The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-09
AN EX-HlANGNFLAN.
He Sues For Salary as a Music Hall
Lecturer Upon the Subjects He
Handled.

The claim for salary brought by
James Berry, the ex-hangman, against
Mr. Hart the proprietor of the Maryle-
bone Music hall, came on for hearing
aga. n before Judge Bacon at the
bloomsbury county court recently. AT
the last hearing it was alleged that
Berry was engaged at a salary of 6
guineaS weekly to deliver a lecture
upon Criminals I Have Met" detail
ing experiences of different executions
Of notorious murderers in which he had
taken part. He declared thar these
lectures pleased the music hall audi
ences very much, but in spite of that
he was summary dismissed. The de-
Tense was that one night Berry arrived
at the music hall in too excited a. con-
dition to give his lecture The case
had been adjourned Tor the attendance
of the agent, Mr.. Beesley. His wife
now attended on subpoena, and said
that she wrote the letter making the
engagement on Harris behalf. She said
THAI she had no authority from Hart
to write it.
Mr.. Bramford-Are you in Hart's ser
vice?
w ftness-I am
Mr.. Bramford-Oh. I see. We're you
not in partnership with your husband
as agent?
Witness-No. There are no female
agents. Gaughtar0
Judge Bacon-Don't wink at the So
Hector like thar. Gaughter)
Mr.. Bramford-But you wrote your
husbands letters?
Watness-I wrote to him, than man
the hengman.
Judge Bacon-What do you cali him?
Witness = Berry, the hangman.
Oaughter)
Harry Hart was called and gave evil
dence. He was sworn in the Christian
fashion.
Mr.. Bramford-Are not you jew?
Defendant-Yes.
Judge Bacon-Why were you not
sworn on the old testament, with your
hat on? And you did not kiss the book
in a decent fashion.
Witness was re-sworn in the Jewish
manner, and said that he never paid
so much as f6 a week. His was
very small house, and the usual rum
of salaries was Il a week. 1t was not
true that on the last Friday of his
engagement he paid Berry f5. and said
he would give him fl the next day
He only paid him f3. He would not
let him go on because the next day
he was the worse for drink, and
threatened to shoot him. Berry said
that when he went to serve the last
witness, Mrs. Beesley, with a subpoena
she said:
81 am performing at Mr.. Harris hail.
as Miss Wood. I'm not going to lose
my living. I'll swear anything against
you
Judge Bacon-What was his enter
tainment?
Mr. Hart-A lecture on his hangings.
Judge Bacon-Who is he?
Mr.. Hart-The late public eXecu-
! toner.
Judge Bacon-was it an attractive
entertainment? cloud laughter)
Defendant shrugged his shoulders.
Berry, in cross-eXamination, denied
that he was speeches. drunk on the
Saturday night. It was true that Mr..
Hart refused to let him go on; that
was 10 get out of paying him. 1T was
favorite trick of his with his artists.
NJ Hill (for defendant)-Is it not no.
torious that you used to drink when
public executEoner?
Berry-Centainly not.
Mr.. Hill-Do you swear that?
Berry, do.
Mr.. Hill-Were you not dismissed by
the under sheriff for drunkenness?
Berry-Certainly not. I left honora-
bly,.
Two constabIes who were called in to
eject Berry from the hall gave evil
dence that, in their opinion, Berry was
perfectly sober. Mrs. Beesley was re-
called and said that Berry was drunk
all that day.
Judge Bacon-But you write to him,
Dear friend Berry"
Wstness-Yes, we have to do that:
II is not because I care for him. He
is not in my class. (Roars of laughter.)
Judge Bacon-It is very proper that
YOU should NOT love him. Cloud laugh
ter)
for plaintiff for Ct arrears of salary
and costs, saying that the terms of
enma cement were undoubtedly f6 a
week, and that the allegation of drunk
enness mad heen most effectuaaly dis