The Washington times., 1913-04-17
FORCED CONFESSION,
M'CLEARY SWEARS
Maryland Man Fights for His
Life on Twenty-fifth Birth
day Anniversary.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

tSonunued from First Page.)
hallucinations If he saw any ghosts
walking or sounding forth their sepul-
chral warnings to confess lest his soul
burn In hell
McCleary clung to his story of the
ghosts, whom he said were impersonat-
ed by officers of the law.
Lieutenant Barber. of the Hagers-
town police force, was one of the men,
who dressed in a white sheet and gave
the blood curdling warnings that finally
broke down the boys spirit, according
10 McCleary's belief.
Climbed On His Body.
Picturing the damp. dismal cell in
Hagerstown's haunted prison. Nc
Cleary said that the lizards climbed over
the walls and on the floor and up onto
his body. He had to burn his blankets
to drive these nauseaus reptiles forth.
The BLUSH lights on the walls, he af-
terward learned were the lights of a
searchlamp such as. officers carry, he
declared.
Asked why he didn't try TO catch the
human ghosts, McCleary answered that
his mind was SO fraught with the ter
ror OF tie tales he had card in his boy
mood that he could not move. He was
afraid. In this terrible frame of mind,
the confession on which the State now
relies strongly to prove that McCleary
actually strangled Mrs. Henry because
ne was infuriated at her refusal to per-
nit him to see his sweetheart
McCleary admitted that he thought at
first the sepulchral, white-sheeted fig
ures that haunted his nights in the
Hagerstown jail were the spirits of
murderers hanged in the old prison.
Then he changed his mind, and decid-
ed That they were actually prosecutors
He insisted that this was the situation
States Attorney Lenient.
The States attorney called the wit
ness Bruce" and ealt as kindly as he
could with him for the sake of the
friendship that has existed between
them for long years.
stil lhe could not get the boy-the al
legged murderer, fighting a birthday
battle-to admit that there was anght
his confession but the weakening of a
spirit which had been tortured and
starved So that ii submitted rather than
undergo further star chamber inquisi-
tion
Bruce would reply, using the prose-
cutor's first name.
Sometimes when he had no ready
answer. he pleaded that his mind is
stiil suffering from the ordeal of the
Haunted Prison.
II don't recall now," he would say
My mental condition is affected. It
isn't as good since that all happened
Refuses To Eat.
. The prisoner refused breakfast today,
but told his guard that he would take
dinner-a big birthday dinner. Thoy
brought him this at 90 and he ate a
with great appetite, despite the grueli-
ing probe of the morning.
Its all frame-up," he said between
bites. Il know that I'm going free in
a few days. They'll know that ] didn't
sign that confession because was
guilty. They'll know 1 did it to save
further torture
Decision Awaited.
The judge this afternoon will give Q
decision as to the admissibility of the
confession.
Then pretty Lupah Henry, for love of
whom McCleary is alleged to have
killed the mother, will og on the stand,
probably as the States first witness.
All the afternoon she has waited in
the ante-room. She hiss aougtt to avoid
looking at McCleary.
Every morning-she goes to Rockville
and waits patiently for the trial 10
start. Her appearance causes a sensa-
ton for she has the name of Belle OF
Haggerstown.''
McCleary today appeared TO have the
best of nerve.