The Atlanta Constitution, Monday, July 27, 1896 A MONSTROUS DEED - Dave Berryman Kills Family ROYSTON - A crime bloodier than the Woolfolk murder, more appalling than the monstrous deed of Holmes, was committed in Madison county, five miles south of this place and between Elberton and Toccoa, late yesterday afternoon. Dave Berryman, a well-known farmer murdered his wife, shot down his four children and then blew out his own brains. The tragedy has no parallel in the criminal annals of the state. Just what caused the awful deed is not known, and perhaps will never will be, as no eye witness lives to tell the story. But it is supposed that Berryman, inflamed with intoxicants and enraged by the chiding of his wife because of his attentions to another woman, became suddenly insane and decided to annihilate his whole family. How well he succeeded. the front room of a pretty little cottage just at the foot of the Blue Ridge testifies. When the neighbors rushed in after the awful discovery was made, three of the little children were found on one side of the room piled in a mangled mass, their heads blown from their bodies. A few feet away lay the lacerated corpse of the mother, and across her brest was the body of her infant, its baby fingers clutching in death its mother's hair matted with gore. On the bed nearby was found the body of Berryman. After Killing his family he hit deliberately reloaded his gun; walked across the room, viewed the result of his horrible work, sat down upon the bed and emptied the contents of his breech loading gun into his own head. The discovery was made by a servant girl who was in the habit of milking for the Berryman family late every afternoon. It was the custom of one of the little tots to assist her in these duties. Missing him yesterday afternoon, she decided to go up to the house to find the cause of his absence. The horrible spectacle met her gaze as she entered the doorway. Just inside of the front room was a pool of blood, and spattered over the four walls wes the brains of the murdered family. Appalled by the sickening sight, stunned for the moment at a scene she could scarcely realize as true the girl made her way to the nearest house and told of the horrible discovery she had made. The alarm was given. Hundreds gathered from all sections of the county. Never before was such a scene witnessed in north Georgia. Old men accustomed to the scenes of carnage stood back, hesitating to enter the cottage. Women stood about wringing their hands and weeping hysterically. The rage of the people ran high at the awful deed, but there was no way to vent their anger. Some one mentioned the name of the woman with whom it was supposed Berryman had been intimate, and because of which intimacy it was thought he had quarreled with his wife. The crowd caught the name and surged in the direction of Royston but cooler heads prevailed and an additional horror was averted. The remains of the unfortunate family were removed to Royston at 1 o'clock this afternoon. Thousands who had gone to the scene of slaughter lined the roadway between Berryman's cottage and the town. As the two wagons laden with coffins passed through the drizzling rain, the people stood aside excitedly discussing the cause of the tragedy. BERRYMAN'S PAST LIFE Dave Berryman was a man well known in thls section. He had many relatives who are prominent in Madison county and belonged to a family of six brothers and six sisters. His father is one of the oldest citizens of this county and neither to him nor to his aged wife has the news of the crime been made known. Berryman was a man of fine physique, and rather good looking. He was thirty-eight years old and had been married twice. His first was Miss Scarborough, quite a good looking young lady, daughter of the former sheriff of Madison county. In 1889 she secured a divorce upon the grounds of cruelty. On the same day the divorce was granted Berryman led to the altar Miss Hall, a daughter of a farmer now located in Lindale, Smith county, Tex. Miss Hall was a young lady of quiet demeanor, and for several years the couple seemed to live happily together. Berryman worked industriously and was regarded as a citizen of good repute. Several years ago he began to drink heavily, and since then has kept up a dissipated career. When under the influence of whisky he seemed crazed and was difficult to control. WANTED TO KILL THEM ALL Just one year ago a wife of one of the neighbors dropped in to see Mrs. Berryman. She knocked upon the door several times without getting a response, but finally Berryman came to the door, reeling under the influence of whisky. He carried a shotgun in his hand, and seemed nerved up to a high rage. The woman screamed and started to leave. Berryman called her back and demanded to know her mission. She informed him that she came to call upon his wife. "You can see her," he replied, but you must make it short, for she has only five minutes to live." The woman was horrified. Guarded by Berryman, who held his shotgun to his shoulder, she entered the room and found Mrs. Berryman seated in a large rocking chair in the little of the room, surrounded by her little children." "You see I put them in a circle," muttered Berryman with a drunken oath, "so I can get a good shot at the whole bunch. I'm going to kill 'em out, and I'll make a clean job of it." What deterred Berryman from his sanguinary purpose then is not known. The women made her escape and informed the neighbors of what had happened. They arrived in time to quiet the drunken rage of the madman and rescue his famiLy. THE MULTI-MURDERER AT CHURCH Just before the tragedy yesterday Berryman was at a service at Mill Shoal church, where he remained for some time. Upon his way home he stopped by a shingle mill, where it is said he loaded up with a bountiful supply of corn whisky. He went from the mill immediately home, and it is supposed that just upon his arrival the crime was committed. What was done before the deed seems to have been a repetition of the scene of last year. Berryman called his wife and children about him. The oldest child was just seven years old and the youngest an infant of seven months, which the mother was nursing at her breast. The gun used was a breech-loader, and only one barrel could be fired. Six shots were fired, and between each he deliberately drew out the cartridge and inserted a new load before blowing out the brains of the next victim. After Berryman had killed his wife and four children, and before he put the load into his own head, it appears that he waited for some time. FORMER WIFE MOURNER A strange incident of the tragedy is the attitude of Berryman's first wife, from whom he was divorced in 1889. (Elizabeth Scarborough) She appears to be chief mourner, and weeps incessantly. As the curious crowd pushed into the house of carnage this afternoon this former wife was seated upon the steps convulsed with grief, and declaring between her sobs that she had always loved Berryman from the morning of her marriage. This former wife refused to be comforted. USED A KNIFE FIRST An examination of the body of his victims showed that the throat of the eldest boy was gashed with the blade of a small knife. It was thought that Berryman began his work of annihilation with a knife first, but finding it too slow, decided to use his gun. THE FUNERAL TODAY The funeral of the Berryman family will occur tomorrow at noon from the house of one of Berryman's brothers. The six coffins containing the multilated remains have been moved there. Thousands of people will gather tomorrow from every section of the county to witness the funeral services. (Dave Berryman is Charles Taber Berryman, Jr, son of Charles Taber Berryman and Elizabeth Ray) ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Love Berryman marylove@tyler.net ====================================================================