Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-08
HOW THE MORNING PASSED
In Sing Sing Prison Before the Execution of
Harris.

| hO" The MORNING PASSED
In Sing Sing Prison Before the Execution of
| Harris.
| SING SING, N. Y, May s.-Bright spring
sunshine did not tighten the gloom that hung
over the prison this morning. Guards moved
about with quiet tread and voices were hushed
as in the presence OF death. The air of suffo.
cation which one feels at funeral filed the
| place in spite Of the clear atmosphere of a
! perfect spring day.
! At other electroc utions there has been levity
and indifference ABOUT the prison, but the
dawn OF Carlyle Harris last day was observed
! br C-iet, due 20 the appreciation that he was
! 10 ordinary culprit but a man whose crime
and whose death will be historic
INTEEEsT IN THE TRAGEDY.
Not since the first eiectrocution at Sing Sing,
when four men-Siocum. Smiler, Jugio and
Wood-were put TO death with the experimental
apparatus then in use, has there been such an
interest displayed here. Throngs of people
gathered the hillside overlooking the gray
W ais OF the prison. and though they could not
hope to catch a glimpse Of harris or see the
implement OF death, they gaZed wi n morbid
curiosity at the building in which the doomed
man Will not emerge until his soul has departed
rom the BODY. Today the crowds began AS
sembhEG early, and they were larger and of a
more incl gent Class OF peopie than is usually
/ drawn 10 this sDoi.
| The fact tina. Harris is really the first man
with prelension to GU ure. refinement and
Intelligence who has taken mis- place in the
electric chair Is appreciated. Public interest
, IN The cases OF the thirteen men VINO have met
their fate at the touch Of the mysterious agent
! employed by his state has been confined to
( the method OF the killing to whe her it was
quick and painless or SOW and torturesome.
The elecirocut!ons which have preceded the
one TO-DAY were the doing TO death Of the bgutes
VINO mad killed fellow beings. ard about whose
GIiir inere was no doubt and IN whose case
! there Was Little to arouse sympa II.
Today for the first time was a man OF a
| hgher order of intelligence to Undergo the
! orGeai. lie was man OF education. accns-
: toned to the rehuemenJs OF good society
edGca.ed. a medical student even. and aoable
, OF understanding to an unusual decree what
was 10 --apren TO him. In addition TO all this
! was the qut s:ioa Of tee man guilt. He had
been Gt.en fair and impartial trial and twelve
good laen and t:Ie had declared HIM guilty.
, The hlruer courts had affirmed the Judgment
Recorder srlyth. before whom he was tried
! had rassei upon arguments or a new trial
ths ei u'on alleged Evidence merry disco cred,
! tIAt Helen l';ts w.s an ha0itual user OF NOR
rniAe All tue So-s:4M OF the state nad.
through a ro,,-c,. --r .H... The same .es..mo.-
.
The accused wa 'l-uriYal .f uone o. hi. Iega.
representative. Ie had TIE advantage of
ern.en. counsel Gud ION :iTst = ias. there Was
, bus one "onclusinn from - legal >.aUdpo.nt-
fae norm va. E':istE. On the otn.r I'D be as
a--.o. E.s inrlocpgce ard D." bore himself s. an
: innocent rHsn Wau' un;er Tie r.-Cunl- tGrces.
Us mother mad proclaimed ujs iupocas e, ,,.ta
such e.isct 'lst p...i, sentiment in NJ sra p
t' 1al' Was arous,i - sJC.I. extent la e. j.
aVoa0 pos'ons signed . ra'i.0u 90 he governor
nsllGE .oT c.cl!s uSV. mere Vas a.. llcl1srt -
oo05t H. a." ease. erl IN 3Jca th -ihrua.s o. JUS
tice nav" osciaced Harris Ea,.t, ONLY be and L.,
Maze n4oH wGc sar his doom vas 10 TIED az
nor. E"rIi- made uoCUn! >,,uu ,1u declared he
i.,I h.-; e. :on esq. lie mrt nos. vino ella IN,
!" know ati in~. "..- "a h.- boy hear. UlG gb
e :iE believes il his .uuvseIts. atlls doubt
ha' existed 10" al t!me ana tnc !ia.c.s cas-. VIII
De o.tan or a IN a-gJncUs- nG@.ust the exc
cuu)n OF ,he "a n uenaltr n cases where proc.
re L, unon expert tie g.. Il nv.
Contrary TO ;he nal custom here the death
warrant WAS not read b. the warden Al mid
night. The doom q man had been told, how
ever. when the end would come.
HARRIS RESTED LAST NIGHT.
He retired early last night and though he
showed no signs Of breaking down ne was more
nervous and exci:able than usual.
Principal Keeper Connaughton said this
morning that Harris rested well. He did not
sleep much. and what thoughts racked his
brain were not known. His self-control was
marvellous. His only sign of agitation was the
constant smoking of cigarettes. He up
early this morning. He looked over the man.
uscript which he had prepared te be given to
the press by his relatives after the final scene
in his dramatic life had ended and the curtain
had been rung down.
At 8 o'clock Harris ne a light breakfast He
was cool and collected and appeared to be ca
pable OF going through the ordeal which
awaited him. At $50 O'Clock column OF
black smo ke curled up from a tall chimney at
the northern end OF the prison Enclosure The
engines which operate the dynamo had been
started preparatory to the Official test by State
Electrician Davis.
HIS MOTHER WAITING.
Mrs. Harris, having made her final farewell
to her son on Saturday. remained at the
Ambloy House. Her youngest sou. Allan. was
with her. She wes calm and less nervous than
usual and awaited with fearful silence the sign
which would indicate to her that her son
Carlyle had passed out from this world.
Mrs. Harris arose at 4 o'clock and her watch
was a lengthy and sorrovfui one. She seldom
spoke to her son, but confined ner whole a.:en-
ton in gazing southwark toward the prison
flag pole aud 10 nerviEg herself foS the sad
was apparently stronger and better able to
bear her grief than she has been for days. Her
son Allan remained with her and did what he
could to comfort and console her
IN FRONT OF THE PRISON.
At 10 O'Clock there was large string OF
carria ges in front of the prison and hundreds
of people were scattered along the hillside.
The death warrant was formally read to Harris
at $50 O'Clock. He displayed Indifference and
its reading did not noticeably affect him.
Warden DurStOQ said Harris showed no sions
of breaking down and appeared cheerful after
the reading OF the warrant.
The Rev. john c. S. Wells, the prison
chaplain. went in to see Harris shortly after 8
O'Clock this morning and remained for an
hour. After he came out DR.. Irving went in
and found Harris showing some signs of
nervousness. but otherwise all right. He said
afterward that Harris did not ask for morphine
or any other stimulant.
His only request was for two oranges. They
were taken In TO him. Harris was shaved and
had his hair cut at 1890. He then put on q
: new suit OF clothes furnished by the stata