The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-07-02

Berry's mother after the death of her
husband married Mr.. John Clark.
She dying, Mr.. Clark married Miss
Ann Wheatley, making the two per-
sons step-parents to young Berry, and
il was for his murderous assault upon
these two persons that he was sentenc-
ed to expatiate his crime on the high
and bleak emineuce which has ever
since borne his name.
HISTORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
1t is the history Of this tragedy of
colonial times that forms the romance
of Soldiers Delight, and through the
efforts of Mordecai Gosnell, deputy
sheriff of the county at that time Ia
great-grand uncle TO the writer. this
crime, which was considered to be one
of the most serious that had been COM
mitted in the colonies, was unearthed,
and Berry and his accomplices met
their doom. s.9+ss. Xxx,
So \
One morning in the month of Octo-
Der, 1852, the alarm was given that a
terrible crime had been committed
within the confines of Soldiers De-
/ light. Mr.. John Clark and his wife
had been found in their beds with
their heads cut and gashed in fright
full manner. Mr.. Clark owned fine
farm in the Delight, and his house
hold consisted of himself and wife,
a step-son, John Berry, and four SER
wants, two male and two female. The
report OF the crime soon spread and
among the first to arrive on the scene
was deputy sheriff Gosnell, whose
farm joined Clark's.
The persons of Clark aud his wife
were examined and it was only two
evident that Mrs. Clark was dead, but
Clark himself, though desperately
wounded, gave signs of returning con-
seriousness. a jury of inquest was
impaneled, one of the jurymen being
the Rev. Thomas Cradock, first rector
of st. Thomas Parish, Garrison For
est. Berry was dispatched to Balti-
mOre-Town. sixteen miles distant, for
physician for Clark, there being none
closer. On the journey he got drunk
and it was nearly thirty-six hours be-
fore he returned. In the meantime
the jury of inquest, at the instance of
Mr.. Cradock, had all the servants call
ed before them individually for exami-
nation, in hopes of discovering the
murderers. The two male servants
most vehemently denied the murder.
The two female servants Mary Powell
and Martha Bassett, the former
transported convict, and the latter
simple minded girl, became confused
at the rigid questioning of Sheriff Cos
nell, and after some hesitation, Martha
Bassett made full confession of the
whole affair, stating that Mrs. Clark
had promised her and Mary Powell
that at her death their term of service
should be Cancelled and they should be
free.
To gain their freedom they had
committed the deed, she having
struck the blows while Mary Powell |
held the candle. In this confession |
they also implicated TIL. step son,
John d. Berry, whom they said plan
ed the deed aud made them take u BIZ
BILE oath that they would commit it;
his idea being that he would get pos
session of his step-parents' property as
the girls were that of their freedom.
He had also promised to marry Martha
Bassett If she would strike the blows.
Berry upon his return from Baltimore
Town, was placed under arrest, al
though he stoutly denied any knowl-
edge Of the crime.
THE SERMON OF MR.. cRADoCK.
The news of the tereible tragedy
in their midst had such an
effect upon the settlers of the neigh
Dorhood that the Rev. Mr.. Cradock
decided TO make it the subject of a
special sermon, and on the Sunday
the committal of the crime,
he. in an able and scholarly discourse,
expounded before his parisbioners the
seriousness of murder and crime in
general. taking for his text the 59th
chapter of Isaiah, 7th verse-"Their
feet run to evil, and they make haste
to shed innocent blood; their thoughts
are thoughts of iniquity; wasting
and destruction are in their paths"
AS was the custom of that era, the
planters and their families, their in
dentured servants and negro slaves, all
worshipped in the same church, and
Mr.. Cradock embraced the occasion to
apply his remarks to all who on that
Sabbath morning listened to his dis
course.
The wealthy. the poor. the convict
servants and the negro slaves, all duly
received their of admonition from their
pastor to reform and lead better lives,
lest in q moment of evil temptation
they themselves might be tempted to
commit the awful crime of taking
innocent life.
"When l heard of it 1.-THE murder),"
says Mr.. Cradock, II resolved, if had
an opportunity, to be present at the in
quest, and very luckily some of the
intended jury were pleased to call on
me. At that time / only knew that
the murder had been committed, and
When l went into the house where the
act was perpetrated what a hOrrid
scene presented itself to view! The
master of the house, John Clark,
wounded by three great strokes on the
head, any one seemingly sufficient to
have caused bis death; his poor wife
out dead, the bed stiffened
with gore, the white sheets SO stained
that no one would discern their nat
ural color, and the mans shirts in the
same bloody trina shocking sight,
and one which made my blood CONCEAL
with horror"
AS may be seen from the above quo
tation, the crime was bloody and bIu-
tai one, and had We space we couldk
still further quote from the rector'st
time-worn manuscript, but time and
space forbid.
THE FATE OF BERRY.
Leaving Mr.. Cradock we must turin
TO note the punishment of Berry and
his two girl accomplices. The three
were duly tried at Joppa, the old coll
q nd oil fhron xn,nrn dnlrr Innnd frnilfrH