Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-11-06

In 0Ah.LO
George berry, the Murderer OF
Cain C0oper,PeRishes ON the Gall
lows Confession of the Prisoner
-HIs Last Appearance In Life
The Closing scenes, ac., &c.
George Berry, colored, who muir
dered Cain Cooper, also colored in Sep
TENDER of last year, expiated his crime
on the scaffold, st Whiteville, the
county-seat of Columbus county, yes
terdav afternoon. The murder was
committed on the night of the 10Th OF
September, 1873, and Berry was tried
and sentenced at the last term OF Co
Iumbus court, with His Honor Judge
McKoy on the bench, and Solicitor
Normeut conducting the prosecution.
It was the result of drunken brawl,
and it does not appear that there bad
previously been any bad blood be-
tween the murderer and his victim
The tale has been told too often; the
men were workmen together In the
saw-mills at Fair Bluff; they quar-
relied chen Cooper struck Berry, and
the man then, mad with liquor, and
smarting under the blow, drew knife
and struck the other to the heart.
The murderer made his escape, and
remained at large until last April,
when he was capl ured in this city, AID
was returned to Columbus county and
confined in the Jail at Whiteville. In
a confession made by him shortly be-
fore his execution, he stated that after
committing the deed he fed to the
woods and remained out for some
time, in the neighborhood of Fair
Bluff, and not more than eight miles
from the place. He afterwards went
to the upper part of Cumberland coun-
ty, and from thence to Harnett, where
he says tina. he was doing very well,
but thought to better himself in the
low country, and thereupon came to
Wilmington. He had been here but
short time, seeing several people he
knew, but no one recognizing him.
until he one day encountered
q young man from Fair Bluff who
knew him and spoke to him and with
whom he had some conversation. He
was aware that the city would become
too hot for him, and at once made
preparations to leave here and was on
Q boat in the river and had showed out
into the stream, when police officers
appeared on the wharf and ordered
him to return. He did so and was
taken in custody by them, without re-
sistance, and carried to the guard
house, where he remained until the
Sheriff of Columbus arrived in the city
and conveyed him to the Jail at White
vile. He confessed to the murder
Yesterday morning, when Sheriff
Haynes asked him leading question.
but denied two other crimes which
had been reported to have been CON-
mitted by him, one OF which was the
burning of Mrs. Brothers house ut
Fair Bluff, last winter, and the other
the murder Of little child, committed
some time previously. His denial on
these two points was a very vehement
! ono. AS for tho murder of Cooper, he
| asserts that he did not intend to kill
| the man; the act was committed in the
heat of an effray between the two. He
said: 1.-THE devil was in me when the
Lord ought to have been, and I, in q
fit of madness, plunged my knife into
| him."
Early in the forenoon Of yesterday,
a large crowd of persons, white and
black, thought to number from 1900
| to 5000 souls, had assembled in the
neighborhood Of the Jail, near which
the gallows was erected, to witness the
horrible spectacle. Just as the clock
struck IL Sheriff Haynes, with his
guard of deputies, entered the pris on
er's cell to prepare him for the awful
fate which awaited him. The prison
er was ready, With his arms pinioned.
and dressed for the execution. To a
question that WAS put to him he re-
piled, very calmly, that he was ready,
and at once accompanied the Sheriff
from the room, down the steps Of the
Jail, and into the enclosure where the
gibbet had been erected. He exhib-
tied the same calmness when bidding
his relatives and friends last farewell.
He was oomforted, to the last, by the
ministrations of Rev. W. II. Hoyle, OF
the M. E. Church in Whiteville. After
having arrived at the foot Of the gal
lows, hymn was announced and sung
by the minister, the condemned join
ing in. After the hymn feeling
prayer, then another hymn and then
the poor wretch was told that his time
On earth was measured by minutes in
stead of hours. He then babe his
friends farewell and assembled the gal.
| lows. mere the moose WAS secured
around his neck and he was told by
the Sheriff that he was privileged to
syeak if he desired to say anything be-
fore the fatal drop should be sprung.
He availed himself of this permission
and spoke at some length, begging all
who heard him to take warning by bis
example, and ascribing his fearful
deed to bad company and dram shops.
At 20 past o'clock the signal was
given and the soul of Gearge Berry
was trembling in the balance on the
confines of two worlds. He appear
ed to die very hard death,
and after hanging for nineteen min
utes life was pronounced extinct by
the attending surgeons and the body
was cut down and lowered into the
rough coffin that awaited it.
George Berry was q mulatto about
8 feet inches in height, and was born
in Marion county, s.. O., in 1845 and
was therefore only about % years of
age.