Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-05-05
PREPARING FOR DEATH
Mrs. Harris Arrives in Sing
Sing to See Her Doomed
Son for the Last Time.
NOTHING PROBABLY NOW WILL SAVE
.. THE WIFE PRISONER

Governor EiGwer'S LScaSGEs Tor * SIiSihE
to Exercise Glenn, n"y In the Famous
Casc-The NEothrr sin Talking of NJ IRE
Now Evidence Her Faith in His limo
cence Lawyer Howe Has Not Given Up
All Hope Yct The Raines Hearing Did
Not Strengthen the Case I'm the Cove IN,
or's Estimation,
SING SING, May 5-The mother of Car
lyle w. Harris, in whose case Gov.
Flower has refused to interfere, has ar
rived here from Mortified, Mass, in re-
Spouse to the telegram sent her at her sons
request, and has had an interview with
the condemned man. Mrs. Harris is ac-
companied by her young son.
When asked what she had to say regard
ing the Governors decision, Mrs. Harris
replied that she could not understand it at
all, us good judges had told her that her
son had a good case, clearly showing his
innocence and Hcleu's addiction to the
morphine habit. She said that new evi-
dence was now being discovered, but from
want of time to place it she could now
only put her trust in God.
She declared that the evidence last pro
ducad was all in her sons favor, and had
therefore hoped for at least q eonlmuta
ton of sentence.
She claims there has been further evi
,lence found, making Helen's morphine
habits clear beyond u doubt. She added
1 can't do more than strengthen my boy
so that he may die as he lived, perfectly
innocent and morally conscious of his in
uocence, ard that it has so been proven tC
the Satisfaction of the people,"
William F. Howe Harris COUNSEL when
ash ed what steps he was now contempla-
ting taking in behalf of Harris, said: ''Ii
[ can see the faintest hope for Harris
shall apply to the Supreme Con-t of the
United States for a stay of execution pend
ing an appeal to that tribunal for a new
rial on the ground that Harris has not
Exercised his constitutional right of tcsti-
| ying in his own behalf. Mind you, / d,
not say at this juncture that l will take
such course, and as | have said, if | can
see the faintest hope for him l shall act. u
Gov. Flower. in rendering his decision,
| said The evidence adduced upon the Har-
| ris trial established beyond reasonable doubt
chat Helen Potts died from morphine pois
ming aud compelle as strongly us cir
.umstantial testimony can compel, the ire
| sistii,le conclusion that the poison was
| administered by the defendant with the in
| tent to kill. The Court of Appeals, in de
uying the application for II new trial. re-
| viewed carefully and impartially the evi
| lence presented by the jury and pro
| nounced it conclusive in establishing the
/ guilt of the defendant.
With this Judgment of the jury and the
courts, considering the nature and circum
/ stances of the crime, l should have
| promptly refused to interfere had it not
l been for the second attempt to procure 6
| new trial, based upon alleged evidence il
| lf!:davits submitted to the Recorder Il
show that the deceased, Helen Potts, wa:
/ or some time prior to her death addicted
| 70 the use of morphine.
No such evidence had been produced
upon the trial of the defendant, and if es
1 tabishel would ut least create a doubt
i whether the deceased did not die from
poison administered by her own hand. A
close analysis of these af1itiavits and the
/ affidavits in rebuttal presented by the Dis
Urict Attorney convinced the learned Re
corder that they could not have changed
the verdict of the jury had they been intro
duced upon the trial. and the secOnC
| application for new trial was accord
| ingly denied
testimony, however, melted the presenta
ton before the Executive upon the applic,l
ton for clemency, of further evidence o
| the same nature, besides many conflicting
statements from interested persons relativ,
to the matters contained in the atlidavit
before the Recorder"
| AS the law prohibited the Recorder from
taking the verbal testimony of the wit
nesses who made the affinavits, the Gov
ernor appointed Hon. George Raines OF
Rochester, to take testimony upon ques
tons raised in the affidavits. The Gov
ernor continues as follows:
| 1.-THE witnesses for the defendant have
entirely failed to establish the alleget
fact that Helen Potts was addicted
to the use of morphine Novalid evidenc,
has been produced TO prove that she eve
took morphine except ON a few occasions
for medicinal purposes
| Indeed, the result of this hearing, taker
in connection with certain affidavits filed
after the determination of the case by the
| courts, tends to support more strongly
| than before the theory of the defendants
guilt.
''This inquiry into the case by the exam
ination of witnesses and otherwise Leaves
no doubt in my mind as tony official duty
have endeavored to give to the appiict
| ton for clemency that impartial and con
scientious study which the fate of any hu
/ man life demands and which the popula
/ interest in this case certainly calls for Blu
/ so far as jury and conrt could determine
Harris was guilty of a heinous crime, re
voting in it's conception and in the de
pravity of its perpetrator, and no satisfac
tory considerations have been presented t.
the Executive to just fly his Intervention il
The execution of the sentence"
During an interview Gov. Flower further
said: 81 have spent much time studying
this case and have weighed carefully al
the evidence presented, and l do not set
how could arrive at any other conclu
sion."
did Mr. Raines approve of the testi
mony taken before him"
HE gave no direct opinion, but a. grea
deal of the evidence taken was stricken
out and was not considered as bearing on
the case. None of tho testimony showed
that the murdered woman took any NOR
phine except when prescribed"
1 "You did not put much stock in t..
immense amount of petitions from I'll
people"
well, no; the public was imposed upo1
in some ways, and then, too, people il
these days very often find it easy to tacl
their names on to petitions, and do /
without thinking Of the moral effect, but