St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-04
banning Facts Discovered in
the Life Of Carlyle
Harris.
Before Marrying Miss Potts
He Had Another Wife
Living.
Tired Of the Trusting Girl, He
Murdered Her and Boast
ed Of the Fact.
Developments Prove Him to
Have Been a Heartless
Seoundrel.

NEW 4ORk. rep. Sine counsel for
Carlyle w. Harris. the wife poisoner,
convicted last night, did not place him
on the witness stand in his own behalf
during the trial, and the reason was
MADE apparent today when, havin.
fastened on Harris the murder Of
the beautiful and confiding young
woman, the prosecuting attorneys
made public statement of the muir
derer's double life for the past halt
dozen years. Assistant District Attor-
news Wellman and Sims, on whom
deyoived the labor of gathering together
the mass of facts that proved Harris
guilt to she jury, were prepared
to bring ont the sad details of
a bad record had Harris gone on
the stand. Following are, briefly
stated, some of these alleged clearly
aseertained facts in the young mans
career. Toward the end of the first
week of Harris trial gentleman living
in Connecticut sent letter to Mr.. Well
man telling him that he was greatly
interested in the newspaper reports of
the trial and that he could narrate
Some Peculiar Stories
about young man named Harris which
might be of use in the trial. MIR. Well
man at once telegrapbed the Connecti-
cut man to come to New York, which
the latter did, arriving in the city last
Saturday week. He told Mr.. Wellman
tnat about seven years ago he was &C
Guainted with young girl named Lulu
Van Zant, who had been married at
the age of fourteen to young
man named Charles Harris who was
then sixteen years old and that the
marriage took place in this city. With
III fortnight the girl wife discovered
that her husbands first name was Car
lyle. He took her to Brooklyn to live.
Her parents were residents of Plainfeld,
N j. The Connecticut man said that
Harris was we'll born and had
uncle who was a famous physieian5
(Harrls,, grandfather, DR.. McCready,
was probably the physician referred
tn.9 The pair..it is affirmed, left Brook
ayli soon afterwards aud went to live in
Connecticut-~ when the young wife soon
detected her husband i'll an intrigue
with another girl. In disgust she left
him and returned to this city. She
subsequently consulted lawyer here
about obtaining a divorce for Harris,
who then disappeared.
&c The Girl-Wffe Found.
A search was made for this girl and
it was found that she had been living
with her mother in East Ninety-second
street for three years but had left there
a year ago 1t was also discovered that
other parties had been looking for this
girl a few days previously. These
are supposed to be the ennis
saries of the defendant then
upon trial. Inspector Byrnes' detectives
finally found the girl at Perth Amboy,
n. j., where she was found to be
physical wreck from an operation per-
formed her after leaving Harris. Moth
ing. however, can induce her to come
to New York to testify against Harris,
who had threatened her, Sothat she lived
in perfect terror of him.
10 the district attorney it was also
affirmed that Harris became engaged to
the daughter OF q Kentucky clergyman
about two or three months after his Sc
was received at the district attorneys
Office today from a well known
citizen, who stated that about
the time of Relen's death
he saw Harris flirting with girl on a
Broadway car as both rode down town
one morning. During Harris engage
Rlent to Helen Potts he wanted to en-
gage himself to young lady living in
ASbnry Park who was aware of his
prior engagement.
Tired of Helen Potts.
She said to him, "What are you going
to do about Helen Potts?" Harris re-
piled, ION, am tired of her and want
TO shake her" About the same time
Harris is said to have betrayed girl at
Asbury Park. 1t is stated that he
was also engaged to marry
young lady living in Brooklyn who
was a close friend of his mother.
1t has also been learned that Harris
wronged servant girl In this city, who
in 1889 gave birth to child in one of
the city hospitals. When she got we'll
enough to leave the institution she was
penniless and appealed to Harris, who
had meantime been secretly mar
ried to Helen Potts. Harris gave
her trife and told her
to 'sget rid Of the child" by leaving it on
some doorstep. In July, 1890, Harris is
said to have gone to a lawyer and
sought his advice about getting di-
rerce from Helen Potts. This was
about the time he performed the opera
ition which nearly caused her death
Harris was at one time employed as a
purser OH the Old Dominion steamship
line, and the officers tell many tales
about his habits. It is said that his
mother once told Mrs. Potts, Helen's
mother, that Carlysle had been a con-
slant source of trouble to her all his
life, and his brother. McCready Harris,
told Mrs. Potts that Carlyle was "a pol
ished villian," aud that he could not be
ruSted.