Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1892-09-10 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SAD STORY.  A girl of 13 years of age, named Clara Wernicke, has just been condemned by the criminal court at Berlin to three years and three days' imprisonment for theft and murder. Her story, as elicited by the examination, is as follows! She was the daughter of a house painter who, after the death of her mother, married a woman who had been his housekeeper since the decease of his first wife. This woman brought into the house her little boy named Herrmann. The stepmother very soon began to behave cruelly to her ster-children, the Clara above mentioned and two other girls. She had formerly been condemned to five weeks' imprisonment for bad conduct, and now ill-treated the children. The father had no authority over his wife, and often suffered a beating himself. The children were sent out to beg by the mother, and the oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was particularly ill-treated, because she was too weak to go out collecting rags, as the stepmother wished. Clara Wernicke was accused of having stolen 90 pfennige, and, on the 15th May last of having pushed her step-brother into the water and drowned him. On being questioned by the President, she said: "On the 15th May, my sister Lischen, Herrmann, Malwine Erdmann, and I wanted to go to Sunday-school. On the way Lischen said I won't go home again. Mother has beaten me again with the tongs.' My little brother said he also would not go home, and I said so too, and then my sister said we would all drown ourselves, but before that we would ride on the roundabout in the Hasenheide. We went there and looked at the booths, and went away at 9 o'clock in the evning. When we came to the Kottbuser Bridge, w'; went along the bank of the river, and Herrmann said Now we will jump in. You can push me in first, but you must be sure to jump in too.' So I lifted him up, while Malwine Erdmann helped me, and then I let him loose, and he fell into the water. He caAled out, 'Clara,' and I tried to catch him, but I could not, and then I got a great fright. Then I went home with my sister and Malwine Erdmann. The next morning mother asked where Herrmann was, and I said I didn't know. Then I was taken to the police-office because of the 90 pfennige, and then Malwine told all about Herrmann." Malwine Erdmann, nine years old, then gave her evidence. She said: "While we were at the Flesenheide Clara said, 'We will all four drown ourselves. Then we shall go into Paradise and get such a beautiful bed and such good food, and be again with my good mother.' But I said I would not die, and little Herrmann said nothing. When we came to the Kottbuser Bridge it was dark,and Clara lid us a tiew 'tops to the right, and then I helped her to lift little Herrmann over the low railing, and she threw him into the water. He called out, 'Clara, help me. I want to get out!' But Clara only said, won't help you, for you always tell tales about us.' Then we ought to have taken our turn and be thrown into the water, but we ran away and went home , together." Elle Wernicke, likewise nine years old, was questioned, and said: "We wanted to drown ourselves, all four. Mother alv i)s treated us so badly; she beat us and starved us. We had to go begging every da*and if we brought home less than a mark we were beaten. Malwine wanted to die with us, and Herrmann also said he would i rather go to Paradise." The President, n suninuq up, said there was no doubt that the .accused, though only 13 years of age, had committed.ths crime with intention. She was much ito be pitied. and the stepmother was morally guilty of the dee4 by her cruel treatment of the child. In consideratlos of this fact and her tender years, the ae u cd wa, condemned to the least possible punishment.  A telegram from Buenos Ayres says that political feeling there is very unsettled, and a military uprising may occur at any moment. The uneasiness has been increased by the discovery of the military conspiracy at La Plata, Fortunately, the arrest of 11 officers of the regiment implicated has put a stop to any active movement in that place for the moment.  A