The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-12-18
BIZ RkING IN BALTIMORE.
AN OLD WOMAN KILLED FOR HER
BODY.

ahNNi oiiSSu, Su5l W WIN hillNh,
on Friday last, Emily Brown, a white
woman of about sixty years of age, in a
house in Pig alley, between Eutaw aud
Paca streets, and runniu. from Camden
to Dover streets in Baltimore. The OBJ
.ject of killing her was to sell the body to
the University of Maryland for dissect-
ing purposes. This peculiar phase of
crime is known as bnrking, "a term de-
rived from the name of Burke, a noto-
rious murderer in England whose motive
in killing was the money he received for
the body of his victim from a medical
school. 1t was in 1929 that burking first
attracted public attention. It's rarity i'll
this country makes the crime of Friday
all the more startling.
OF the three men whom the police
have captured, Anderson Perry is asss.
tant janitor at the University of Mary
land, position which he has held nearly
ten years. He lives at No. Pig alley
with colored woman named Mary
Blockson, to whom he was to have been
married this coming Wednesday. In the
same house lived Mary Brown. the vic
tim. She was born in Easton, Talbot
county, Md, and belonged to a respecta-
BILE family. Her brother. Arthur Brown
who is dead, was at one time proprietor
Of the Easton Ledger. Emily Brown was
dressmaker, and was doing large bus
mess until she became addicted to the
use OF laudauum and whisky. This habit
grew upon her. and gradually ruined her
life.
About fifteen years ago she came to
Baltimore. From that time up to two
or three years ago the record of her life
is not fully known, but the end shows
that she must have sunk lower and lower
until finally she had to 90 out on the
streets and beg for money to keep from
starving. Last July she went to the
house of Mary Blockson and offered to
pay $50 = week for board. Tho offer
was accepted, and each day old Miss
Brown, now bent in the shoulders, feeble
in motion and completely broken down.
went from store to store along Lexington
and other streets where shopping is brisk
and begged the store keepers and passers-
by for a few cents. She could not always
get the 50. so week, and, according to
Mary Blockson, fell behind in her board
hat fnr S.Avaral oh
not pay more than fifty cents. Since Oc-
tober she had hardly paid anything, and
at the time of her death owed B!ockson
SIS. Blockson says the old woman spent
most of the money she got by begging
for whisky and was frequently intoxca-
ted. On Friday AFTERNOON last Blocksou
com lained at not receiving her board
money, and told the old woman to 90 out
and beg or leave the house for good. She
left the house with the intention of ask
ing aims, and when she returned Block
son herself had gone out. Between three
and six o'clock the old woman was killed
The first information of death was Civ
en- by Anderson Perry, the assistant
,janitOr OF the university, who, ut eleven
O'Clock Friday night, went TO the office
of DR.. Herbert Harlan, the demonstration
of the university, and told him that a
body had been sold to the university for
dissection, and that as there were marks
of violence upon it. he thought the doc
tor ought to make an investigation He
told DIR. Harlan that at four y clock FRI
day afternoon a colored man, whom he
did not know, had called at the univer-
sity and requested the use of a wheel
barrow aud bag, saying that he i'll
tended to bring body to the university
that evening to sell for dissection Perry
SAID that he refused to lend bag or the
whee harrow, and the man went away,
but returned at 615 r. NJ. with the body,
which he offered 10 sell for SO, which
amounG Perry promised should be paid il
tho man would come around III the morn
ing.
DR.. Harlan examined the body, and
found that the temples and head hau
been crushed and that there were two
deep punctures in the left brest. He mott
tied the police and AL investigation was
begun Immediately. In the meantime
Coroner Sparrow, DR.. 5. " Hoopm IN
and Dr. Nathaniel q. keirle held post
mor.em, which led them to believe that
the woman's heart was sufficiently dis
eased to have caused death and that th.
blows were received after the woman
was dead. No clue could be found on
Saturday, but on Sunday the police heard
that an old white woman was missing
from Ply alloy, and they went TO th-
house of Hlockson aud took her daughter
Sarah, aged eleven years, to the western
police station, where the body was |, ing.
Before Sarah B ockson got to the station.
Stella King, VINO lives on King street
said that she identIiled the body AS tina,
OF X ate Hamilton. an ium.t. of the House
of Correction, who had been released
from that institution las5 week. The
BocKson girl differed rom her, and
without hesitation SAID the bodyyas that
of Emrly Brown. The o her of the GIRL
soon appeared and currot o at, d what She
had SAID. recognizing not ONLY the body
but also the clothing. A dealer IN ho.i
ery, who had sold the woman a pair of
stockings gave additional corrobo, alive
evidence.
The police were now certain thai thew
we're ON the right trail. Tho arrest 81
Anderson Perry was ordered ami hs was
taken to the central police station nv
Sergeants Henneman aud Tieruey, where
he lost his nerve aud told the police
enough to put them on the scent TO,
Hawkins and Ross. Hawkins was pickcd
m nv Deputy Marshal Lannon and C.nt
CadwaIl,d.r .nd D.,ec,,v.. Se;hnId .pd
he also lost his nerve and cave fnrtb.r
information.
About 9.l5P. NJ, Ross was arrested
He is rs years old aud son of Mary
Blockson by her first husband. Deput,
Marshal Lanuon, with Detectives Droste.
,,N