two o'clock Wednesday morning the officers visited the home of the
Bryans, taking with them the clothes found on the murdered woman. Here
an awful climax came. The mother of Pearl was shown the clothes and one
by one she positively identified them between her sobs and cries of "My
Pearl, my Pearl."
The dress was one which had been made over for Pearl out of one which
had belonged to a dead sister. The bloody undershirt was at once
recognized. The family sought to find something upon which to base a
hope that it might not be their loved one, and argued that she might
have given her clothes to some one else, but this has positively been
disproven. The murdered woman was Pearl Bryan.
The blow to their hopes came when the officers told them that the
murdered woman had webbed or deformed toes, and described them to her.
Her sister exclaimed: "My God, it is Pearl! We used to tease her about
those when she was little." The scar on the right hand was then told of
and added a link to the identification.
Even the hairpins were positively identified as belonging to Pearl.
There were two gold-plated and two rubber ones of an auburn hue. There
remained no doubt as to whom the missing woman was, and there was but
one thing to do--pursue her murderer.
The whole thing became plain to the officers. They at once determined to
secure the arrest of both Jackson and Wood. They knew that Jackson was
in Cincinnati so they decided to wire Chief of Police Deitsch and have
Jackson arrested and to go in person to South Bend, Ind., for which
place Wood had left on the Thursday previous, for the purpose of
studying medicine with his uncle, and place Wood under arrest.
They at once sent the following telegram:
"GREENCASTLE, IND., FEBRUARY 5, 1896.
PHILIP DEITSCH, Superintendent of Police, Cincinnati, Ohio: Arrest
and charge with murder of Pearl Bryan, one Scott Jackson, student
at Dental College, about 24 years old, 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high,
weighs about 136 pounds, blonde, nearly sandy mustache, light
complexion, may have beard of about six months growth, effeminate
in appearance. Positive identification of clothing by family.
Arrest if in Cincinnati, William Wood, friend of Jackson. Charge as
accomplice. About 20 years, 5 feet 11 inches, light blonde hair,
smooth face, rather slender, weighs 165 pounds. We go from here to
South Bend after Wood as he left here for that place.