Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-01
A GIRL SHOT DEAD.


"A UlhL O1Ol DEAD.
BYA WOMAN WHO HATED NOISE.
A Murderess Who Didn't Know 1t Was
Loaded ''-Dastsrdly and Unprovoked
Crimo In Philadelphia.
Mary Carlette, . child 12 years of age,
was shot through the brain Wednesday
afternoon, in front of No. I'LL Tasker
street, Philadelphia, by Miss Catharine
Bernson, woman Of "a years, who lives
with her uncle at that number. The little
girl died an hour later. The horrible
deed has created the most intense excite
ment in tho neighbOrhOOd, where the
victim was general favorito ON account
of her pretty face and winsOme manners.
The Bernsons, uncle and niece, moved
to the neighbOrhOOd about two years ago
from the West, where they had been
living in various states for four or five
years. Miss Bernson, who is her uncle's
housekeeper, has been annoyed by the
children who live about Seventeenth and
Tasker ever since they moved there, and
at times, being of nervous and excitable
disposition, she became greatly exasperat
ed.
This only led tho children to continue
their efforts to tease her. During the past
| month the woman has boen very sick, and
for a greater portion of tho time confined
| to her bed. Her illness was SO serious
| that she was compelled to send to lady
friend in Camden to take charge of the
| house. On Tuesday, however, she was SO
| far recovered rs to venture out of the
| house to her uncle's workshop. few
blocks away. The tricks of the children,
which had been suspended during ner ill
ness, were resumed as soon as it was dis
| covered that she was we'll again.
| On Tuesday evening Mr.. BernsOn
went among tho neighbors aud warned
them to put stop to the annoyance to
which their children were subjecting his
niece. Mrs. Drexler, married daughter
of MIR. Cunningham, who lives at No.
1714 Tasker street, says that he told her
that if the children did not stop some of
them would be killed. He said that his
niece had loaded pistol and would shoot
them if they continued to annoy her, add.
ing that it was wonder she had not shot
some Of them before. The neighbors gen
orally say that Miss Bernson was a most
disagreeable woman, and some of them
thought that she was q crank" At
any rate, she made few if any friends, and
appears to have been regarded with es-
pecial dislike by the school children.
Such was the condition of affairs when
the dreadful tragedy occurred, which has
ended in the death Of little Mary Cariette
and the incarceration of Miss Bernson in
prison cell. Miss Bernson's Camden
friend and returned home, and she was
in the house alone at o'clock yesterday
afternoon.
About that time Mary Carlette was sent
by her mother, who lives at No. 1917
Mount Holly street, to take scuttle full
of ashes to lot in the neighbcrhood and
empty it. She tripped along on her er-
rand, and had got as far as Seventeenth
and Tasker streets, when several of her
schoolmates ran across from the other
side of the street and joined her. One of
the girls had rope, and it was proposed
to have jump. As the little party passed
the house where Miss Bernson lived they
were chattering gayly and making a good
deal of noise with their rattling tongues.
Louisa Hankins, a bright-faced little
girl, with pretty, red cheeks, who lives
next door to No. I'LL, was arm in-arE,
panions, including Lizzie McIntire, Lizzie
Moore and Annie Roe, were in the COM
pany rs they passed Miss Bernson's win
dow.
These girls all tell the same story. They
say that they had passed Bernson's house
and were on Mr.. Webster's pavement, but
near his house, engaged in an animated
conversation about the examinations now
in progress in the schools Mary Carlette
had put down her scuttle of ashes and was
talking to several of the girls when Miss
Bernson threw up the parlor window
nearest tho little girl and, with ar excited
gesture, pointed a revolver at them, ex-
claiming " There is law for this ~ and
then, in the next breath will shoot
you ~ Some of the girls ran, and Lizzie
| Webster jumped upon her fathers steps
and ran in the house as she saw Miss
Bernson q" finger with the hammer of the
pistol"
Miss Bernson fired. The ball struck
Mary Carlette directly over the right eye
and entered the brain. She threw her
hands to her head, staggered about fifteen
feet and fell with a groan on the sidewalk
above Mr.. Webster's house
Miss Bernson saw her victim fall, and
then slammed the window down. The
mortally wounded girl was at once taken
to her mothers home, and died within an
| hour. Miss Bernson was at once arrested.
| When taken by the officer she was in
tears, and said that she did not know that
the pistol was loaded.
| DR.. Urney, who has been attending Miss
Bernson, during her illness, declines to
| give an opinion as to her mental condition
before the hearing occurs but he intimat
ed pretty strongly that he did not think
that she was insane.
The pistol with which the deed was
done is small Smith & Wesson revolver,
| the ball being of 80 calibre.
MIR Bernson says that his niece had a
pistol of her own, but that this one was
| his, and been loaded for two or three
years.
After the shooting large crowd of ex.
| cited neighbors gathered in front of Mr..
| BernsOn's house and threats of violence
| were INDUCED in.
Miss Bernson vas taken to the First
| district police station. She refused to
make any statement. Mr.. Benson has
the reputation of being quiet and inoff-
enSive man.
SPORTING TOPICS.
The Case of Mace and slade, the PugilIsts.
| The examination in the case of James
Mace and Herbert Slade, the pugilists,
charged with getting up boxing match,
came off in New York, Wednesday. After
hearing the testimony of Police Inspector