The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-11-09
Tho Death of Thomas w. Berry Action
NJ the Con rfs.

The melancholy suicide OF Thomas w.
Berry, member of the Baltimore bar, on
Friday last, has already been mentioned.
On Saturdav in all of the courts that were
in session his death was announced. In the
Superior Court Mr.. William +. Prick per-
formed this office of friendship, which he
declared to be ineXpressibly painful, for the
event, he said, had so recently come to his
knowledge, and was so shocking and tragl-
cal In It's circumstances that. he could not
speak Of it with composure. He added
There is scarcely room for doubt that the
blow of death came from his own hand, and
that it was inflicted during paroXysm of
temporary insanity. For some weeks Mr..
Berry had been laboring under great nervous
depression and sleeplessness,a and obviousloss
Of health and spirits, but he manifested
to his friends and physician no evidence
of an impaired mind save his inability to
control this tendency to morbid melancholy.
Doubtless. however, at last, in the dreary
solitude of a sleepless night, this settled
gloom so overcast il. -. -, ~ =" al be-
came ubscured, and i'll a moment OF mortal
agony his reason took its flight before the
fatal blow was struck. At least let us en-
courage the hope that in this shocking event
we may recognize the hand of God rather
than the act of q responsible human being"
Mr.. Fri;k spoke highly also of the personal
qualities of the deceased, saying that he had
been specially marked for cheerfulness and
generosity Of disposition, and integrity, and
capacity of business, &c. {; which encomi-
ums Judge Dobbin endorsed in q few re-
marks, and adjourned the court until to-
day.
The death Of Mr.. Berry was also an
nounced in the Court of Common Pleas by
Robert D. Morrison, Esq.,; in the City
Court by A. B. Magruder, Esq; in the
United States Circuit Court by Albert
Richie, Esq. and IN the Orphans Court
by Thomas T. Hutchins to which the re-
spective Judges responded, and adjourned
their courts in respect to the memory of the
deceased.
The funeral of the deceased took place on
Saturday afternoon from his late residence,
No. 81 west Fayette street, and was largely
attended. A marked feature in connection
with the melancholy event Of the suicide is
the statement that Mr.. Berry was shortly to
have been married to q young lady OF Rich
mond, Va, for which preparations were
being made. The deceased had enjoyed Il
fair practice, and was understood to be in
comfortable circumstances.
1t is stated that on Friday, last the sister
of Mr.. Berry called at his office about noon
and inquired for her brother. On hearing
that he had not been there she became much
excited, and said that the day before,
through the night and in the morning, she
had fearful presentiments i'll regard to her
brother, and they had brought her town,
| us she could not resist their influence, and
she insisted that some one should accom-
pany her to his room. A friend accompa-
MED her, and found the door locked, and
the sister still insisting, the door was broken
open, and on the bed lay stretched the I'M
fortunate young man, with pistol bullet
through his head and the discharged pistol
| in his Observation-Disclosures Sun, SM.