The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-07

mother and asked her TO consent TO bis en-
gaeement 10 the daughter. She absolutely
refused TO give her consent until he had
finished his studies.
MARRIED.
That was shortly before Feb. II, 1890. On
Fet. II McCready Harris. the younger
brother OF Carlyle. asked Mary Helen
Potts to go and see the Stock Exchange.
Carlyle called for her. and the three went
TO the City Hall. where Harris and the
girl were secretly married by Alderman
Rinkhoff. Neither of them gave right
names for that marriage. and it was
kept a secret. Within q few weeks Harris
began to avoid his girl wife. and she began
TO grieye about II. In May the Pottses
went to live at Ocean Grove. Miss May
SchOtield, a school friend OF Helen'e. was
visiting there. The girl wife was In q deli
cate condition. Harris would not permit
her to make known her marriage, saying
that if 1t was done his grandfather would
disinherit him. de proposed an operation
TO conceal her condition from the world,
She would consent only on condition that
May SchOield should know abOut her
marriage. so that if she should die her
honor would be protected. Harris took
Miss SchOtield for q walk and told her.
That night he performed the operation
upon his wife.
Mary Helen Potts then went to visit DR..
Traver.on. her uncle. at Scranton. Pa. The
Doctor soon discovered her condition. Har-
rls was made TO confess that he had
performed not one. but two. operations
upon his wife. He denied the mar
rage, though. Helen confessed all to her
mother.
ALI this time. it developed upon the trial,
Harris was having All affair which had q
disgraceful termination with q depraved
woman, whom he WAS meeting at Canaan
daigua. y. y, under an assumed name.
After Miss Potts got well, her mother in
sisted that Harris should marry her public
ly. Harris promised that he would. He
kept putting the marriage off. and finally
induced the mother to send Helen to
the Comstock school. The mother
kept insisting on che marriage, and on
Jan. 20, 1891. Harris wrote her that all her
wishes should be complied with. The
young wife had been complaining of head
ache. On that Jan. 20 Harris got q pre-
scrlption for six capsules. each TO contain
one-sIxth of a grain of morphine and four
and One.half grams of quinine. He gave
her four of the six pills. telling her to take
one each night. The other two pills be
kept. Then be went TO Old Point Comfort.
The girl took three of the pills. she
complained that they made her feel worse;
She told her mother that she had q good
mind TO throw the fourth one away. Her
mother advised her to take IL. say
ing that CARLYLE Knew what was
that pill she probably would have been
| alive to-day. She tool it just before retir-
ing on the night of Jan. 81. 1891. She
awOke In a partial coma. and said to her
schoolmates that she had had beautiful
dreams She had dreamed that Carlyle
was with her. soon she began TO moan and
was unconscious. DIR. Fowler and DR..
Bauer were called to attend her. She died
the following morning. Harris was sent
for. He seemed to care little for his wite's
death. but kept insisting that the medicine
he had given her was all right. He was
told TO go To the drug store and find out:
He went out to do so. The evidence showed
that he did not 20 near the store. although
he returned to say that he had been there.
HARRIS INDICTED.
The apparent preparations Harris had
made to clear himself of suspicion. his re-
fusal to permit the girl to be buried under
his name and the conflicting stories he
told caused suspicion to be directed
toward himself. He was indicted on
in January. 1892. He bad William Travers
jerome. John A. Taylor ana Charles +.
| Dawson to defend him. The trial lasted
three weeks, and the defense was almost
wholly to show that the girl ala not
die OF morphine poisoning. Experts were
on the stands for days. After celebrating
an hour and twenty minutes q verdict of
murder in the first degree was returned.
Harris was sentenced to die on March Il.
1872.
Harris took William f. Howe for his
council then. The seven judges of the
Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the
conviction III one OF the strongest decisions
ever written by Judge Gray. The trultless
proceedings for a new trial which Recorder
Smith denied are so recent as TO De famlllar.
In these proceedings the defense aDan-
doned Its former ground and set up that
the dead girl was IN the habit or taxing
morphine. and that the dose which killed
her vas elf-administered.
Harris made q long speech TO the court
lust before he was sentenced to die on the
week beginning May {. lie was taken 10
Sing Sing on March %. Since that time
his friends have been circulating petitions
all over the State. asking the Gov
ernOr for executive clemency. when mas
now been denied. and the governor
even went so far as TO appoint a commits
sioner TO hear evidence which the defense
promised TO produce to substantiate their
claim that Mary Helen Potts was addicted
10 the use of morphine. These hearings
were held only last week. and from the de-
clsion the Governor has arrived al IL Is
safe 10 presume that Commissioner Raines
did NOT make u report that was favorable
to Harris.
Harms has been one of the most remark
able murderers ever arraigned before q
court. Never for an instant has he lost his
GOODNESS. almost amounting 10 haugntl'
ness. Never has ne ceased TO protest that
ne was entirely innocent and declare ms
confidence that be would ultimately be
freed and 20 clear before the world. There
has been something theatrical IN his man.
ner. but HE cold dignity and apparent con-
ndenee have had enough OF the genuine
in them TO convince q great many. Since
he las been In the condemned cells at Sing
sing the reports. necessarily received as
hearsay from his keepers. have shown that
he was beginning TO break down ply sicaify
and at heart. These are the reports which
Harris denies IN HIS interview. The .ast
sensational story circulated in connection
with him was TO the effect that on the
/ that EaAhi an4 DalIta..a aMnf an. "a "A
murderers. escaped from the condemned
corridor. his liberty was offered To Harris
and was refused. This WAS denied by tie
prison authorities Those who have