, 1876-07-22

Tho Noay Of an Aged Planter 3turusl In
Accordance will. His Last Itequost.
Aos { e. Jiy @Ga .e 1,f snsay stSs tic 9th
inst, Mr, Henry Berry, aged g, q venerable r.
specte |, and refined citizen of Marion County,
deb*1tcf this life.. Tlc deceascl WAS q sue
cesaful farmer, having heot, one u tho most ex-
hts enseer haying been pos6cssor Of $1,000 acres
Ut laNd, anl IN addition aninlcDe1llent fortune.
At ttse ttsao ot his seatsa iia cation plantation
atone saniafed several M thousand acres VI tho
Prior to his death he llasl requested that his
body might be burned. TAe reasons nast,.nel
for this strange tlcsre arc as follows: About
twcHty-tD!F yeurs nE0 two relatives uf hts died.
After 1mylng been buried aeverut years the sur
yiv!ng relatives tlesssed to hare t&ie reatns lis-
interrral to bo removed to spot lotatcd In nn
adtHvcnt section. In accordance with this desire
tho bodies we're 4islttcrred, aud duriug tho re-
ntovnl tho collin lids tgca,no detached mud the
Inc been buried long time they were, af courae,
In a fgarfuI stats of decomposition. Mr. Berry
was present on This OCCASION, and, witnessing the
sccnc, 'natic \ so't.Hn declarution that his re-
lalI,d should not l,o subject to 8lritlar fate.
ltt attnrwprd frequently aiiulad to Tho ronu.-
tf1n III the kttll<.s aiKl repeated his declaration
made at the time al tlo removal. Very lIttte
confidence wns plnccd III h!s statement at tho
following will sl,uw. The deceased has scvcrul
SURVIVING Sons, nll lnGn Of nlyancel are. Sey+
cs.sl nluallhs ngo he held . conversation with
thcu1, Stating TINT after ils death I've lesIspluot
10 ba buried. but that Ills body should be cor
sumel by fire, and enl3lncti upon them that
they AlsnDM participate In tho proceedings, Nat
urally Tic aons we're shocked Ut this declaration
md used every available nleans to uissualte hin,
from his Intention. Argument was useless, and,
entertaining lnuhts ~ rcfrrcncr tn ,hp faithful
execution u his desire, flb entered into u cnu-
truet with two Of his employees, allowing them
two ,nulea a1,l $50 II they would eupefintrnd
the cremation proceedings. Jht parties AcrcM-
cd tbs prUpostlon. About two months ago he
!nA.le y Will IN which hc very explicitly states
that, U his sons do not allOw LIS body tt b.,
burned, and do not participate lu tue matter, it
would I,e Under penalty Of disinhcetanee. bur
lila tarul which should Da used OH tho oGCasiuI
and also designated the spot wnrr1 1t should
tlse place.
According to arrangements tho cremation
took PLACE ut o'clnck Tits morning. Carriages,
huggies, a1sd srAiclga VI every description wcfu
lit netlvG dtlnnnQ to convey spectators TO The
svcac, anl ut the appointed tf.no all immense
EruYl WIS ~ nltGnEunre. The treea designated
by tho t1ecenscl Wrre cut duWn, and al tho
necessary arrangements having been perfected,
tho body wps 2aid On y PLATFORM surrounded by
un thCl06urc at,out ~ feet In height. After M
proprlate servirest held by baptist dsglne, tho
conlbustlLlrs Heru igaited, and In about twu
hours all TINT relnliuel of thu dcccascl was
nslles,
During the process q variety Of opinions was
cx{rrss by tlpse IN atlelulauce,-the prevailing
impression bnlny lhAt Il WIS nj outraye IN 1ht
set.Ai,lltles Of thu people, atid that 1t should
have been prevented hy tho althUrftlcst