Evening star., 1899-03-21

Sunday at the historic old church since
they were old enough to attend divine serv-
ices, and the vacant place in the family
pew will be a sad reminder of the bloody
deed to those who, like the Clarkes, have
attended the church for so many years.
Cousins and nephews of the deceased acted
as pallbearers, and the body was inferred
in the church cemetery.
Scores of friends and neighbors have
called al the Clarke hCma To express SYM
pathy and offer helping hand to the sur
vivor of the tragedy. As stated in yester-
days Star, the sisters had lived in the
old family home nearly all their lives and
since the death of their father they had
been the only occupants of the house with
the exception of the hired help For sew
eral years they have desired to dispose of
the property and take up their residence
chaser prevented. Had this been accom-
plished the terrible tragedy would in all
proba bility never have been enacted.
Miss Annie CIarke's Statement.
Miss Annie Clarke had recovered suffi-
cently yesterday to give connected ac-
count Of the affair and expressed the hope
that the citizens of the county would let
the law take it's course. The news that
Berry had made full confession was a
great relief to her, who felt that by telling
the story of the crime she would then not
violate her promise made to Berry in re-
turn for his sparing her life.
Miss Clarke said she was seated at the
supper table when the boy first alta cked
her. She had suffered from headache all
day and was feeling far from well While
she and her sister ate supper Berry did his
work about the house, and gave no intima-
ton of his horrible purpose. After dealing
her a blow with what appeared to be a club
her sister came to her rescue, and she re-
ceived similar treatment. Then the assail-
ant got them in one corner, and dealt them
blow after blow. until both went down
Miss Mary. she said. had always exercised
authority over the boy, and during his at
tack she remarked:
wv ny. John. You wouldn't do that
Il don't know what made me offer him
the 500 to spare my life and go for the
priest and DOCTOR said Miss Annie
Tells Them to Pray.
When the boy had succeeded in knocking
them both down, and he believed they were
in a dying condition, he went upstairs, and
when he returned Miss Mary, who was still
living, said: I'm almost gone"
Then the boy told them both to saw their
prayers. and picked up a stick of wood to
finish his bloody work. 1t was at this stage
that Miss Annie says she succeeded in con-
vincng him that she would shield him and
pay him If he would not kill her She de-
MED that either her sister or herself had
ever mistreated him, and said they had
done everything in their power to redeem
(hpl-
tenham reformatory.
Rerry's AntecedentS.
Since the commission of the crime Satur-
day night the county authorities have
learned something of the boys life Who
his parents were they have not ascertained
1t is thought he was an orphan child. and
that Mrs. Berry, living In Frederick,
Md, adopted him. During his earlier life
he began stealing and was soon arrested.
Mrs. Berry was unable to do anything with
him, and 1t became necessary for her to
get him away from her home Complaint
was made that he was vicious and incor-
rigible boy, and on this he was committed
to the reformatory. He has brothers living
in Prince Georges county and a sister liy-
ing in another part of the state, but none
of them has yet visited him.
Berry is very light mulatto and he says
he Is fifteen years cd, although Warden
Hall of the Baltimore jail where he is con-
fined, thinks he is several years older The
prisoner is . feet inches tall and weighs
about 13O pounds.
When asked what he thought would be
done with him the prisoner told the iaiI
officials he believed he would not be hang
ed, for he had been told so by the officials
who accompanied him from Marlboro He
was told that preparations for death would
not be out of p ace, and was told that
person who had committed so horrible a
crime would likely suffer the extreme
penalty.
ieei worse now, ne remarked when
told of his probable fate. and tears filled
his eyes for the first time since his arrest
Asked concerning his life, he said:
Il was born in Frederick city Nd but
! hardly knew my parents, and was raised
by my grandmother | have one brother
in Howard county and two brothers and
some relatives in Prince Georges county
When l was about seven years old | was
sent TO Cheltenham. | was there six years
and then, for the last two years l lived
with the Misses Clarke; so 1 know 1 must
now be fifteen years old"
Denial Useless.
Berry told the people who saw him in
Jail that there was no use In his attempt
ing to deny his guilt, for, he said, he had
already told a dozen people of what he had
done. He said he had no idea of robbng
the house when he started out to kill the
women. They had angered him several
times, he said, by getting after him for lit
tie tranSgressions, and finally he became
tired of what he considered harsh treat
ment.
Il first thought of killing them three or
four days before We had the trouble" he
said. Saturday l was thinking about GO
ing away, but about supper time l saw a
piece of wood on the floor that was too
long II get in the stove and l thought,
N.Y. no hes