The People’s Songbag

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30835, 21 August 1965, Page 12

The People’s Songbag

for Pearl’s pregnancy. Wood had placed the girl on the train with instructions as to what to do. Interviewed by the police, both Jackson and Walling admitted knowing of the murder, but each blamed the other for it. They said Wood had asked them to perform an abortion on the girl and that they had administered too much cocaine, killing her. The head had been removed to prevent identification. Pearl’s head w r as never found. Walling kept the police chasing around for days looking for it, but always finding nothing. They did, however, find Pearl’s satchel, which was smeared with blood and hair, indicating the head had been carried in it. Jackson and Walling were tried and convicted of the murder and were hanged on March 20, 1897. At the trial both repudiated their confessions and laid the blame on Wood. But Wood was never charged, nor was he called as a witness—possibly, one newspaper said at the time, because his letters about the girl were “too indecent to be read aloud.” ' - Pearl’s body was taken back to Greencastle for burial and an imposing granite shaft was erected above the gravel Over the years souvenir hunters have chipped away most of it, but the base may still be seen there.