The times., 1899-06-17
but seemed to be satisfied with what the
jail officials gave him.

but seemed to be satisfied with what the
jail officials gave him.
Throughout the entire proceedings
against him Berry has maintained cool,
deliberate attitude. He seemed to realize
the enormity of the offence he had COM
mitted, but said he was ready to suffer
the penalty of the law If he was allowed
to do SO in a legal manner. He had a
horror Of lynching and ii is probable that
he would have been very hard to man
age had he not been assured on leaving
Baltimore that he would be legally ex-
ecuted.
The arrangements for the execution were
all in the hands of Deputy Sheriff Tighe,
who resides at Marlboro, and who acquit-
I ted himself with great credit. The scaf-
fold used was the same that has been
used for four previous execution, and
was erected by Wyvill Brothers, of Marl-
boro. II was placed in position Wednes-
day and the timbers were thoroughly test
ed TO see that no flaws existed. Thurs
day night the final tests of the rope and
! the trap was made and everything was
found in good order.
The workmen about the Jail have been
preparing for the execution for some time
and the entire structure had been treated
: TO new coat of whitewash in honor of
! the event. Not only the walls but the
I aoors and a portion of the furniture were
]
7 the interior Of the structure was very neat
l and clean. The condemned cell is one of
4 the largest in the building and is situated
/ in the extreme western corner on the
| ground floor. A door opening from the
single corridor leads TO the rear of the
I building. where there is another door that
opens directly at the foot of the steps lead
j Ing TO the scaffold. 1t is necessary to de-
scend two stone steps to reach the bottom
4 of the gallows. The latter structure is
4 about twenty feet high and has drop
1 of fifteen feet. The steps are long and
low. making a gradual ascent.
! The yard in which the jail is situated is
! about 100 feet square and the building is
+ almost in the centre. In the rear of the
! yard are the graves of the various GRIM
inals who have died in the Jail and who
had no relatives to bury them. The bod
! les of several men who have been executed
within the county are also buried there
The prisoner passed very quiet night
| Father Charles II. Krinkhaus, OF st.
Mary's Catholic Church. Marlboro. visited
him early in the evening. and remained
with him for some time When the priest
/ went home Berry retired and is reported
TO have slept soundly throughout the
night II was not generally known at
| what hour the execution would take pace
! SO long before the time arrived the people
from the adjoining country commenced TO
l flock 10 the jail to witness the hanging.
| The crime had excited such universal in
terest that almost everyone in the county
! wished to be present at the execution The
low fence which surrounds the Jail build
ing was made roosting place for the peo-
/ pie who came to see the event and the
trees and housetops in the vicinity were
black with their burdens of curious sight
seers. The number of witnesses admitted
TO the enclosure was limited to a few rep
J resentatives of the press. the officials OF
the jail. and some friends of the sheriff
Z almost all of them county officers. The
crush before the jail gate as the hour for
the execution approached was terrible
Everyone wanted to get good view of the
prisoner, and il was thought that he would
be taken out the front door and lead all
the way around the building TO the scal-
fold. This crowd OF onlookers was disap-
pointed. however. as the condemned man
vas lead directly through the building from
his cell to the door in the rear. from which
ne stepped directly onto the scaflold.
All in Readiness.
At 1929 Deputy Sheriff James Tighe
entered the condemned mans cell and
told the prisoner to make ready for his
execution. Berry was listening TO the
prayers of Fathers Krinkhaus and Gardi-
ner. the latter having come from Bowie
10 administer the last rites. when the
deputy sheriff entered the cell He said
he all ready. and then II was dis-
covered that the deputies had forgotten
to secure u rope with which to bind the
mans arms and legs. The neglect was
quickly remedied, however. and at 1925