The times., 1899-06-17

the party emerged from the rear door of
the jail and commenced to ascend the
stairs leading to the scaffold. The two
priests came first, followed by the pris-
oner, who was supported by Deputies Tighe
and Clark, and Deputy Moran brought up
the rear. Berry was dressed in new suit
of blue clothes, a white shirt, and black
tie. He walked calmly and deliberately
up the stairs leading to the scaffold, and
showed not the least trace of nervousness.
AS a matter of fact, Berry was the coolest
man in the crowd, as the members of the
sherif's party appeared to be very much
upset. AS soon as the man reached the
top of the platform he stepped TO the CEN
tire of the trap and faced toward the steps.
His feet were quickly and tightly bound
together by Deputy Clark, under the direc-
tion of Deputy Tighe. The deputies had
some difficulty in getting the moose prop
erly adjusted. and it was placed around the
mans neck three times before they were
satisfied with their work. The priests
then stepped off the trap and Tighe asked
Berry if he had anything to say.
Il have nothing TO say the prisoner
answered, and the black cap was fixed on
his head.
Deputy Tighe then descended three steps
of the scaffold and dropped his handker-
chief, which was the signal for Sheriff
trap. The trap dropped at exactly 1928.
Six minutes later Drs. owens and Sass
Ger examined the body and found a slight
fiuttering of the heart. The body was al
lowed to hang until the action of the
heart had entirely ceased, and was then
lowered into the plain pine coffin which
had been prepared at 10:41.
When the black cap had been removed
it was found that the man had strangled
hFs
protruding from between his teeth, as the
result of commissions. The physicians gave
il as their opinion that the man had been
rendered unconscious by the drop and had
died from strangulation and shock.
Undertaken Wyvill took charge of the
body and 1t was buried Immediately after
the execution in Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
The crowd which had assembled around
the Jail quickly melted away and in a
very short time the town appeared as
though nothing unusual had happened.
The story of the Crime.
The crime which Berry expiated on the
urday night. March IS, and was one of
/ the most revolving recorded in the annals
of Maryland atrocities. The scene of the
tragedy was the home of the Misses Aman-
da and Annie Clarke, maiden ladies, who
resided a short distance from Bowie.
Berry had been employed by the women
| for about two years. He came to them
from a reformatory, and despite that fact
created such good impression that every
! confidence was reposed in him. In fact.
the women boasted that they had secured
| in the boy a servant of more than usual
merit. He was then about seventeen
I years OF age, quite intelligent, deterrent,
and subservient.
Whether this Difference and subserviency
on the part of Berry toward his employers
was genuine is a matter of conjecture,
/ but the fact is certain that at a later date
] it was simply a cloak used to cover a
/ brute instinct which asserted itself at the
/ first opportunity. Berry was never left
/ alone at home with either of the women.
! This was not because he was distrusted
Z but rather because when one sister left
/ the house she felt greater need for a
companion and protector than the sister
at home Berry therefore had not an op-
! portunity TO rob the house at any time,
/ though he had often planned to do it.
/ The fact that the desired propitious Op-
/ portunity for robbery did not present it
! self made the boy desperate and he finally
/ decided that in order TO accomplish his
| purpose he would have to use force in
| overcoming the women at no matter what
cost. Accordingly on the fatal Saturday
night while the women were at supper
Berry procured heavy stick of firewood
and assaulted them both. They were seat
ed with their backs to Berry as he entered
the dining room from the kitchen. He
came into the room and deliberately
brought the bludgeon down upon the head
of the unsuspecting Miss Amanda whu
| WIS felled to the floor unconscious by the
blow. Before the negro could strike Miss