Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-08

the life OF her boy, who she declared
with all the promptings OF a mothers
love was innocent Of this bideous
crime.
Mrs. Harris, the mother Of the'mur-
derer, and Mrs. Potts, the mother OF
the victim, have been two OF the most
conspicuous characters in the case.
They were friends until the mother OF
the girl. who knew more OF the anair
between her and young Harris than ala
anybody else, became convinced that
her daughter had been murdered. From
that hour she became the quiet but per-
sstent avenger, and to-day Harris
might be free man with no suspicion
upon him had it not been for Mrs.
Potts.
As she was the avenger, Mrs. Harris
was the defender, but her character
was very different one. Mrs. Harris
is a women OF about fifty years. always
dresses IN black with Grape veil, has
bright steel gray eyes and features
that might be comely were they not so
set and resolute. She was scornfui
during the first trial. "Prove my boy
guilty OF murder" she used to stay,
''you might as we'll try to prove that
white was black"
When conviction came she went into
TRADE and terrible scene. The con-
viction only meant that she would re-
double her efforts. She bounded the
newspaper offices asking that one thing
and another might be written ABOUT
her boy. This she had continued to DO
up to this day and probably will con-
tinue to do long after her boy has PAID
the penalty of his crime.
When Harris was first convicted he
announced he would never die In the
felon's chair. Since then he has re-
tracted this statement and frequently
has asserted that he would die as the
law directed. In spite OF this assertion,
however, extreme precautions have
been taken to see that he did not cheat
the executioner.
The warden even went so far as to
announce that when the broken-hearted
mother pressed her last kiss upon her
boys lips, that would soon feel the kiss
of death, her mouth would be examined
TO see that it did not contain poison.
and be thus administered, to prevent
the stigma of the death Of ielon from
attaching to her sons memory. Physi-
clans were In constant proximity TO the
condemned ready to respond TO mo-
ment's notice TO snatch back from self
inflicted death this poor wretch the law
had claimed as its own.
Harris is slim, erect, fine featured
young man of "a years. He was born
in Glenn Falls, n. Y, in September,
1869, but even his parents seem to be
unable to tell the day Of the month.
He came of fine family, his grandfather
on his mothers side being Dr.. Benz
W. McCready, quite recently deceased,
who was one of the most eminent ply
scians In the country.
The story OF the meeting OF Harris
and Miss Potts at Ocean Grove the
summer OF 1889, and the subsequent
events leading up to her mysterious
death, are Iwell-known. His sensational
trial and the almost superhuman efforts
made 20 save his life, are also familiar
TO the general reader.
Harris has been one OF the most re-
markable murderers ever arraigned be-
fore q court. Never for an instant has
he lost his coolness, almost amounting to
haughtiness. Never has he ceased TO
protest that he was entirely innocent
and declare his confidence that he
would ultimately be freed and go clear
before the world. There has been
something theatrical in his manner, but
his cold dignity and apparent conf
deuce have had enough of the genuine
in them to convert great many.
Since he has been in the condemned
murderers' cell at Sing Sing the reports
necessarily reached as hearsay from his
keepers have shown that he was Begin
ming TO break down physically and at
heart. The last sensational story cir
culated in connection with him was to
the effect that on the night that Bohle
and Pallister, condemned mnrderers,
escaped from the condemned corridor
his liberty was offered to Harris and
was refused. This was denied by the
prison authorities.