Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-31
IS PRENDERGAsT CRAZYy
Something About the Previous Life Of
Mr.. Harrison's Assassin.

Mr.. Harris0n's Assassin.
Considerable has been learned in regart
| to Carter Harrison's assassin, Prendergast
Prendergast wrote several times to Corpora
| ton Counsel Kraus about the position o.
| corporation counsel Of Chicago, to which h
claimed the mayor had promised to appoin
him.
Soon after was indicted into my ONCE
last spring." said Mr.. Kraus yesterday. -
received . most peculiar postal card. Il
| was written In red ink. and at each corner
and around the sides were marked a number
OF small red crosses As nearly as can re
| member. the postal was as follows: MI
Kraus-I want to be corporation counsel
| and intend to be. What business have
you to be corporation counsel? You don''
know how to fill that position. and do not
want you to get it. This remarkable effu.
sion was signed Eugene Prendergast.'
turned it over a couple Of times, and then
sent 1t to the police.
Several weeks later I received a second
postal just like the first. It was signed by
| the same man and decorated by the same
peculiar red crosses and sang the same
| song, that I resign and let him be appointed
| corporation counsel in my place.
Two or three weeks ago was favored
| with a personal interview from my would be
successor. One afternoon / noticed an evil
, looking fellow In the waiting-room. He
| stayed there a long while-fully half an
hour, I should say. Finally got ready to
! leave. AS / was going out asked him
what he wanted. He said that he wanted
to see the corporation counsel We'll. / am
he replied. I am the man who wants to
be corporation counsel, in your place. he
| said. Don't you remember me? I am
Eugene Prendergast I have written you
about IT. I thought 1t best to humor him.
So answered: oh, yes, I remembered you
perfectly. So you want me to get out Of
here and give you CHANGER Yes he re-
piled, with an idiotic grin. Well. when do
you want me to go? l asked him. I'll go
at any time whenever you say the word
This seemed to tickle him immensely. and
he said that need not hurry myself. but
he would wait until l was ready to go. I
asked him II he was lawyer, and he said
that he was not. Well I replied, it is not
necessary whereat he smiled again IDIOT
ically. 1 also asked him If he thought
Mayor Harrison would appoint him, and he
said that he was sure the mayor would. i
left him then, saying that when got ready
to leave l would recommend him to the
mayor"
II knew Eugene Patrick Prendergast very
well" said Brother Baldwin of st. Patrick's
Academy. when I read the awful story
in the papers this morning l recognized in
Prendergast one Of our former pupils.
was not surprised that he had committed so
Infamous q .-Iime. From the first visit he
made me I saw that there was q screw
loose In his head. He would insist upon ex-
tolling Henry George and celebrating the
single tax philosophy in the tangled form
in which 1t existed in his brain. Often in
the midst Of sentence he would seem to
forget his subject, and wander of to some
other issue or scheme Of a visionary charac-
became he
never sought advice, but insisted upon CIV
ing 1t. told him several times that he must
not come about the academy and annoy me
with his fancies.
DO you think him insane?"
Il am entirely ignorant Of his career dur
ing the past two years. 1t might be possible
that his cranky notions have led to insan-
ity. As knew him he was simply a crank
and bore / did not consider him danger
Gus when he visited me-
Mrs. Ellen Prendergast. the mother Of the
assassin. was seen at her home. She had
no word Of reproach for her son. but seemed
to avoid mentioning his name In reply to
a question she said there had been insanity
in the family of her husband. One of his
brothers. she said, was confined in an in
sane asylum in Ireland, and, she thought
died in the institution. He was much older
than her husband and she little more than
q mere girl when she heard Of II. As to any
symptoms of insanity In the son. she said
she had never noticed any beyond some wild
talk he used to indulge in about Henry
George and the elevation Of tracks and
various other things
DR.. g. Laidlaw. the family physician, says
that Prende-East Is not insane. unless he
has become so very recently. He declares
that he has known him since his birth, and
that he was never weak minded or had a
days sickness in his life.
Prendergast's cell in the county fail Is the
one in which Ling, the anarchist COM
mitted suicide. DR.. Scudder was also an oc-
cupant Of the same cell when he caused his
own death by taking morphine.
He ate the meal which was served In his
cell with evident relish. and did not leave
vestige OF 1t. A cigar was given him. which
he lighted.
In front Of the assassin's cell two guards
stand constantly on watch No one Is AL
lowed inside OF the Jail except on urgent
business. and every one is closely watched.
Prendergast does not seem to be in the least
cast down. When in conversation with any
one he occasionally smiles and shows. ex-
cept on occasions, a surprising nonchaIance
He conve-ses In a quiet, but disconnected
and 1erky manner, and at times stops
abruptly, grows sullen and refuses to saw
another word. There Is nothing about his
outward appearance that denotes insanity.
Occasionally his actions betray nervous
ness.
Pcendergast was restless all Saturday
night. constantly getting I'D and living
down. He did not talk much. At one time
he came to the door and peered out through
the bars into the dimly lighted corridor.
This a very sad affair."" said the officer
to him.
Yes. it is sad" replied the murderer
but was justified in doing 1t. III come
out all right. I'll be out tomorrow"
About O'Clock he lay down once more
and this time fell asleep. But his sleep was
light and he awoke to ask for something to
eat. While waiting for food he talked freely
with his guard. As long as no questions
were asked him he would ramble along.
jumping from one thing to another without
any connection. AS soon as a question was
asked he would stop talking and walk
away. He said he was born in ireland and
came to this country when he was five
years old. He said he had a mother two
sisters and brother living in this country.
Il am not worrying" he said I'll be ont
tomorrow. 1 am justified in doing what I
did. have been trying for a long tinae to
get the railroads elevated and Harrison
promised me he would have il done He
told me before election should be cornora :
tion counsel. l worked hard for his election
because he promised this. When he went
back on his promise, 1t was my duty to xiii
him." W -
After rambling on in this strain for a
while he said:
II am a good Catholic and 90 to church
every Sunday. 1 know some good men in
the church. There are good Catholics and
PAD Catholcs. l am one Of the good ones I"
He received the regulation police station
breakfast-a cup Of coffee and third Of a
loaf of bread. He ate the bread eagerly
saying: This is mighty good bread Chica.
go does everything we'll and makes good
bread He asked for another cup of coffee
and 1t was given him.