The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-12-22
PReNDERGAST'S CASE.

die to the Night ar Ills Awfui Crime.
CHICAGO, Dec l5.--Mrs. Prendergast,
mother OF the prisoner, was the first
witness for the defense after court con-
vcncd yesterday for the afternoon ses-
sion.
Questioned by Mr.. Wade ms To the his
tory of her son in detail. she answered
in hesitating tones. First came the
question Of Identification. She gave
her name. and then was asked IL she
was the mother Of the prisoner. The
little woman struggled for second
with something that was in her throat
and then firmly said: "IIe is my
child"
At the suggestion of counsel for
both sides. after she had answered u
few formal questions, the witness pro-
ceedcd to tell her story, which was in
terrupted occasionally by question
from the attorneys for the defense, in
tended TO bring out more clearly facts
that they considered to he in favor Of
the insanity theory. Her testimony
in brief was that her son. Patrick
Eugene. had been born in Ireland April
o. 1865 and that when he was
two years old she had come To
this country. The boy had been
sent to various schools attached to
Catholic churches. Ills school life be-
gan when he was and ended when he
was 10. About that time. when he
was merging from boyhood into man
hood, she saw with some CONSERVATION
that there was marked change in his
disposition and that he became re-
clusc. devoting himself 10 books and
avoiding all forms of outdoor di-
version common to boys. He OBJ
tanned book which She remem-
bercd being cntitled Easy Lessons OF
Law" and this book he studied care
fully. lie also obtained "A book writ
ten by Henry George on the singlc-tax
theory. and he became deeply inter-
estcd in that subject Later he OBJ
tanned number of books on the single
tax subject and sold them by canvass
ing. On the subject of law and upon
theories held by Henry George he was
ever ready to talk, and for want OF
some other listener he would in
sst upon discussing these questions
with his mother. Twice he went
away from home. Once when he was
quite a young man. Soon after he
left school he got the idea that he was
to die from consumption, as his father
had died. lie was at that time work
ing for the Western Union Telegraph
Co. as messenger. lie went to Santa
Fc. y. NJ, and remained there until
his money gave out. then made his way
home. arriving here looking like "a
tramp. Another time he left home.
and when he came back few months
consin. lie started a laundry Office.
which was "A failure. and then secured
employment as a newspa per circulator.
Sometimes he lived at home, but was
irregular i'm his habits.
From July last summer until about
two weeks before the murder of the
mayor he came home and slept upon
an old sofa in the basement, although
he was welcome to sleep in the room
that he had formerly occupied up
stairs. During this period the witness
did not often see her son. Once she
talked with him. and he told her that
it was his influence that had elected
Mayor Harrison and the mayor was
going TO make him corporation coun-
sci as reward for what he had done.
She told, in an apologize manner Of
her son saying 'that he would have
the Office of corporation counsel or
nothing" And that she said to him:
You are not qualified to hold that
place" And how he replied:
II know as much law as the man
who has it. or the mayor himself.
She demonstrated him. and he said:
II won't talk with you on the sub
ject."
Later, as proof of what he considered
the elegant prospect Of getting the Of
fee he sought. he told his mother that
when he last called upon MIR. Kraus
that attorney had introduced him to
all the attaches of the office. giving the
impression that he was to be the new
chief When he told this. ! put my
hand to my face and said to him.:
Eugene. You are fooling me-" lie
pulled my hand away from my face to
see IL | was laughing at him and was
very angry"
During the cross-cxamination Of Mrs.
Prendergast the state unwittingly
brought ont the fact that when "A baby
the prisoner had been seriously in
jured by falling "a distance Of four feet
and striking on his head. II was dur
ing Mr.. Trudes inquiries on this point
that the prisoner created a sensation
in court by enchanting:
"Trude, you are scoundrel to talk
70 my mother that way"
The second witness 20 take the stand
for the defense was Brother Baldwin.
Of the st. Patrick academy. who testi-
fed that he had refused Prendergast
admittance to the academy because he
thought he was crazy.
The court then adjourned for the day.