THE VERDICT.
"We, the jury, of Campbell County, Kentucky, find that the headless body of the woman found on the premises of John B. Lock, near Ft. Thomas, on the morning of February the 1st., was that of Pearl Bryan, a resident of Greencastle, Ind.
"We further find that cocaine had been administered to Pearl Bryan for some reasons unknown.
"We further find that the decapitation took place while Pearl Bryan was still alive.
"We further find that Pearl Bryan was last seen in company with Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling. The three got into a cab on the Plum-street side of a saloon, corner of George and Plum Streets, and were last seen in the cab turning toward Plum Street.
CHIEF DEITSCH. SCOTT JACKSON. ALONZO WALLING.
Mrs. Stanley sobbing heavily cried: "Mr. Jackson, I come to you and ask where is my sister's head?"
"We further find in the end of justice that this verdict, and the report of the post-mortem, the chemical analysis of the stomach and the report of the Court-stenographer be filed with the verdict."
On the Wednesday following, the grand jury of Campbell County Kentucky, in session in Newport, returned an indictment against both Jackson and Walling, charging them with the murder of Pearl Bryan and alleging that the crime was committed near Ft. Thomas, Ky. Sheriff Plummer, at once went to Frankfort, Ky., and secured a requisition for the men from Governor Bradley. He then took the papers to Columbus, O., where Governor Bushnell, after a close scrutiny honored them and the Sheriff returned to Cincinnati to serve them on the Sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio, in whose custody the prisoners were.
The prisoners were arraigned in the Police Court of Cincinnati a number of times charged with murder, and their cases continued, to give the Kentucky authorities an opportunity to take action.
After the indictment of Jackson and Walling in Kentucky, the charge was changed to "Fugitives from Justice" and on this were they held until the requisition papers were procured and served.
In the meantime the detectives, police and Kentucky officers were at work running down rumors and clews which sprang up on every side.
The hat worn by Pearl Bryan, was found on the side of the road just back of Newport and was fully identified by her sister. The hat was weighted down with a stone wrapped in a bloody handkerchief which was identified as the property of Jackson.
George H. Jackson a negro, came forward and told a very plain straight-forward story of having driven, Jackson, Walling and Pearl Bryan in a surey drawn by a gray horse from Cincinnati to the scene of the murder. The police put great faith in this story until it was proven absolutely false, and that the negro had concocted the story with the expectation of securing the reward, or for gaining notoriety. An investigation of his previous record showed it to be a very unsavory one. No one doubted the guilt of the prisoners under arrest, but great difficulty was found in securing evidence on which they could be convicted.
The officers claimed to have sufficient evidence but refused to divulge it, and the granting of the requisition papers by Governor Bradley of Kentucky, and the honoring of those papers of Governor Bushnell of Ohio, showed that there was certainly stronger evidence than had been given the public.
As soon as the requisition papers were served on the Sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio, and an effort made by Sheriff Plummer, to take charge of the prisoners, and take them to Kentucky, it was evident that a terrible fight would be made by the counsel for the prisoners to keep Jackson and Walling from being taken to Kentucky.
Learned and able counsel had been secured by the relatives of each of the prisoners and from the start it was evident a big legal battle was on and that every effort, would be put forth to them, not only to save the murderers from paying the penalty of their horrible crime but also to keep them from being sent to Kentucky, where in the eyes of the law, the crime had been committed and the only place where they could be put on trial for their lives.
Notwithstanding Gov. Bradley of Kentucky, had promised that he would put the entire Militia force of Kentucky at the command of Sheriff Plummer to protect the prisoners from violent deaths at the hands of a lawless mob, the attorneys for the accused made the claim, and attempted to prove it, that the lives of their clients would not be safe in Kentucky.
Habeas corpus proceedings were resorted to and every scheme and plan for delay was brought into play. A fierce and bitter legal battle was fought between the attorneys for the prisoners and those for the state, before Judge M. L. Buchwalter of the Hamilton County, O., Court of Common Pleas.
Every technicality and motive for delay known to the law was resorted to by the attorneys for the defense. The cases were called again and again in the Police Court simply as a formality, their continuances having been agreed on before the cases were called, notwithstanding the law providing that there shall be a hearing before a Judge of the Common Pleas Court, in extradition cases as soon as the requisition papers shall have been honored by the Governor of the State. The requisition papers issued by Governor Bradley of Kentucky on Governor Bushnell, of Ohio, had been honored by the last named official for weeks previous to the arraignment of Walling and Jackson, before Judge M. L. Buchwalter, of the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. Interest in the case did not abate in the least. The Jail where the prisoners were confined, was daily literally besieged with visitors, and loud murmurings were heard on all sides. Mob violence was feared, and this fact more than any other caused the delay in the hearing of the arguments on the requisition papers. Everyone felt that the papers would be honored by the Judge, and the prisoners remanded to the custody of the Sheriff of Campbell County, Kentucky, but it was feared the lives of the prisoners would be placed in serious jeopardy, if they were sent to Kentucky, before the excitement had in some measure died out. On April, the 30., the prisoners were brought before Judge Buchwalter, and Saturday March, 7., fixed as the date for hearing on the requisition papers. Rumors of all kinds prevailed, and squadrons of police were placed in line guarding closely every inch of the way from the jail to the court room. It was intended at first to convey the prisoners from the jail to the court room through the underground passage way, or tunnel, which has been prepared for just such cases of emergency. For this purpose the tunnel was cleared of every obstacle, but when all was in readiness, it was discovered that the key to the massive gate at the entrance to the tunnel from the jail yard had been misplaced and could not be found, and it was necessary to take them through the streets. Before the prisoners arrived however, another consultation between the attorneys in the case resulted in an agreement for another continuance, and Jackson and Walling were before the court but a few minutes, when they were again remanded to jail and Saturday March, 7., set for a final hearing on their requisition. Col. Robert W. Nelson, one of the brightest and leading legal lights of Kentucky, an able prosecutor, fearless and aggressive and universally feared by criminals, volunteered his services to aid in the prosecution of, as he termed it, "villains of the deepest dye, who are without doubt guilty of the most heinous crime and greatest outrage ever put upon the fair name and fame of Kentucky."
The attorneys for the defense had selected Judge Buchwalter as the judge to hear their case for the reason that this same judge had but shortly before refused to deliver a prisoner, a negro fugitive, charged with murder, to the Kentucky authorities although Kentucky's Governor had made a requisition which had been honored and granted by Governor McKinley of Ohio. Buchwalter held that the negroe's life would not be safe in Kentucky and refused to hand him over to the Kentucky authorities. This was a ruling without precedent and the attorneys for Walling and Jackson hoped to work on the Judges prejudices against Kentucky and obtain a similar ruling in their cases. Public sentiment however, was too strong, and no matter how much Judge Buchwalter may have disliked to honor a requisition from Kentucky, he saw that public feeling was in no humor to be trifled with in the case of the murderers of Pearl Bryan. At the hearing of the case on March, 7., the State of Kentucky, Jule Plummer, Sheriff of Campbell County, agent, through his attorneys, M. R. Lockhart, Commonwealth's attorney and Col. R. W. Nelson, appeared in court and demanded the custody of the prisoners, presenting the requisition papers, properly approved by Governor Bradley, of Kentucky, and Governor Bushnell of Ohio. The prisoners were represented by Judge James D. Ermston, of Cincinnati, and Messrs. Andrews and Sheppard, of Hamilton, O. A bitter fight was made, but right and justice won and after a fierce legal battle between the opposing counsel, Judge Buchwalter rendered a lengthy decision remanding the prisoners to the custody of Sheriff Jule Plummer, as the agent of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He also dismissed the habeas-corpus proceedings which had been instituted but granted a stay of the executive of his orders for eight days to give the attorneys for the prisoners ample time to appeal the cases and take them to the Circuit Court. Judge Andrews for the prisoners, announced that the bill of exceptions to Judge Buchwalter's rulings, would be prepared at once for presentation to the Circuit Court. The case was at once taken up on appeal and on March, 14., Judges Swing, Cox and Smith of the Circuit Court of Hamilton County began its hearing. When the higher Court convened an immense throng crowded the rooms, the most noteable among the spectators being the aged father of the murdered girl, Alex. S. Bryan, his three sons, Fred, Frank and James, and ten other gentlemen, who had come from Greencastle, Ind., to Cincinnati, to lend their aid to the prosecution of the prisoners. S. A. Hayes, one of the brightest legal lights of Indiana, was one of the party and he will doubtless aid the State of Kentucky in the prosecution of both Walling and Jackson when they are put on trial for their lives.