Peoples Tribune

Jefferson City, Missouri

14 Jun 1871

On Sunday night last, about 8 o'clock, a discharge of firearms was heard in the drug store occupied by Mrs. Berri. When the neighbors rushed in they found Mrs. Berri lying on the floor mortally wounded. In an upper story lay her brother, Mr. Hofus, insensible, with a bullet through his brain.

Miss Mary Clarenbach, who was in the house at the time of the tragedy, a niece of the deceased, gives the following account of the affair: That her uncle came back from a picnic, and refused to accept Mrs. Berri's invitation to supper, saying that she had not treat him right; that he had returned from California at her request, and that she had not done for him what she ought to have done, peculiarly. He then demanded some County Bonds of his, that she had in her possession, saying that he would stay no longer and then went to his room upstairs, still laboring under great excitement. She went up to appease him, and as she ascended the stairway, he took up a pistol. She started to run, and in the act of turning round, she was shot by him in the back about two inches above the hip. The wound was probed as far as the spinal column, the ball, doubtless, passed into the peritoneum. She died from the effects of the wound on Monday night, and will be buried today at 4 o'clock, p.m. She retained her consciousness and on Monday made her will.

Miss Clarenbach says that hearing the discharge of the pistol she rushed up stairs and found her aunt on the floor; she then rushed forward to take the pistol from her uncle; that he shot at her twice, but without doing any injury, and then raised the pistol to his own head and fired. The first shot went through his hat; the second penetrated the brain at the internal angle of the left eye, and came out at the occuput. The brain ocsed out; he continued insensible for a short time, and then died. He was buried on Monday evening.

Such is the evidence of Miss Mary Clarenbach. It is evident that there is sine cause back of this which is not yet revealed, although a thousand surmises are given. One is that had a few days before been disappointed in a love affair, and that his misfortune had embittered him against the whole world. Other reasons are given but nothing is certain. Both he and his sister had always been respected members of society. He was steady, industrious, and never known to be intoxicated. Both brother and sister had always been on the best of terms. At her suggestion, he returned home from California and made her house his home.

Mrs. Berri has always enjoyed the esteem of this community, in which she had lived for years. She was kind and thoughtful of others and full of energy. Although the owner of a fine estate, variously estimated at from $30,000 to $50,000, she always attended to her drug store, with as much promptness as though she was just commencing business.

Such are the facts of this tragedy, so far as they were presented before the Coroner's jury. We feel that comments are superfluous. But the Coroner's jury have great trouble in coming to their conclusions. They reported at first that Mr. Hoflus came to his death from his own hand. Four out of the six jurors then requested a new trial. On Tuesday morning a new jury was selected, and without coming to a decision, they adjourned until this morning. In our next we will give the full reports of the inquest.

P.S. The second coroners jury rendered the same verdict as the first.