The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-03-24
A HORRIBLE CRIME.
A FREDERICK NEGRO THE
BRUTAL MURDERER
AND ASSASSIN.
Kills Miss Amanda and Ser
iously Injuries Miss Annie
Clark, With Whom he Lived,
Near Bowie, Prince Georges
County-Now in Jail in Bal
timore.

BOWIE, Md, March 19.-Miss
Amanda Clark, 40 years old, was
killed and her sister Annie was
mortally wounded last night, by
John Berry, a colored boy of I5,
whom they had taken to raise
from the Chentelham Reforma-
tory.
The Misses Clark are wealthy
and lived alone about two miles
from Bowie. Miss Annie was
finishing her supper, her sister
having gone upstairs, when
Berry, who had been kindly
treated by the ladies, sud.
denly rushed into the room and
attacked the younger of the sis
terS.
Her screams brought her sister
to her assistance, and as she Ell
tered the room Barry picked up a
stick of wood and dealt her ter
rible blow, splitting her head
open, and she fell dead at his
feet.
Barry then attacked Annie
with the billet, laying her head
open and gOuging out an eye.
The woman pleaded piteously
that she might at least be allowed
to see a priest before she died.
In desperation she offered him
one hundred dollars if he would
spare her life. Finally, the brute.
whose avaricious emotions were
stronger than his humanity, con-
Sented to go for priest and a
doctor if his victim would swear
that she would not accuse him of
the crime.
She consented. Barry then
set out for Bowie and went to DR..
N. A. Ryan, to whom he told
that the ladies had been as
saulted.
DR.. Ryan started at once, tax.
ing Constable Norman along
with him, and made the boy &c
along. When they reached the
Clark home they found Amanda
dead and Miss Annie very weak
though conscious.
DR.. Ryan pronounced her cast
hopeless ald so informed the un
fortunate woman. She kept hel
oath, however, and despite the
appeals of the doctor and consta
BILE refused to betray her muir
derer.
The two men then compelled
the negro to confess. and when
told that the boy had confessed
Miss Clark nodded her head in
assent.
Miss Amanda died shortly af
ter. Latest reports state that
Miss Annie Clark will ultimately
recover, although her injuries are
of a serious nature.
Constable Porter, knowing that
a lynching would promptly result
when the tragedy became known,
took the boy to Sheriff b. Frank
Roby and they car led him tc
Marlborough Jail. Plans were
soon arranged for a lynchine
and the sheriff took the murderer
to Washington, d. c., and theI
to the Baltimore City Jail. Here
Berry has been interviewed and
gave a detailed description of the
crime. He fears hanging and
says he wants to be tried in Bal
timore City. His only excuse i,
on account of his age, which hi
says is 10, although the recort
shows him to be about 10.
" Berry is the adopted sol
of Mary Berry, an aged coloret
woman, who resided in Kline
hardt's Alley, near Fifth street
in Frederick City, but who dice
in 1894. His parentage is un
known, as he was taken from
Montevue Hospital for adoption
when very young by his foster
mother. He was committed tt
Cheltenham in 1891 by Justice
Eckstein, being about nine years
of age, charged by Mary Berry
whose name he had adopted, will
robbing her of money and being
incorrigible. Mary Berry has 6
son in Philadelphia and a daugh
ter at the Charlestown Navy
Yard, Boston. To the latter she
willed her property when she died
Women are not the only ones who