The Mysterious Murder of Pearl Bryan Part 9

MET THE GIRL AT WALLINGFORD'S.

"I think he went to see the girl at Wallingford's saloon. I was there, but I did not go into the back room, where she was."

"What time did he get home that night?"

"I think it was after midnight. He came in with a valise, and I saw him open it and say, 'You are a beaut, you are.' He thought I was asleep."

"How about Thursday night?"

"I saw him that night, and I was afraid to stay home and I went to Heider's Hotel."

"When did he take the girl to Ft. Thomas?"

"This was on Friday night. I was in Heider's restaurant eating my supper, and Jackson called me out and told me to go to Fountain Square and wait with the girl until he came back. He said he would not be gone over 10 or 15 minutes. He came back, and I left them. I believe he went to the room and got the hypodermic syringe and the poison."

"What do you think he did with the head?"

"Well, in my opinion he buried it."

"Where do you think it is buried?"

"I think it is in this neighborhood."

"What makes you think so?"

"Well, last Monday night I was standing on Ninth and Plum and Jackson came along. He had a valise, and asked me to go with him. I told him I didn't care to, and he left. He had the same valise which is now in the possession of the police with the blood stains in it."

"What do you think became of her jacket?"

"Why, she didn't wear a jacket. It was a long fur cape. I don't think he could get it in the valise with the head."

"What do you think became of it?"

"Well, I can't say as to that. These things have all come to me, and I may recollect something else after awhile."

A DECOY LETTER SENT BY JACKSON TO THE MURDERED GIRL'S MOTHER.

In less than a half hour after making the confession Walling again sent for the Chief of Police and said:

"I want to see you about another thing that may have a big bearing on this case," said the prisoner.

"What is it?"

"Well, yesterday afternoon Jackson got some paper and envelopes and told me he was going to the Palace Hotel to write some letters. I asked him who he was going to write to and he said to Wood. He said he was going to inclose a letter purporting to be from Pearl Bryan to her mother and that he was going to have Wood sent it, I think, to Geneva and have it mailed from that point to Mrs. Bryan. He said he was going to do this to throw Mrs. Bryan off the track."

"Do you know that he sent the letter?"

"He told me on the evening he was arrested that he had sent it."

This information was given to Mayor Caldwell, and the following dispatch was sent:

CINCINNATI, OHIO, February 6, 1896.

POSTMASTER, South Bend, Ind.: Kindly sent all mail addressed to Wm.

Wood from this city to me.

JOHN A. CALDWELL, Mayor.

Young Wood, who was present, said he had got a letter from Jackson yesterday, which he had torn up. It went on to ask him to stick to him, and not to say too much. Young Wood was perfectly satisfied to have the mail sent back here.

Chief Deitsch after sending the information to Mayor Caldwell continued his investigation with:

"I have just talked with Jackson, and he puts all the blame upon you. He says you performed the abortion somewhere across the river."

"I don't know a thing about it, except what he told me."

"Well, now, did you do it or did Jackson? He says you did it."

"He's putting it all on me now, is he? Well, he's the one who is guilty.

I know nothing of it."

"What did he tell you had become of the head?"

"I understand that he threw it in the Ohio River."

"Do you know where the operation was performed?"

"No, I don't. If I did, it would make it much easier for me to clear myself. As it is, I can prove where I was Friday night. It will all come out in a little while."

"Jackson says that you threw the head into the river, and that the next day you told him to get rid of anything lying around loose at the boarding house by throwing it into the river."

"I never saw the head, and he told me that he threw it into a sewer."

"Didn't you throw the girl's stockings, skirt and other things, which were covered with blood, into the river Sat.u.r.day morning from the Suspension Bridge?"

"No, he did this himself."

"Then he says the skull was cut up and thrown over piecemeal by you."

"I don't know about the cutting up part, but deny the other."

JACKSON TELLS CHIEF DEITSCH THAT WALLING COMMITTED THE DEED.

Scott Jackson spent a sleepless night at the Central Police Station, and early next morning was taken to Chief Deitsch's private office. He had a haggard, restless look, and when asked to make a confession, sought to throw the blame upon Wood, and subsequently upon Walling.