St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-21
HARRIS AT THE BAR.
The Murderer Of Helen Potts
Resenteneed by Recorder
Smythe.
A Long Speech Made In Court
by the Condemned
Man.
He VIII Be ElectPoeuted Dur
ing the Week Beginning
May s.
Crowds at the Tombs Cheer
When Harris Is Taken
Back.


ment around the court of the general
sessions as there was this morning..
Carlyle w. Harris, after having eX-
hausted every possible means to escape
the penalty for the murder of his wife,
was to be finally resentenced by Re-
cOrder Smythe. Notwithstanding the
fact that no one was allowed to enter
the court room except newspaper men
who were authenticated and persons
bearing tickets of admission by the dis
trict attorney, the room was crowded
before 10 O'Clock, and dense crowd
surrounded the building Oh all sides.
Shortly before 10 O'clock Harris entered
the court room and sat down in re
mote corner closely guarded by the
deputy sheritfS. He looked very pale
and sank back in his chair as if utterly
exhausted. At 10 O'clock Recorder
Smythe took the bench, and, amid
silence so deep that every sound out
side could be dist inctiy heard, said:
"Carlyle W. Harris TO the bar"
Harris rose with a start and walked
unsteadily through the rows of spec
fators to the rail. District Attorney
Nicoll, in low voice, made the usual
motion that the sentence be passed.
There was silence for moment when
the district attorney sat down. Then
the recorder. somewhat huskily, said:
"Carlyle w. Harris, have you any
thing to say why the sentence of the
court sh Ould not be passed upon you?"
Denounced His Prosecutors.
Harris leaned with his left hand on
the rail, and, with effective gestures,
waved his right arm, but, although the
spectators kept absolutely silent and
craned their neckS to hear, not one
could catch a syllable of what the priS-
oner was saying. Among the Specta-
tors was Mr.. Potts, the father of the girl
whom Harris married and murdered.
Harris was evidently very weak. He
Swayed backward and forward as he
spoke and at times seized convulSively
the rail to save himself from falling.
After the first ten minutes he grew
stronger and his voice could be heard by
those in the immediate vicinity. The
spectators could only gather that Harris
was speaking of the affidavits which
were presented by the defense for the
motion for new trial. The first time
that Harris accents rang out clear and
strong was when he spoke of DilwOrth
ChOate. With suddenneSS that startled
every one came the words, There is
one man for whom | have been looking
around this court room, and do not
see him. He is DilwOrth Choate,
sneak and perjurer, newspaper outcast
the district attorneys tool" Harris
continued to eXcOriate Choate until his
voice fell. 1t was this way all through
Harris most remarkable speech. For
moments at time his voice was so low
that-nO one could hear. Then as sud-
denly as before his voice would sink to
a husky whisper, his whole form seemed
to collapse, and he leaned heavily on
the rail. Harris devoted considerable
attention to Assistant Attorney Well
man, who was prosecutor in the first
trial. While he was talking about Well
man, saying that Harris married in
1882, Harris suddenly Kissed land |
know and Nellman knows that Well
man lied"
A few minutes later Mr.. Wellman,
who had been sitting alongside Mr..
NicOll, arose and abruptly left the court
room. HE had better have gone be-
FORE" remarked Harris.
A Most Affecting Scene
occurred when Harris turned to Mr..
Howe and in broken accents said: "Mr.
Howe, | let you know what a poor man
| am; that have not and cannot repay
your devotion. | want you to take this,
my dearest possession, and keep it for
ever" AS he spoke, Harris drew an ell.
veiope from his pocket and hai.ded it to
Mr.. Howe, with these words, Take it,
Mr.. Howe; it is Helen'S last gift to me-
Take it with her love-" As he turned
away to face the recorder again, he.SObbed
twice convulsively, and the tears ran
down his cheeks. After addressing
few impressive words TO the recorder,
Harris finished the remarkable speech
by turning again to Mr.. Howe ana hand
ing him some letters. Harris mad spoken
for an hour and forty minutes.
The recorder then proceeded to re-.
view the facts OF the case very briefly.
He spoke particularly of the applica-
ton for a new trial, and SAID he had
given the application his consideration
with very full sense of the RESPONSE
bility that a human life depended upon
his decision. Twice Harris interrupted
the recorder to speak of points in the
case that he had forgotten before. The
trec0rQer nedru MIN patiently.
You are not here to have the SEN
fence of death pronounced upon you"
said the recorder. THAT has already
to be affirmed and date fixed. The or
der of the court is that the previous
sentence be carried out during the week
beginning May s."
Harris made no sign as he heard the
date of his death. His already pallid
ace could be no paler. The envelope
which Harris handed to Mr.. Howe, say
ing it contained Helen's last gift to him,
had in it a pair of gold link cuff buttons.
Harris AppIauded.
A great throng ran after Harris as he
walked from the general sessions to the
Tombs. A remarkable feature was the
applause that twas given him. Again
and again he was cheered. His face
flushed with pleasure. When he
reached the Tombs there was a big
crowd waiting. "rhree cheers and a
tiger for Harris" cried some one.
They were given. and Harris, still hand
cuffed with the sheriffs, walked inside |
with smile on his face. Once inside
the prison he began to talk. He said:
well, it's all over now; but am
ready to die, although l declare SOL
EMMY that am an innocent man. 1
feel like a man who has done good
days work and is tired. | am surprised
at the way held out, for this morning
was very sick. [ am very happy now,
for l have proved ny case"
Mr.. Howe said that in accordance
with the special request of Harris no
mass meeting would be held in his be- |
half. Harris will probably not be taken
up to Sing Sing before Wednesday OF
next week. His lawyers believe that |
the demonstration today indicates a
general public sentiment in favor of CIV |
ing Harris another chance, and are con-
tident that the appeal to the governor
will be successful in averting the execu-
ton of the sentence of death.