"Oh, that, of course, will be for my attorney to decide, but it will
certainly be not guilty."
When Walling was seen, he appeared to be in much better spirits than
Jackson. He was lying on his cot, deeply interested in the novel which
he has been reading for the past few days. He arose and pleasantly
greeted his visitor. When asked as to how he liked his quarters he
replied:
"Oh, I suppose I have no kick coming, although they are not as good as
those across the river."
"What plea will you enter next Monday?"
"Not guilty, of course. What other plea could I make. I tell you that I
am not guilty of that murder and I fully expect to be cleared."
Arraigned in Kentucky Court Monday, March, 23., the murderers, spent the
first hour outside the prison walls since the transfer to Kentucky. That
hour was spent in appearing in the Circuit Court room of Campbell County
for the purpose of entering their plea to the charge of murder placed
against them by the Kentucky authorities.
In the court-room by 9:30 o'clock the three hundred privileged ones who
had obtained tickets of admission had taken their seats, and every seat
was taken excepting the four on the jury gallery reserved for the
prisoners and their jail attendants. There were not more than twenty
women among the spectators.
Within the iron-rail-bound quadrangle in front of the Judge's desk
thirty or forty members of the Campbell County bar sat, while ranged
behind them and just within the railing was a row of tables for the
reporters and artists.
Occupying the front chairs in the quadrangle were the attorneys in the
case: For the Commonwealth, Messrs. M. R. Lockhart, Ramsay Washington
and Colonel William Nelson; for the prisoners, Hon. L. J. Crawford,
representing Jackson, and Colonel George Washington, representing
Walling. In a few minutes Judge Charles J. Helm and the Clerk of the
Court, A. L. Reuscher, entered and took their seats and at once opened
the Court.
Fifteen minutes were spent by the Court disposing of routine business
and several minor cases before his honor said: "I will now call the
cases of the Commonwealth vs. Jackson et al. Mr. Sheriff, bring in the
defendants."
Everybody was at once on the alert, and all eyes were turned to the door
leading from the corridor. Instead of going toward that door, however,
the Sheriff threw open the ante-room door and out walked Jackson,
attended by Jail Guard Veith. Jackson walked quickly and without any
evidence of the weakness in his knees of which he complained several
days ago. A few steps behind Jackson came Walling, attended by Jailer
John Bitzer.
When they came into the room, both men were pale, but that haggard
appearance which distinguished them when they were in the Cincinnati
Courts was gone. They both looked well and gave evidence that they
enjoyed their Kentucky fare. Walling retained his paleness throughout
the proceedings, but Jackson, after taking his seat and looking over the
assembled crowd, flushed up a little.
"Stand up," said Judge Helm to the prisoners when the rustle occasioned
by their appearance had subsided, "You are arraigned--"
Colonel Washington interrupted the Judge here to say that he wished to
enter his demurrer to the indictment before the arraignment. He was
overruled.