Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-21
NEaro's TERRIBLE cnrmE.
assnuIf ON Two While WGmen-On'
kiiIcG-Other May Die.
I'-lrrIrn r,7mes. -

1'NIslIngtOu Times. 9th
Two Gefcnceloss women. living alone IN
their ancestral home in an isolated coun-
try spot near Bowie Nd. were attacked
by their negro servant on Saturday night
One Of them is deed. and The recovery Of
The other rs in doubt. Amanda 4. Clarke
is the name Of the victim who fell by the
murderer h0nd. and Anna u. Clarke -
the name of the woman who survives the
assault They were sisters. She who -
dead was 50 years old and she VINO NVc5
IS @.
The slayer IS john Berry lie has con
fessed. 0nd IN his confession hc rehearseo
the bloody details Of his crime. lie was
taken 10 tho county jail an Marlboro. ana
o. once there were ,ominous mutteriug
suggestive Of lynchine The sisters lived
alone o. d large fern be1ueatned them
by their father. They sublct parts OF IA"
farm, end supcrintend the tll'agc Of ABOUT
nny acrcs themselves. Their only ger
want was John Berry "a thick-sct mulatto,
about IT, years Old. whom they secured
two years ago an the Maryland House OF
Correction al Cheltenham, Prince George
county.
USED A PIECE OF STOVE WOOD.
This man, while the sisters were at sup
with stick OF stOgo wood. lie frat struck
Anna. the younger from behind knock
ing her TO the floor Amanda rushed 90
the aid OF nor sister. and Berry turned
on her. killing her with his imprOVised
club. de fractured her skull al the base
OF tho brain and at the lett temple. and
broke her left arm. lie then rushea az his
living victim and dealt her 70 vicious blow,
which lacerated her face and knocked out
her front teeth. he then stamped upon
her chest inficting internal injuries, the
extent OF which cannot now be deter
mined. lie then attempted 10 commit an
assault on the PROSTATE woman but de-
sisted. The living sister implored the
murderer 10 go for a doctor and a priest,
telling him that IL ne would she would
give him $500 aad shield him from sus-
picion as the murderer. They agreed that
20 divert the suspicion that would naiu-
rally fail on Berry 10 should be given ont
that when the murder was committed he
was absent on mission TO Coliin6ton.
Tie murderer made the woman swear in
a peculiar way that she would not betray
him. "Cross your heart" commanded the
assailant The woman did this. and Berry
went so the stable. hitched horse 20 a
buggy. ana started after the priest and
doctor.
STARTS FOR PRIEST AND DOCTOR.
The murder was committed at o'clock,
and Il was $50 when Berry began his
Journey. lie met Thomas Green. "A farmer.
on Horseman's Hill about one mile from
the scene OF the crime and told him that
somebody had killed Miss Amanda and
nearly killed Miss Anna. Green then hur-
ried 10 t. farm OF Critlenden G. Clarke,
a brother of the victims. Who lives about
a mile south OF the house wherein the SIS
ters live Soon the whole ncishbOrhoOd
was aroused Berry kept on TO Bowie.
The frst place at which ne called was the
liquor store OF J. -. Welies. "a cousin 10
the women. There he reused Or. n. \.
Ryon and with him returned 20 the
Clarke home. lie todd DR.. RyOn that
while or mission TO COllngton. Few
miles distant some one had killed the
elder sister and seriously injured the
younger Berry, afier leaving the doctor.
proceeded after the priest. and soon had
Fathers Gardiner and Jerome. rector and
assistant rector, respectively Of White
Marsh parish. by the side OF his victims.
The younger sister refused 60 tell who
the assailant was. Berry busted hmsolf
about the house. bringing water from a
near by spring and performing other SER
vices.
Early yesterday morning Berry was
taken into custody by Constable Norman
Porter. OF Bowie. lie was held simply as
a witness About s o'clock Berry con-
fessed 90 Bayliss Fairfax (coloreO, en-
pl0yed By J. ID. Welles, and requested
Fairfax 70 bring a priest 10 him. Father
Gardiner obevod the summons. and 1t Is
said that Berry made full confession 10
him.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST.
An inquest was held AZ the scene OF the
tragedy yesterday forenoon under the'di-
rfction OF Rufus Belt. Coroner. The jury
comprised George NJ. spith foreman,
Harry kcosh. j. W. Ryan. Charles Sei,z,
Martin Kfosh, NJ Il. Brady. G. c, Jones,
W, w. Phelps. r. L. Bell, Thomas Beall,
and +. Is. Luers.
Mss Anna Clarke said that Berry AT
drst atruck her from bohlnd and then at
tackcd her sister killing hev' within a
Few moments lie then renewed his attack
ON Miss Anna and she promised him that
II he would call the priest and doctor he
should not be exposed She said she re-
sorted ia this 10 save her life. for had she
not made this promise she. too would
have been Killed
When asked why she had not revealed
\ the assailant On Saturday night. she said
ihat having sworn not 20 EXPOSE him.
ana having made tbs sign of the cross
upOn her breast In token OF her promise.
she ieit that this oath was binding on
her conscience.
TIE prisoner was cool. and evineed no