St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-09-13
Josh Bergman, colored, was hang re-

very tritting. The victim suspected no
danger. AS he sat in his cabin the Dur-
derer applied pistol to the back of his
head and fired. There had been no dis
pute at the time. The murder was
without provocation, was premeditated,
and in the form of assassination. The
following are extracts froie the Natchi-
toches Reviews account Of the crime
and execution
We found the doomed man quiet and
composed. He was perfectly resigned
to his fate and told US time and again
that he was ready to go. ''Dyn gOin to
my Redeemer. My sins is AL forgiven
and my soul is sot free. I'm ready and
anxious to 20. Glory is my portion. |
amt got nothing in my way to God"
| And many other expressions OF like inn
port betrayed his belief that hanging
was to be but short and easy cut to
| that future state OF happiness which the
! Bible holds out as a reward Tor life or
perfect reetitnde.
On being asked when he begaM to feel
remOrse, he replied that it was Only Mf-
! ter the lapse of one or two days. Fhe
murder, he confessed, was committed
! after mature deliberation. He had been
! turning it over in his mind for many
days, and only reached the conclusion
after the most careful reflection.
| After the shaving and hair cuttiaE the
prisoner having previously dressed III 3
| full suit of black cloth, the sheritfioalled
| the other prisoners one by one To bid
| Berrvman farewell. To one he said
| simply "GoObyn To another I'm go
| ing over the Jordan. Pray for mo"
/ TO Joe Foster, the rape tiend, he said,
| Pm going home to glory, and hope to
meet you there"
| After this be again expressed his viii
! lingness to- die, and assembled the steps
of the gallows. This he did with as
| firm step and quiet a demeanor as II
! his eFrand had been the most common
place and unimportant
| This execution haS demonstrated to
the writer's perfect satisfaction the Wis
dom Of the secret hanging law. 1t was
not half AS impressive as an ordinary
death he'd scene. The murderer felt no
| fear Oh UneasineSs concerning the pun
! ishment either hers or hereafter but
maintained the utmost calmnass
! throughout. So sure was he that. his
sins had been forgiven, and that he WaA
to be rewarded with o heavenly crown,
that he seemed disposed rather 10 has
ten than to delay the execution. In fact
| he requested to be hung on thursday
instead of Friday. Had the ignorant
populace witnessed the scene nine-
! tenths of them would have regarded as
| a hero the man who ought to be cOnsld-
cred only as despicable cowardly muir
deTer and would have elevated whaS Is
intended by law to be an ignominlous
punishment into an opportunity tor Ohe
/ L. -
Their minds would not dwell on the
| terrible crime for which the laws great
est penalty was afflicted. They weNld
only think of the manner in which the
condemned felOn met his fate. Instead
of despising him as q base man, they
| would honor him as Il brave one.
/ 1t can not be said in answer to this
! that BerrYman'S was an exceptional
case. Statistics show that nearly every
man who suffers death on tne seaffold
becomes fully persuaded before the end
that the gall0ws is brit a short road to
/ glory. His demeanor during the jour-
ney is therefore brave and fearless.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
| The offenso for which Bergman paid
| the awful penalty of death, was the
murder of Scott Carter on June 9th,
1884. He and Scott worked together Oh
| DR.. Cockerham's place, Scott boarding
with Bergman. They had not been on
good terms for about a month previous
to the killing, having had dispute
about Berryman's sister. Scott accused
Bergman of being more favorable to
the suit Of Albert Diaz than to his own.
! He and Albert were rival admirers OF
Lucille Bergman. Scott further pro-
11 ia fhkAIT
common employer, DIR. .CockerllNm, that
Rerryman had stolen some singletrees
and cleyises. On Thursday June 5th
1884, Bergman was in the field with
Diaz, and told him the grounds of his
lin feeling toward Scott, remarking al
the same time that he would like to kill
him, but could not, as he had no gun OIL
nistOl. TherenpOn Diaz, seeing au
easy and safe way To rid himself of his
rival, offered Bergman his pistol. The
proposition being accepted, Diaz agreed
to take it to Bergman on the following
, day, which he accordingly did.
Abont o'clock Friday evening Scott
walked in as usual, and sat down Il
supper. The cowardIy murderer theI
stepped up.belIind him, and placing tlN
pistOl to the back of his head, sent
, bullet crashing through his brain. The
! murdered man tell out OF tile cIlalP anf
expired almost Instantly. Bergman
then put a cotton sac over, the uppe
nart of the dead body and carried i
about fifty yards to Bayou Brusle
There he put his ghastly burden in
skiff, and rowing about one hundred
J Yards down the bayou, sank it in hol
) with a fifty pound piece of iron tiet
J around it. Turning the skiff loose i
| tioated down the bayou. He returner
: home, washed the tell-taIe stains fror
lis hands. and told his sister to clea