The Grisly Murder of Poor Pearl Bryan

{A haunting suggestion by Kathryn Lybarger}

Betrayed by your beloved! A tragic way to go! Wouldn't you want to stick around & share your misery with the world? Pearl Bryan apparently did.

Pearl Bryan came from a wealthy farming family in Greencastle, Indiana, and was dating the son of a local Methodist minister, in 1896. Unbeknownst to her friends and family, her boyfriend, William Wood, had "seduced" her and she was pregnant. He convinced Pearl to get a secret abortion, to be performed by his friend, Scott Jackson and his roommate, Alonzo Walling. These young men were current students at the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati. Surely, they must have the appropriate medical skills! So, on February 1, a 5-month pregnant Pearl left her parents with a lie, and met up with Jackson and Walling in Cincinnati.

Jackson used assorted chemicals, including cocaine, to see to his task - all of which failed. The men carried on, trying dental tools to complete their duty; and failing again. This botched abortion left Pearl afraid and bleeding profusely. Walling, Jackson, and even Wood saw no other option than to "cover the evidence" of what was, at the time, not only one, but two sinful & shameful acts (an unwed pregnancy & an abortion) - they decided to murder Pearl Bryan!

Traveling to Fort Thomas, KY, they cut off her head in what would later be described as a "clean slice" with a dental instrument. Arranging the scene to make it appear as a rape of a prostitute, they abandoned her body behind what is now the YMCA. Her head was never found, though many people tried throughout the years, and there are any number of theories throughout the years as to what happened to it, from being abandoned in a nearby thicket to tossed in the river, and even thrown in the river. People were still "finding" Pearl's poor head over a decade after her murder! Check out these clippings below, from the 1900 Hopkinsville Kentuckian, February 1907 Paducah Sun, & March 1907 Mt. Sterling Advocate, for just a few examples:



Ultimately, Pearl was identified by her shoes - since her head was nowhere to be found. An autopsy revealed the chemicals in her system. Soon after her murder, her killers were arrested and brought to trial by that Spring. Jackson & Walling were found guilty of murder. The trial garnered so much attention, a Barclay & Co. published a book detailing Pearl's tragic death & the ongoing trial by the end of 1896 titled: Mysterious Murder of Pearl Bryan, or, The Headless Horror (digitally available in KDL books). They attempted an appeal, then escape. However, due to the national attention and the outrage felt by townspeople, KY Governor William O. Bradley brought more security to their cells (which foiled their escape attempt). About 13 months after Pearl Bryan's murder, Jackson & Walling were hanged; again, Gov. Bradley made sure to bring extra security.


But this is only the beginning of the story - at least what can be proven in the physical realm that humans can conceivably see & know, without a doubt. Some say, on the gallows, Walling - believing himself an innocent man - cursed everyone involved in the case. And though the newspapers do not directly support this "evil eye" curse, there is a strange coincidence that a large number of people involved in the case of Pearl Bryan's murder, and those who brought her killers to justice mysteriously and/or tragically died within 15 years of her death; else they were brought a string of bad luck. Reporters had a habit of bringing up her name when someone related to the case came ill, whether it mattered or not. This included such people as prominent as the judge (died of a "hemorrhage of the lungs" in 1903) to as overlooked as the African-American who carried her remains (fatally injured in a 1902 accident) to obscure figures, such as C.E. Walling - her murderer's brother - was noted as related to the case, when the Berea Citizen reported him as dying in 1910!



Of course, Pearl Bryan herself has supposedly caused some mischief (though it's not directly accredited to her in this August 10, 1904 Richmond Climax clipping from page 1, it's implied)



And she still allegedly does today, most notably in Bobby Mackey's Music World - a night club & former slaughterhouse in Wilder, KY, with its own sordid history embedded in the building, involving satanic rituals & occultists. One of these legends involves a ritual that placed a curse on the disembodied head of Pearl Bryan before it was tossed down a well in the basement of the building, which is why she haunts the place.

I'm not sure they ever ACTUALLY found poor Pearl's head. Perhaps we will never know, as one story alleges Walling & Jackson kept silent because they feared "the wrath of Satan" (other stories place them as Satanists, as well). Supposedly, when people visit her grave, they leave her pennies, so she can have a head at Resurrection.

What do you think happened to Pearl Bryan's head? Do you think there is a curse on those involved with her murder & the case - even those that brought her justice? What & where do you believe she haunts, if she still does? Do YOU believe?

Crafting a Commonwealth - Kentucky Freemasons

Freemasonry is generally viewed as a "secret society" involved in conspiracies and, sometimes controversy that formed this country. As one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world, they actually trace their roots to Medieval Europe and the artisans who made their living from the craft of stonemasonry. Though they do not seek out members, those who attempt to join face high moral and ethical standards, often symbolized by the stonemasons' tools. And although many prominent members of American society were allegedly Freemasons, religion and politics are forbidden in lodge discussion.

Kentucky has its own ties to Freemasonry, going back to the Grand Lodge of Virginia, established in 1778. At this time, Lexington's lodge was numbered 25. However, the masons of Kentucky ultimately broke away, successfully establishing their own Grand Lodge on October 16, 1800; Lexington's lodge was renumbered "1," with many of the original members joining. The Grand Lodge of Kentucky oversaw all Kentucky Freemasons, with William Murray as the first Grand Master.

Many prominent Kentucky politicians and historical figures were freemasons, including Henry Clay. Not only was Clay Grand Master from 1820-21, but he was buried with the organization's symbolic apron on his casket. A number of notable Civil War officers and soldiers, from both sides, were freemasons. But, according with Masonic code, the official fraternal stance took neither side.

Meetings took place on a regular basis, in the Grand Hall, bouncing back and forth between Lexington and Louisville, due to fires and construction. These meetings included a larger convention every year, and smaller "visits" between fraternal officials throughout the year. The meetings included grand meals, for the time. Check out the "menu" below from the Oct. 5, 1900 edition of the Bourbon News. Surprisingly, despite the alleged lack of politics, Kentucky Freemasons showed an apparent support for Prohibition, long before it took a national effect - 12 years, in fact! They may not have been public about it, but at least within their lodges they forbid anyone "engaged in the liquor business," according to this clipping from the Oct. 18, 1907 edition of the Mt. Vernon Signal.

As far as conspiracies & controversy are concerned, Kentucky Freemasons faced an Anti-Masonic movement in the 1820s and 1830s, which severely impacted their membership. Nevertheless, they successfully maintained the Masonic University for nearly 70 years, and sponsored a home for widows & orphans in Louisville, as well as the Old Masons' Home in Shelbyville. They still thrive and contribute to society to this day.

Do you think you could be a Freemason? Maybe even hold a leadership position? Help contribute to society, as well as your fraternal organization? Find out what Kentucky Freemasons were like, and what they were doing on their 101st anniversary from this October 16, 1901 report in the Paducah Sun. Then, find out what made the "Ideal Master" among freemasons, according to the Grandmaster of Utah, in this October 16, 1901 clipping from the Adair County News.

The Bloody Battle - Perryville

In 1862, Union and Confederate forces met just outside Perryville when both were looking for water, after Union bombs interrupted an attempted inauguration of the Confederate governor at Frankfort, forcing them to flee the city a few days earlier. They raged all day in the bloodiest Civil War battle to take place in Kentucky (3638 soldiers dead, 1189 of which are unknown) - ultimately a turning point for the state. The Confederates retreated through the Cumberland Gap, and did not return, with the exception of raiders and guerrillas.

Forty years later, Kentuckians erected a monument outside Danville to commemorate those Confederate soldiers killed at the Battle of Perryville.

Page 5, Paducah Sun, 9 October 1902