Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-05-17
BILL NYE AND BRO. BERRY.
Queen Victoria's Hsngman Wants to
Come Over and Lecture.

Roysl Hangman Might Make Success
Here-Suggestion for the Lecture Platform
Mr.. Berry and His Royal Sovereign.
The following letter has been re-
ceived within the last few days Mt Ma
jor Ponds office in this city. The Ma
jor naturally comes into correspondence
with great many queer people-lec-
tnre fiends. &c. The parties concerned
in this little affair, being more or less
public characters. the contents of the
message are given below:
MARCH II, 1883.
To Major Pond. Everett House, Fourth GS;-
nae, Aea0 York
DEAR SIR: Mr.. Jas. Berry (whose business
managers we sre) Her Maiestys Executioner,
has instructed us 10 arrange Tor six weeks
tour in the States. AS his professional duties
are liable 10 be called upon any time IN SEES
sions, there is only one time OF year he can
get away, that is In April, aud he proposes To
start from England about April Is (nexU. 1t
is his intention to lecture on crimes and GRIM
inas generally, and particularly as To his own
experiences, and will produce at tic lecture
such relics aud mementoes as might be inter-
esting TO his aud ence.
We have advised him not to take up the
speculation himself, not because we have
any fear OF the success OF the undertaking,
but because, as lie is, stranger TO America,
In doing SO he would be working at n dis. d.
vantage. We have, therefore advised HIN 20
accept lump sum down for the six weeks's
tour, aud have fixed the lowest price at which
lie would 90 at 81 200 Twelve hundred
pounds. This is absolutely the lowest price
that he can accept, and no lower offer will be
entertained
We therefore beg to tender you his services
for the above sum for the tour, lie finding
nothing C sc beyond his personal services and
of cOurse laying his passage to aud from
America. The payment OF the 81, 200 to be
made rs follows:
Seven hundred pounds TO be placed in the
hands OF our New York solicitors, Messrs. 4.
d +. Marbury, before April !, $500 on or be-
fore April 9, and the balance TO be paid the
day after Berry's arrival; or, in the event OF
these terms not suiting, we will instruct
Mcssrs. Marbury 10 make such terms as they
think fit, in conjunctin with you.
As 1t is imperative that Berry should leave
on or about the 18th April or not at all this
year please cable us II you accept or not.
P,ease note tclcgraphic address. We have
made the sam. offer 10 others, aud shall ac-
cept the first. Yours truly,
GEo 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 selections from his own
works. As 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-
eises Even the pleasant excursions
which were formed years ago for the
purpose of going over from Southern
Ohio into Kentucky Saturday after
! no ms TO see some gentleman hanged
have been abandoned for many years,
AMI like the dear old spelling school
and husk,ng bee. the busy little mid
night stranguation bee has gwen place
to hunting the domestic fox in full
dress. Grabbing and other JOYS OF the
| chase. Ny old friend Goodwin, of the
Sedalia (Mo.) Bazo0, still runs his ex-
cursion trains to open-air hangings.
but out in Missouri these hangings fire.
quentlv 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 at this time in
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 the new West
has done 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 icrse and direct style and
abrupt sentences with 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-sincertv,
franknts IS and efficacy being the princi.
pal features that L would recommend.
First came the custom of leading the
recipient on horseback under tree
with his hands tied behind him, drop
| ping line to him over bough. tying
in IL four-in-hand beneath his ear.
and then hitting the horse 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.
| IA hCh AOllOWCu thu lutlilOu VI uTlNiIR
bull team and freight wagon under
| the tree, instead of the saddled horse.
AS civilization advanced. wealthy and
prosperous sufocation 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 II
freight train was utilized, and when all
was ready and the victim had smoked
his cigarette clean down to his yellow
! finger ups-the executioner signalled
the engineer. and the other excursion
lists went on. while the condemned
gentlemen changed cars for the dim
and distant country whose reticcnce
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 Jerker
of Justice. and general stimulator to
do better. With large and prosper