Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-13
The Murder of Miss Watt at GermantOwn
Confession OF TIE NEMrderer.

The police in Philadelphia on Wednesday arrested
a German, named Christian Berger, suspicion of
being the murderer of Miss Watt, at Germantown.
on Saturday morning last. Their suspicious proved
correct as wi be by the following extract from
the evidence addueed before thccoroners jury which
contains de fucfo the confession of the murderer
Mr.. Joshua Taggert being sworn, deposed: he
was a detective officer. and Saturday night had
Sunday morning saw the officers at the house; came
and saw Berger up stairs in the hall; on Sunday
had several interviews Tlth hIn and was satisfied he
he had probably committed robbery, and asked him
to confess it and save his time Berger said he had
stolen money and related circumstances which proved
not be true. and stated now he spent it; Berger
still stuck in the evening to the tale of the robbery
committed year and half before, and said he had
sewed the money up in his coat. and had never since
opened it: sent for n tailor and found his tale was
not true: afterwards in the cell alone with Berger
the witness went the whole case, and declared
to the prisoner that he thought the murder was COM
mitted by him.
Miss Watt he said he remembered going in; remem-
bered pushing her down: admitted that he struck her.
but would not admit that he cut her threat the wit
ness got him to repeat portions OF that on Monday
night. before others; on Tuesday he had made
esSon, it might be in that very room before half
dozen of persons that he had actually committed the
deed, saying he supposed he had knocked her down;
remembered doing that and after that said he locked
the door, but would not admit that he cut her throat
he said that he up stairs when the boy came to
the front door: opened it little and then locked it
again; went 0ut Of the back door went down Fishers
it away.
lie stated afterwards he had got the razor from his
father the day when his father was killing hogs,
which turned Out to be true; he had found lying
the mantel piece and had put it into his pocket and
carried it The witness did not press him about
his motives for committing the deed Berger said he
had only got the front steps when Miss open
ed the door the instant he stepped on the porch SO
bat there was no delay on the steps As soon as he
@, in he supposed he struck her. about clock he
sal he supposed he had cut her throat, but did not
rem ember what he had done; he said he had not
know n her.
The witness had Il conversation with him about the
money. and he said he did not remember taking it;
he said le supposed it up stairs contained in the
bureaus that the first knowledge he had about taking
the money was when he took the from his
pock ct and found the money there. The prisoner
first broke down in his denaS about the boot, at the
zee of blood the soles; he said he had
been in $ aughterhouse, but had been in butcher
shop and mn yht have got it on from off the floor
there he said had kicked piece of meat with his
foot and afterwa IDS explained the extra boOdness
by saying it might h.v been the liver. He also said
that six or seven days previous there was some horse
meat lying in the street. aNd he had kicked piece Of
it around the road.
The apparent blood marks LEFT on the boot were
very faint; the Doctor said it resGmbled blood but
the particles small that it cO1id not be re
duced certainty; he did not recolecJ about cut
ting her throat, but said he remembers knocking her
down, pushing her down; he said. Il musl have
hroat:' he said that nobody with him. that he
wa' entirely alone: the witness had made threats
70 b \ in getting the information, and had held out
M ;ndu ,ements to him; only the first interview
was he alo with the prisoner all the other inter
views were IN the presence of other parties