Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-05-11
BILL NYE And BRO. BERRY.
Queen Victoria's Hangman Wants to
Come Over aud Lecture.

|
jor Ponds Office in this city. The Ma
jor naturally comes into correspondence
with a great many queer people-lec-
tnre iiends. &c. The parties concerned
in this little affair. being more or less
public characters. the contents of the
message are given below:
MARCH IA, 1855.
To .HGJor Pond, Everett House Fourth av.-
N.Y., Arp York
DEAR SIR: Mr.. Jas. Berry Whose business
managers We tr } Her Majesty's Executioner,
has instructed us 10 arrange Tor a six weeks
| tour In the States. As his professional duties
are liable 10 be called upon any time in SEES
sions. there is on y one time OF year he can
| get swav, that is IN April, aud he proposes TO
start from England about April ID (nexD. IL
| Is his Intention to lecture on crimes aud GRIM
inh's generally, and particularly as to his own
experiences, aud will produce at the lecture
such rel cs and mementoes AS might be inter
estlng TO lis aud encc.
We have advised him not 10 take ND the
speculation himself, not because we have
any fear OF the success OF the undertaking.
but because as he is, stranger to America,
In doing SO he would be working at q disAd-
vantage. We have, therefore advised him 10
accept lump sum down for the six weeks's
tour, and have fixed the lowest price at which
he would go at q, 200 Twelve hundred
louuhr) ms is tue lowest price
that be can accept, and no lower offer will be
entertained.
We therefore beg to tender you his services
FOR the above sum for the tour, he finding
moth NJ C sc beg oud his personal services and
OF course paying his passage TO and from
America. The payment OF the 81, 200 to be
made as follows:
Seven hundred pounds to be placed in the
hands of our New York solicitors, Messra 7.
u +. Marbury before April /, 900 on or be-
for Ar.rfl h .la -
day after Berry's arrival; or, in the event OF
these terms not suiting, we will instruct
Messrs. Marbury TO make such terms as they
think MT, in conjunctln with you.
As IL is imperative that Berry should leave
on or about the 18th April or not at all this
year, please cable us IL you accept or not.
Please note telegrsphIc address. We have
made the same offer to others, aud shall &C
cept the fret. Yours truly,
GLo SINCLAIR & Co.
For several reasons it is to be- hoped
that an arrangement may be made
with Mr.. Berry for tour in which he
shall give select ons from his own
works. As a people We know less
about hanging than any other industry.
We have SO far neglected this matter in
order to foster other outdoor sports
Interest in executions here has certain
~ fallen off more than the people who
should have taken part in these exer-
cises. Even the pleasant excursions
which were formed years ago for the
purpose of going over from Southern
Ohio into Kentucky Saturday after
Moons to see some gentleman hanged
have been abandoned for many years.
AMI like the dear old spelling school
AMI husking bee, the busy little mid
night strangulation bee has ven place
TO hunting the domestic fox in full
dress, era bling and other JOYS OF the
chase. Ny old friend Goodwin. of the
Seialia (Mo.) LaZoo, still runs his ex-
curson trains to open-air hangings,
but out in NJ ssouri these hangings fire.
quently take place with such sudden
ness that Mr.. G. is not always able to
get out his schedule.
Mr.. Berry has it in his power TO
awaken an interest ut this time in a
matter which should interest one and
all. while at the same time he may add
greatly to the public interest in lectures
and other means of mental improve
ment. In crude way tho new West
has done a great deal in this line, but
the methods themselves were some
what vulgar and open to criticism. A
man who has been for years the sue
cessful eXecutioner to Her Majesty
having won his way to the platform by
means of his terse and direct STYLE and
abrupt sentences W th falling inflec-
ton at the end, would find much in the
American frontier to condemn. Hang
ing, as practised along the borders of
the great West, has had little that was
attractive about it for years-sinceritv.
frankn, SIS and efficacy being the princl-
pal features that l would recommend
First came the custom of leading the
recipient on horseback under a tree
with his hands tied behind him. drop
ping a line 10 him over bough. tying
in it q four-in-hand beneath his ear.
and then hitting the horse a singing
cut with quert on the flank. The sur
prise manifested by horse on such oc-
casions is more than shared by the
rider, whose startled appearance is no.
ticeable for days afterwards by people
who pass that way.
n Then followed the method of driving
! bull team and freight wagon under
/ the tree, instead of the saddled horse.
| AS vil'zation advanced. wealthy and
| prosperous sufiOcation clubs arose and
| introduced the spring wagon. the
Brewster side bar, the pheton and the
| Victoria. Later on. with the shrek
of the iron horse. came other methods
of execution, and the upper deck of a
freight train was utilized, and when all
was ready and the victim had smoked
/ his cigarette clean down to his yellow
/ finger tips-the eXecutioner signalled
the eng neer. and the other excursion.
lists went on. while the condemned
gentlemen changed cars for the dim
and distant country whose reticence
still continues to punctuate mans ca
reer with mighty Interrogation point.
Mr.. Berry, as a Royal Executioner,
has had advantages which placed him.
rs NAV say. at the head as a Jerker
of Justice. and general stimuator to
do better. With large and prosper
Gus kingdom at his back and the inner
consciousness of duty well done. he
has been enabled 10 advance continu-
ously. until now we find him in the
very front rank OF self-made hangmen.
Certainly he ought to do well here.
where hanging Is vet in its infancy.