, 1873-03-21
A PHILADELPHIA TRAGEDY,


A Eyffo Murdered svsailo Aalce2 BIZ @
Drnnfzca1 t1.zaR,:t7ad.~E1e>,O ,Orl.ulhcu Ia
H2er Sles,ts With :,:a AK.
Philadelphia ''a''A 1Sl 70 eHtrsE9"'ee i;ca @ the Ss''
, Charleg J. Cloak, 4 mechanic. employed at tho
Baldwin Locomotive Works, n mai who, when
soher, is tho most quiet and inolronsiso man t.
be found, returned to his home, ut 2037 IueycB
fectly wild from tho offccta Of strong drink. uo
,yaa not quarrclsomo, but exceedingly hilarious.
I}{ip };{is ,,2 qld mother, s5 years old, nidod by
a nhof Iy, ,;c,s,. ;2Jss1"en in getting him % bed nj
long, end ahout o'clock ho cn,uo doru ntnira,
drank come chocolate md ato poco Of broad
snd ds1liel forth into tho atrcot fio returned l at
bands, 'aftcr first taking of Ills clothing, gayo
him aono tobacco md put him to bed Thon
old hfra. Cloak nnl Cloak'a wifo nnd little nicco
Ct Oloak'b, aged 13,, whom o had adopted ard
nnalioy n1 ~ adopted SON aod about = rotiretl
Ing Tho old ln:ay hal boon in tho habit OF get
ting up at o'clock in tIo morning to SEQ to tLo
tiro. She aroso ut that tina this morning aud
performed that duty, wont back to bed mud wont
About half-past o'cluck tho littlc girl was
aWakcnoa by light tsining in l,or eyes; allo
looked up aud saw Clonk standing in tic room
looking ut hfa wife.
1Io aaid-" Mary, look ut yonr mothor." ST..
looked mud saw Mrs: Cloak covered with blood,
and grcat cash in her loft tomplc. "Who did
this, papa I" Bhc a3kcd.
must sSe sos lnSy IN a oS n5 5'ps ind IN Sea Sea
burst into toa1s. Tho lits}o girl aoomel to havo
possessed en- extraordinary norro, for, instead
Of Blirielsing or feinting nway, e],o said, "Wcl,
It's doF 10 se sa9 ok soseJ { y a baxIg I d g. fG S
memory, and asked llcr where he should go. tIo
was directed to 10 to TNcnty-t a1il Vine
stroota, and put oil Lis shoea and ptartod out
The girl got up and called acroBs tho street for
By this time tho old lady, wllo Is very deaf,
woke up, and, wiuhirg to u:certain whether tll7
boy was we'll covered up, reached over OIL IL.
pillow, aud was Mortified to find it covered with
Il Ny God, what's this ?" aho criod, and Jump.
cd out Of bod as quick us efo could n%d got
light. When tha ro:ur:led AIru. Cioak VIC:
groaning, but insonsiblo., Tho nsiehbor h::
como from across tho street, and old Mrs. ClcGl
lot hor in, but NIL their efforts to got word fron
tho murdered woman were unayali,g. Tx
synpathizing neighbor held Mira. C!oali'a hcas
in her lands, and wipcd tho c!ottod blood fro:,
aud half, and died about o'clock. Cloak d.
not return to tho house, but waa arresrcd beross
he bud proceeded far, and tGken to tho htatla..
| honso ut Twenty-thlrd ard Drown atrcotn.
morning and dreuscd himself, then proceeded l.
| the collar and got nh old rlaty OK, in wEcl
| Mrb, Cloak, tho murdered woman, had insortc.
broken handle about two Teeka ego; sha'na'
u6eu IL 10T Df1s!111tI icc- IL W.la nAGu JUDI t3
woman would be likely to fix it. TAo ha:,dlo ha
boon brokon, a1:1! what was left oNtit lad bee
whitfield down and fitted into the eye-af tilc a,
III kind Of brolson-backed Bhape. Cloak H.
this ax and rippea quietly upstairs, with III
| light in one l,nnd aud tile ax i'll the olhor.
Having ascertuined the position Of his wife, !,
placed tho light on tho 1nantol end dealt nor tw
fearful blown Oil tho left tomplo. Tho fret bls,
| Bunk tho back Of tho AZ two ind half inci's
| into hor skull. Tho second blow wsa not 80 Gs
vero, but merely brolko tho skull. Ho tle:. rsy
coeded downstairs with the ax, aud laid It II,
dor tho tnble. Then he returned aud stood L
the bedside to SEQ her lifoblood oDb away.
!, Mrs. Cloak appeared like hardworki.
woman, and boro On her fralno tho evidences
fatiguing labor lIor sister and brother, wl,u j.
maincd down gtairH told mo sho lad frequent
supported the family for weelis ut C. time, vi.
| Cloalt was off on his periodical snreos.
| Tho prisoner is 6 very respectable, in.ollisea
| looking man, and ncat III his Got-up, solid
built, and apparently about Is yelrs Of aye. /
was not inclined to aay much about the inur]c
| save to deny it.
Coroner Brown held IN inquest Mt o'cloc
Tic evidence OF Cloak'R- mother and tho lit;
girl, and tho woman from acroAs tho Etrcot, VI
very clear aud convincing, and at its concls,ni'
Cloak was fully committed in accordauco vi
/ tho verdict Of the jury.