Mr. Crawford stated that he had only been engaged after Jackson came to
Kentucky, a little less than three weeks. In concluding an earnest
appeal for a month's extension of time, he said:
"It is a question whether this man shall be hanged, go to the
penitentiary for life, or whether he shall leave the court-room a free
man."
The Judge replied: "You are not entitled to any continuance at all.
Tuesday, April, 21., will be sufficient time. The case is continued
until that day. Witnesses' names will now be called."
The following witnesses for the prosecution were in court and were
placed upon their recognizances of $100 each to be in court on April,
21.: J. B. Lock, Dr. A. B. Heyl, Henry Motz and Harry and Will Hedger.
While the court proceeded to other business of the day the officers
removed Jackson to the witness room, where he was kept for about fifteen
minutes before being returned to the jail.
The attorneys for the Commonwealth were sure of having sufficient
testimony to convict both Jackson and Walling of murder in the first
degree and objected strenuously to any continuance. Col. R. W. Nelson,
who volunteered his services for the prosecution, worked hard and
earnestly and through his efforts much valuable and conclusive evidence
against the prisoners was unearthed. He said regarding the disposition
of the head: "Without a doubt the head of Pearl Bryan is rotting in the
Ohio river. At the proper time we will produce witnesses who saw Jackson
and Walling make two visits to the Suspension Bridge and throw bundles
into the stream. One of these bundles the witnesses will say undoubtedly
contained a human head. The witnesses who will testify to these facts
have positively identified both Jackson and Walling and will do so again
at the trial, and their testimony will be of the most sensational
character."
On Monday, April, 13., Judge Helm fixed the day for Alonzo Walling's
trial, for Tuesday May, 5., 1896. Walling's Hamilton O., attorneys,
Morey, Andrews & Shepherd, withdrew from any further connection with the
case.
Pearl Bryan's headless remains buried at Greencastle.
The headless body of poor Pearl Bryan, taken to Greencastle, Ind., from
the Newport, Ky., Morgue on that cold, bleak wintry day in February, lay
in its beautiful snow-white casket in the vault in Forest Hill Cemetery
in Greencastle, until March, 27. The heart-broken sisters, urged on by
the friends of the family, had pleaded with their aged and
grief-stricken parents to have the remains buried, but their pleading
was in vain. Mrs. Bryan could not bear to even think of consigning the
remains to mother earth without the head, and Mr. Bryan, the aged and
heart-broken father, would only reply when the suggestion of burial
would be made to him, "The head must be found," "It must be found." It
was only after long and hard pleading that he at last agreed to permit
the burial of the headless remains. Hundreds of people had visited the
cemetery and gazed longingly on the stone receptacle in which the body
lay. At last the consent of Mr. Bryan was secured and arrangements were
at once put on foot to consign to mothers earth, all that was left of
the beautiful and loved, but misguided girl. Friday, March, 27., was the
day fixed for the funeral. It was a beautiful day and the sun shone
brightly from an almost cloudless sky. The warm weather of the preceding
days had caused the grass and foliage in the beautiful cemetery to
assume a decidedly bright greenish tint, and the trees were beginning to
bud. It was in every respect a most typical day. The cemetery lies just
south of Greencastle, surrounding a lofty hill within plain view, and
but a short distance from the colonial mansion of the Bryan's, where the
lovely Pearl was born and had grown to womanhood, from which she had
attended the Greencastle school and graduated with the highest honors.
It was here in the city of the dead, where lie her relatives and friends
who have gone before her, in sight of her home, at the highest point in
the cemetery, where the fond loving mother and father, whose hearts are
broken over the sad, sad ending of the life of their favorite daughter,
can look from the window of their room and see the tombs of "the loved
and lost", that the grave was dug. Mr. and Mrs. Bryan had insisted on
Pearls' grave being located on the highest point in the cemetery. Early
in the afternoon of the day fixed, an immense concourse of relatives and
friends, and of the curious, assembled at the vault in the cemetery,
where the remains lay.
Notwithstanding the large crowd, present, a deathlike stillness
prevailed. At last the hour arrived, and a few moments afterward the
carriages containing the grief-stricken family, arrived on the ground.
These carriages, bearing the possessors of so many heavily grief
burdened hearts, had hardly stopped at the vault when the large black
doors of the vault swung outward, and the dead girl's class-mates of the
"Class of '92", with bowed heads and aching hearts, filed slowly into
the sepulcher, and took their places around the plain white coffin, on
the lid of which was a silver plate with the single word "Pearl"
engraved thereon. It was indeed a most solemn and impressive scene, one
never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. With heavy hearts,
tear-bedimmed eyes, and trembling hands, the loved and loving class-mates
of the beautiful victim of the crime of the nineteenth century, grasped
the silver bar handles of the casket which contained all that was mortal
of the poor, erring, misguided, but loved Pearl Bryan, and bore it to
the outside of the vault. Tender hands and loving hearts bore the
headless remains of the once bright, cheerful and petted Pearl, to their
last resting place. The remains were not exposed to view at the funeral
services. Slowly following the carriages, containing Rev. Dr. Gobin, the
officiating pastor, the family and intimate friends, the beautiful
casket was carried by the class-mates along the broad cinder path to the
grave where it must rest. Following the casket was one of the largest
crowds ever seen at a funeral in Greencastle. Arriving at the grave, the
casket was let down into the receptacle prepared for it. Simple services
appropriate and tender, were said. Dr. Gobin, made a few touching
remarks, a hymn was sung by the class-mates with voices filled with
emotion, and the services concluded with a short prayer. A new grave was
made, the horrible tragedy which cost poor Pearl Bryan her life was
recalled vividly to those who had known and loved her all through life,
and the headless body of Pearl Bryan, dressed in her magnificent white
dress in which she graduated from the Greencastle High School, borne by
the loving class-mates in that graduating-class, were consigned to earth
from whence they came, and covered from the view of those who loved and
knew her. Already a verdant carpet furnished by nature covers the new
made mound which is kept covered with beautiful flowers and one would
not think that this grave was a new made one, but the girl who lies
beneath that mound, whose tragic death startled the whole civilized
world, will never be forgotten by those who visit Forest Hill Cemetery.
The Trial of Scott Jackson.
The trial of Scott Jackson began on April the 22nd, before Judge Helm.
It is very remarkable that a jury was secured on the first day. Perhaps
this promptness has never been equalled in Kentucky. The completed jury
was as follows:
John M. Ensweiler, grocer, Bellevue; William White, plumber, Newport;
John Boehmer, teamster, Dayton; Merty Shea, retired merchant, Newport;
Louis Scharstein, grocer, Newport; D. B. Mader, carpenter and builder,
Dayton; William Motz, reporter, Dayton; Millard Carr, carpenter,
Bellevue; G. P. Stegner, grocer, Newport; John S. Backsman, cutler,
Newport; Fred Gieskemeyer, grocer, Bellevue; David Kraut, coal merchant,
Dayton.
When all the preliminaries had been completed the attorney for the
Commonwealth arose and stated to the jury what the prosecution intended
to prove. He said:
"In the spring of 1895, the accused, Scott Jackson, commenced living in
Greencastle, Ind., where also resided the deceased, Pearl Bryan, who was
the youngest daughter of one of the oldest and best families in that
vicinity. Her father at one time was a Kentuckian, having lived a long
time in Bourbon County, Ky.
"The accused, Scott Jackson, became acquainted with Pearl Bryan, shortly
after he arrived in Greencastle. By reason of his elegant dress,
polished manners and fluent conversation, shortly after his acquaintance
with her he became a frequent caller upon her and they were often seen
together. Succeeding this the Commonwealth will show, beyond a
reasonable doubt, that this innocent young lady became infatuated and
yielded her chastity to this man, and later on she advised him of the
fact of her condition. It will be clearly demonstrated to you, gentlemen
of the jury, that while she was in that condition she left Greencastle
and came to Cincinnati, so that her people would not be aware of her
unfortunate condition.
"That, in obedience to a request from Scott Jackson, she came to
Cincinnati on Monday, January 28th. We will introduce a witness to show
that he met her at the depot, and that she inquired for Scott Jackson.
That he met her on the following morning, Tuesday, January 29th. It will
be shown that he was seen not only in Cincinnati, but in Kentucky, and
that he was seen with her up to Friday night, and about that time he was
with her in a vehicle, and that he took her out to Fort Thomas, where
her headless body was found February 1st, 1896.
"That Scott Jackson was found in possession of Pearl Bryan's satchel. We
will show by two or three persons, to whom he made this confession, that
he left the satchel with two different persons after the finding of the
body of Pearl Bryan. That upon Friday night a light rain fell, and when
the body was found on the Lock property, near Fort Thomas, headless,
there was a large quantity of blood lying in clots near the corpse.
"The Commonwealth expects to show you the condition of the body at the
time; that at that place the decapitation of this unfortunate girl was
done, and this man, Scott Jackson (pointing to the prisoner), is the
fiend who decapitated the unfortunate girl.
"We will also show to you, gentleman, that this fellow led a double
life--as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Up at Greencastle he was a gentleman,
but in Cincinnati, he was in society of ill repute, and he made no
discrimination of color in his choice of women.
"That a week or two before the crime was committed he displayed a fine
dissecting knife, and that he was experienced in the use of a knife that
could have done that kind of work.
"Through Jackson Pearl Bryan was brought to Cincinnati, and the evidence
tracing her will be established beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the
decapitation was done by one who is deft in using the knife, as he is
known to be."
John Hewling, a lad about sixteen years of age was the first witness. He
testified to the finding of the headless body on the farm of J. D. Lock.
The second witness was Dr. Tingley, Coroner of Campbell County, Ky. His
testimony was very important. He described the spot where he first
viewed the corpse and testified that the bushes in the vicinity were
spattered with blood that had spurted from the headless trunk. Restated
that the head had been removed by some one who had practised in surgery.
The following dialogue occurred during his testimony:
"On viewing the body I found it had been severed rather high. The knife
had struck the vertebra, then its course was changed slightly downward."
"Did you notice any other cut?"
"Yes; one across the fingers of her left hand."
"What fingers?"
"Her four fingers, near the tops."
"Did you observe no cut on the thumb?"
"No, sir."
"Did you make any other examination?"
"Yes, sir."
"Can you say whether or not the cuts on her hand were recently
inflicted?"
"Yes, they were."
"I will ask you if, in your opinion (you have described the condition of
the body), whether or not the head was cut off at that place?"
"I think so."
"Can you say whether the head was cut off before or after death? Or, if
death resulted from the severance?"
"I think the artery was cut while the heart was still beating."
In view of the fact that the defense was seeking to establish that the
head was removed after death the last remark coming as it did from an
expert was very damaging to Jackson. The same witness was asked,
concerning the cuts on the hand which he had referred to.
"Will you explain to the jury whether the cuts on the fingers were made
before death?"
"Before death," replied the witness promptly.
He was then questioned more particularly as to the result of his
investigations as an expert. The fact that Pearl Bryan had been murdered
with a knife (though cocaine was found in her stomach by the chemist),
was established beyond peradventure by the witness. He also identified
the clothing of Pearl Bryan which was produced all soaked with blood.
On the second day of the trial the prosecution sprung a sensation. A
headless dummy was brought into the court-room dressed in the clothes
that Pearl Bryan wore when her body was discovered. The dummy was placed
in an erect position at the left of the witness box and facing the jury.
A lively tilt followed between counsel as to the legality of this
proceeding. The court finally ordered the figure removed and the clothes
produced separately.
When this was done Mrs. Mary Stanley, the sister of Pearl Bryan was
called. She gave a list of the articles that Pearl had when she left
home and identified all the valises and clothing which the prosecution
had brought into court. She also identified some handkerchiefs found in
Jackson's room by detectives after his arrest and named the store where
Pearl had purchased them in Greencastle.
The first evidence of the trial that directly connected the prisoner
with the murder was given by John A. Caldwell, Mayor of Cincinnati.
Jackson became flushed and nervous and at times fastened his watery eyes
on the witness with an intensity that became painful.
He stated that he was present when Jackson was examined immediately
after his arrest in the office of Chief of Police Deitsch, of
Cincinnati. Mr. Caldwell said Colonel Deitsch handed him a telegram; he
took it in his hand and leaning over and looking at it for quite a time,
with his eyes in this way, cast down, he finally uttered: "Oh, my God
what will my poor mother say," then he turned his eyes on Colonel
Deitsch.
When he asked me the question he rose from his position and began to
walk up and down the room. He says to me, "What shall I do?" I says, "Do
you ask me the question?" He says, "Yes." I says, "Tell the truth." He
said, "Many an innocent man has been in as serious trouble as I am
to-night," or something to that effect. I do not know that I get his
exact words.
After what I have related Colonel Deitsch asked: "Where is Pearl Bryan?"
Jackson said he did not know; that he had not seen her since he was home
during the holidays. He was asked where he was on Friday night. He said
at first he was at his room; he was not certain, but he was there. Then
he said he was not out of his room after 7:30 o'clock; he remained there
all the evening. He was asked who his room-mate was, and he said Alonzo
Walling. He was asked if his room-mate was with him. He said that he
believed he was. He was asked where he was on Thursday evening, and he
said he was at his room. He was then asked as to where Walling was. He
said he did not know where Walling was Thursday evening, and afterwards
said that Walling did not come home on Thursday evening. That was about
the substance of the conversation that evening. The newspaper men were
then allowed to come in, and a conversation was then held with him by
them as to where he was, much of which I did not hear.
"The next morning about 10:30 I went to Colonel Deitsch's office, where
the prisoner was sitting. Colonel Deitsch asked him where he was on
Friday and Thursday nights, and his answers were the same as he made the
evening before. I am not positive as to whether it was at that meeting
that Walling was brought into his presence, and the conversation turned
as to where Pearl Bryan was and as to whether either of them had seen
Pearl Bryan the previous week.
"Mr. Jackson admitted to Colonel Deitsch that he had seen Pearl Bryan;
that she came to the Dental College on Court Street for him; that he was
informed she was in a cab, and that he met her afterward, I think on
Tuesday, at the Indiana House, on Fifth Street; that he met her again on
Wednesday about one o'clock at the corner of Fourth and Vine or Fourth
and Walnut. He said in the presence of Walling that he had sent 'Wally',
as he called him, to notify her that he was going out that afternoon and
he would meet her that evening. Then he said he did not see her again
after that Wednesday.
"Walling said he went down and saw Pearl Bryan and that he went that
evening to Heider's Restaurant, on Fifth Street, and met Jackson, and
Jackson told him to go up to the Postoffice and he would find Pearl
Bryan, and to wait there until he went to his room and returned; that he
went over to the Postoffice and saw Pearl Bryan standing inside the
corridor, and he went on from there and wrote his letters.
"Either on that day or the next day Mr. Jackson was asked about the
satchel, and he said that he had left the satchel at Legner's saloon,
across the street from his room; he said that he brought it there and
loaned it to a student and he intended to take it to the college and
give it to him, but he did not give it to him. He afterwards admitted
that it was Pearl Bryan's satchel.
"I want to say that in the meantime, in one of these conversations, I
told both of these young men that they did not have to make a confession
to any person, that they were at perfect liberty to refuse to answer any
of the questions that were asked them.
"Walling in this conversation, when Jackson was present, said that when
Jackson came back from his holiday vacation he took him in the corner of
his room on Ninth Street, where they were rooming, and told him that he
was in trouble with Pearl Bryan and that he intended to kill her. When
asked how, he said, 'I propose to get a room and take her to the room
and give her some cocaine poison and leave her there.' Then again, he
says he changed and said. 'No, I will cut her up in pieces and take the
pieces and deposit them in different places about the city.' He said
that before he saw Pearl Bryan at the Postoffice--I believe that was
Thursday evening instead of Wednesday evening---he said that Jackson had
made arrangements to take her over to Bellevue, I think it was, or over
to the sandbar, or some place there and kill her, take her head off and
bury her. He said that Jackson asked all the physicians as to the
effects of different kinds of poisons; that he had a standard medical
dictionary in his room and studied the effects of poisons, and that he
asked one physician particularly as to the effect of cocaine.
"He said that Jackson went to a Sixth Street pharmacy and got cocaine
and brought it back, that he took out a small teaspoonful and dissolved
it in two teaspoonsful of water and put it in a bottle, as he said, to
give her so as to paralyze her vocal organs or throat, and then cut her
head off. Jackson turned to Walling and said: 'Wally, why do you talk
that way; you know you are not telling the truth; you know that you
killed Pearl Bryan.' Whereupon Walling says, 'No, you know that you
killed her; and why don't you tell where her head is?' Then, when
Jackson was talking of where Pearl Bryan's head was, he said, 'I don't
know; Wally says he threw it overboard.' Then he said he took the
clothes and made one or two trips to the river and threw part in the
river and some in the sewer, but he could not tell where."
"Jackson then said that there was a bundle that he had given Walling.
Walling was then asked what he done with it; he said that it was up in
his locker at the college; the bundle was sent for and brought in their
presence. It was a pair of pantaloons, which Jackson identified as his,
and said that he had not seen them for some time; that Walling must have
worn them.
"I asked the men as to where the other clothes were. Walling says,
'Jackson, why don't you tell him where those things are, you might just
as well do it now as any time?' Jackson said that upon Saturday night, I
believe it was, they were walking up Plum Street with a bundle and they
saw some young physician or one of the students coming towards them,
that Walling changed and went down Plum Street to Ninth and out Ninth,
and Jackson said he went along little Richmond Street and from there on
around to the room, and then down Ninth to Richmond, and out Richmond
Street, westward, where he threw the bundle in one of the manholes of
the sewer, but he could not state which. The sewers were drained and
searched and a bundle brought to the department which Mr. Jackson
identified as his coat. He first denied that it was his coat, and said
it was Wallings', but afterwards admitted that it was his coat, but that
Walling must have worn it."
A valise was shown to Mr. Caldwell and he identified it as the one that
Jackson had been confronted with. It was the satchel which had once been
Pearl Bryan's and the witness stated that Jackson accused Walling of
having brought away the head of the murdered girl in it.
The witness then spoke of the occasion when Walling and Jackson accused
each other of having murdered the girl. After this he described the
scene and last effort that was made to get a confession from the
prisoners at Epply's Undertaking Establishment (see page 84). This ended
the Mayors testimony.
The mother of Pearl Bryan was then called to identify her daughter's
clothing. The scene brought tears to every eye and a sob to every bosom
not wholly bereft of human qualities.
Allan Johnson, employed in a saloon at George and Plum Streets, gave
testimony that proved to be highly important. He knew both Jackson and
Walling as visitors to the establishment referred to--and which the
witness admitted was a house of ill repute. On the night of the murder
the two students called with a woman in their company. The woman must
have been Pearl Bryan for the witness identified the clothing worn by
Pearl on the night she was murdered. The party, consisting of Jackson,
Walling, and Pearl drove away from the house in a carriage.
George H. Jackson, a colored man, was called. His testimony was of the
most startling character.
He told that on the night before the murder he was approached by Alonzo
Walling at the corner of George and Elm Streets. Walling inquired if
Jackson wished to earn five dollars by driving a cab across the Newport
bridge. The colored man accepted. On the next night he proceeded to Elm
and George Streets to discharge the contract. A cab soon drove up with
Walling on the box. Walling gave him the reins and instructed him to
drive to the Newport bridge, giving route. This was done. Then Walling
got up on the box with him to further direct the way. Before long he
heard a noise that sounded like a woman suffering and they moved around
and shook the carriage and they broke a glass, and then I was scared and
I put my left hand out and my right hand on the lantern and it kind of
bent down and I started to jump off, and I said there is something wrong
in the back part of that carriage and I don't care anything about this
job, and I went to hand the lines to him and when I went to look at him
I was looking at a gun. He said, "If you don't drive this horse I will
blow you to hell"; of course, I understood and began to drive the horse.
At length the carriage stopped at the command of a man inside the
carriage whom the witness identified to be Scott Jackson. The witness
said, "I stopped the horse and the man inside of the carriage got out,
and when this man on the front seat jumped down and went behind and got
on the other side of the lady then I got down to shut the door and this
here man who sat in the rear says, 'Drive down and turn around and come
back and wait until I whistle,' and then I shut the door and they moved
off; the woman was in between these two men. I went down the hill and
turned around, and when I came back I saw them in the act of getting
over the fence. It was a kind of a three-board fence."
The witness then related that a panic seized him and that he ran away
from the scene as fast as he could, leaving the horse tied where he
stood.
If George H. Jackson's story was true there can be no doubt of Scott
Jackson's and Alonzo Walling's guilt.
The next witnesses of importance were the two detectives Crim and
McDermott.
Crim testified first. He said:
"I live in Cincinnati. Have been connected with the Police Department
about ten years; on the detective force two years. I was detailed on the
Pearl Bryan case. I went to the point where the body was found,
Saturday, February 1st, in the neighborhood of one o'clock, in company
of McDermott and Mr. Plummer, Sheriff of this county.
"I went out with Mr. Plummer and he described the position that the
body was lying in when found. I noticed a few spots of blood on the
ground, one on the side of the bank and the other down near the bottom,
where the neck was supposed to be lying. I noticed blood on the bushes
and on the edge of the bank. Mr. McDermott pulled the leaves through his
hand and the blood stuck to his fingers; he rubbed it on the back of his
hand and it made a red mark. I took one of the leaves and have it with
me now. This is the leaf. (The leaf was then exhibited to the jury). I
have kept that leaf in another book until I filled that one up and then
I placed it in this. It is a leaf I plucked from the bushes there. There
were a number of the leaves that had blood upon them, drops like
rain-drops would glisten on the same. I found near these blood spots an
impression in the ground as though some one had been sitting there.
During the time I was there some person took a stick and dug down in the
ground six or seven inches. There was blood down as far as he went, or
some red substance I thought was blood. On the top of the bank, I judge
three feet from where this impression was, there was a track which
looked as though it had been made with a rubber shoe of small size.
About the size of the rubber shown me. The witness also testified that
he had made a search of the room occupied by Jackson. He found a pair of
ladies stockings behind a trunk pointed out to him as Scott Jackson's
trunk and which had on it the letters "S. J." He also found, in the
trunk, a ladies pocket-book with a piece of gold chain in it. In a
closet was found a cap. McDermott was present when the search was made
and testified exactly as Mr. Crim did.
John W. Legner was called and testified.
"I live in Cincinnati. I kept a saloon at 225 West Ninth Street, nearly
opposite where Walling and Jackson roomed. Scott Jackson had been in my
place quite frequently; he came for a pitcher of beer."
"State whether at any time he left any article of any kind at your
place."
"On Saturday night, the 1st of February, between 7 and 8 o'clock. Mr.
Jackson, whose name I did not know at the time, but had seen on two or
three occasions, opened the door and asked if he could have the
permission to leave a satchel there; I told him certainly he could. He
set the satchel down close to the ice chest, left it there and went
away, and the satchel remained there until Sunday evening about 10
o'clock, when he came in and took it away. He left no directions as to
its disposal. On the following Monday night he came and brought it and
set it down in the same place where it was sitting before, and it
remained there until about 10 o'clock, or a little bit earlier; then he
came and took it away. I had no occasion to handle the valise on either
occasion. The valise shown me looks like the valise that he brought
here. He roomed right across the way from my place."
Little Dot Legner, a child belonging to the saloon-keeper testified that
the satchel was much heavier on the first night than on the second. It
has been conjectured, very plausibly, that the valise contained Pearl
Bryan's head, on the first night.
William D. Wood, of Greencastle, Ind., was called. Wood's name has been
very prominently connected with the case on account of his knowledge of
Pearl Bryan's condition and the part he played in sending the girl to
Cincinnati. In answer to questions he stated that he introduced Scott
Jackson to Pearl Bryan in August, 1895, and that some time afterward
Jackson boasted that he had become intimate with the girl. According to
Wood, Jackson left Greencastle in October to take a course of dentistry
in Cincinnati and that soon afterward Jackson wrote and inquired if
Pearl Bryan was sick. Wood investigated and replied that she was sick.
Then Jackson sent a prescription for medicine and said:
"Tell her to take two or three good doses before she goes to bed at
night."
The medicine had no effect. Additional prescriptions were then sent.
They were unsuccessful. Pearl continued "sick."
Wood then stated that Jackson went to Greencastle again during the
holidays. The condition of Pearl was becoming more threatening and it
was plain that something had to be done. Then it was that Jackson
suggested an operation. The witness testified on this point.
"He said that it was very frequently done, done every day and if he had
the instruments he could do it himself. Such operations, he said, were
every day occurrences and if we got it done she would be all right in
three or four days."
Before Jackson left Greencastle he tried to make Wood agree to send her
to Cincinnati where the matter could be attended to, but Wood claimed
that he refused, not wishing to have anything to do with it.
On January 4th, Jackson left Greencastle and returned to Cincinnati and
on January 25th, Wood received a letter from him in which he said that
he had secured a room for Pearl. Wood claims that he gave this letter to
Pearl. She read it and expressed her intention of going on the next
Monday. Accordingly on January 27th, she left Greencastle on the 1:35
train, going east.
On February 6th, 1896, Wood received another letter. He was then on the
train in charge of the officers, as an accomplice of Scott Jackson who
had been arrested. The letter was destroyed by Wood but he remembered
the contents. The letter read.
"Hello Bill--I have made a big mistake and we will probably get into
trouble. I want you to stand by me."
On the day before this Wood received the following strange letter which
was produced in court and which we already published on page 77.
The witness stated that the above letter never reached him--that it fell
into the hands of Chief Deitsch. The letter was most damaging to
Jackson's case.
The next and last witness for the prosecution was Chief of Police,
Colonel Deitsch, of Cincinnati. He said:
"On February 5th, about 10 o'clock at night I met Jackson in charge of a
detective officer named Bulmer on the corner of Ninth and Plum Streets,
in Cincinnati. I went up to Scott Jackson and said then, "We want you at
the Mayor's office." We walked into the Mayor's office--Mayor Caldwell,
of Cincinnati--and there was no one present at the time except myself,
His Honor, the Mayor, and Scott Jackson. Detective Bulmer came into the
office but walked out. I told Scott Jackson I had a dispatch for his
arrest. He sat on the settee, and I asked, "Where is Pearl Bryan?" He
said, "I have not seen her since the 2nd day of January, 1896, at
Greencastle, Ind." The Mayor partly read the dispatch and gave it to me,
and I had handed it to Jackson, and said: "Jackson read the contents of
that dispatch." He read it carefully, and then said: "Oh my God, what
will my poor mother say?" I asked the question, "Do you know where Pearl
Bryan is?" He said he did not. He got up off the settee and made the
remark over again. "Oh, my God, what will my poor mother say?" He walked
backward and forward. He made the remark. "Must I tell about this?" His
Honor, the Mayor, said, "Not unless you want too." The Mayor repeated
that twice. He said, "Jackson, you need not tell unless you want too." I
then again asked him if he knew anything about Pearl Bryan. He said that
he did not. Shortly after that conversation the reporters from the daily
press were admitted and my interview with Jackson at that time ended."
The Colonel stated that on the following day Jackson requested an
interview. Following are the Colonels words:
I asked Jackson. "Did you have anything to do with the woman down at
Greencastle?" He said: "Yes, I did." "Did you write a letter to Wood
advising him to give her ---- of ----?" He said he did, and shortly
afterward got a letter again from Will Wood, saying that it had no
effect. And in the meantime he had a conversation with Walling about
the subject. Walling advised him to give ---- of ----; then in a
conversation again with Walling about the matter Walling made the
remark: "Bring her up here and we will...." I repeated to Jackson: "Is
that statement correct?" He said that it was. "And did you send for
Pearl Bryan then?" He said that he did. When that conversation was
ended a satchel was brought into the office--a red satchel. Opening the
satchel I asked himto look into it; says I, "Jackson, what is in this
satchel; look." He says, "There is nothing." Says I, "Did you observe
anything unusual?" and I called his attention to some blood that was
on the inside of the satchel. He says, "I did not notice that before."
I asked him whether he had opened it; he says, "Yes; I took part of
Pearl Bryan's clothing on Saturday evening on the Suspension Bridge and
threw it overboard into the Ohio River."
He furthermore described a meeting between Jackson and Walling in his
presence in the course of which Walling and Jackson accused each other
of having murdered Pearl Bryan. The witness also repeated a conversation
between the two that took place in a peculiarly constructed cell, called
"The Sensitive Cell." A telephone attachment connected this cell with
other apartments in the building, hence its name. This part of the
testimony was ruled out by the court.
The defense began its testimony by placing Scott Jackson on the stand.
All the man's natural shrewdness came to his aid while on the stand. His
words were clear, frankly spoken and there was no hesitation in his
manner. He acted the innocent man to perfection.
There is little about his testimony that is very remarkable or startling
as he disclaims all the manner of knowledge of Pearl Bryan's death.
Neither does he accuse anyone of the murder. He merely adheres to his
theory that Walling is guilty--that is all. He maintains that Walling
was confused and panic stricken when he saw the articles in the
newspapers describing the finding of the body at Fort Thomas. Then it
was, says Jackson, that they hastened to get rid of all the effects
belonging to Pearl Bryan which were in their possession. He also
maintained that Wood sent the girl to Cincinnati and that finding her
here he tried to hit upon means of best taking care of her.
He concluded to allow her to remain at the Indiana House temporarily
until he could secure her private accommodations. As these could easily
be had he took her valise and started away to hunt for convenient
quarters. That is how he happened to have Pearl Bryan's effects in his
keeping.
His narrative was very smooth.
Miss Rose McNevin at whose home Jackson was staying testified that
Jackson had not left the house on the night of the murder, she stated
that she always knew when her fourteen roomers were at home. She is able
to remember for two weeks the exact hour of the night when each of her
guests came into the house. Her memory is quite a good one.
A certain individual who gave his name as Wm. Trusty was introduced by
the defense. Trusty claimed to have driven the cab containing Pearl
Bryan to Fort Thomas. He stated that she was dead and that Jackson and
Walling were in charge of the corpse. He claimes to have been told that
an abortion had been attempted and that the woman had died from the
effects of it, and that Jackson and Walling had undertaken to get rid of
the body.
Immediately after testifying Trusty flew for parts unknown. None
believed his story.
On May 12th, Colonel Nelson began his speech to the jury. It was a most
remarkable effort, being intensely dramatic and spell-binding in its
eloquence.
Colonel Crawford replied for the defense and made an able argument.
On May 14th, Colonel Lockhart made the concluding speech for the
Commonwealth and the case went to the jury.
After a short session the jury returned and informed the court of their
joint agreement that they find Scott Jackson