Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-11-04
AWFUL TRAGEDY.
The Mayor Of Chicago Assassin
ated by a Crank.
xAe Deed Committed at Mayor Harrison's
Residence Tho Murderrr Claimed
That He Had Not Received
Promised once.


Chicago, and one of the best known
men in the west, lies dead in his home,
DBL South Ashland boulevard. Three
bullets entered his body, two of them
making wounds sufficient to cause
death.
The murder was committed by Pat
rick Eugene Prendergast, a paper car
rier, who declared that Mayor Harri-
son had promised to make him corpor-
alton counsel and had not kept his
word. This, he said, was his only rea-
son for committing the crime.
The only person in the house Mt the
time beside Mr.. Harrison was his son,
William Preston Harrison, 25 years OF
age, and the servants.
Shortly before o'clock the doorbell
rang, and when Mary Hansen. the do
nestle, opened the door she was con-
fronted by a man about feet inches,
smooth shaved, his rather clean-cut
features lit up by pair of dark eyes.
rs Mr.. Harrison IMP" asked the man
in quiet, pleasant voice.
Yes sir" responded the girl, rs she
threw the door wider open to permit
his entrance.
~ would like to see him, please"
said the man us he walked toward the
back end of the hall.
Mr.. Harrison was in the dining room
which opens into the rear end of the
hall Hearing the man ask for him he
rose and stepped into the hallway and
walked toward Prendergast, who by
the time he caught sight of Mr.. Harri-
son had advanced about ten feet from
the doorway.
Without saying a word, Prendergast
drew his revolver and commenced to
fire. He pulled the trigger but three
times and every bullet hit the mark.
One ball shattered Mr.. Harrison's left
hand, another passed into the lower
right side of the abdomen, making n
wound that would have been mortal
within few days, and the third bullet
entered the chest, slightly above the
heart. This bullet was the immediate
cause of death
As soon as Prendergast began to fire
Mr.. Harrison turned and walked rapid.
ly toward the dining room. He walked
through the door, across the dining
room and passed into buffers pantry
opening off the room, where, weakened
by loss of blood, he fell to the floor.
Prcndergast did not follow up his
victim or make any attempt to ascer-
tain how deadly his aim had been. He
replaced his revolver in his pocket with
the same delibcration that had marked
all of his actions and started toward
the door. Just as he was passing
through the doorway William Preston
Harrison, the mayors son, came tear
ing down stairs from the upper portion
of the house just as Mr.. Harrison's
coachman run into the rear end of the
hall
The cries of Mary Hansen directed
the son to where his father lay, but the
coachman was after other game. He
had revolver of his own, and as quick
~ as he realized what had occurred he
leveled his weapon and sent bullet
after the disappearing form of the mur-
derer. A second time his revolver
spoke, but both bullets went wild.
Running to the door the coachman was
prepared to continue hostilities, but
several people were entering to learn
the cause of the shooting, and by the
time the coachman had reached the
sidewalk Prendergast had been swal-
lowed up in the darkness.
Across Ashland boulevard, directly
opposite the residence of Mr.. Harrison,
is the home of w. j. Chalmers, the
wealthy maker of mining machinery.
Mr.. Chalmers was standing upon the
front steps of his residence when the
shots were fired. He bounded down
the steps and dashed across the street.
met Prendergast almost out of the
gate.
'What is ito" said Mr.. Chalmers.
The man walked rapidly north ON
Ashland avenue without replying and
Mr.. Chalmers FASTENED into the house.
He reached Mr. Harrison's side almost at
the same instant that William Preston
Harrison had found where his father
lay.
Are you hurt?" asked Mr.. Chalmers,
as he and the son of the dying man
strove to raise him.
1--WE got my death, Chalmers" re.
sponded the mayor.
Noticing spot of blood on the may
6r's waistcoat, Mr.. Chalmers said: Il
guess not"
I'm shot in the heart and I'm a
dead man, was the only reply.
A moment later he said with a voice
which was rapidly losing strength:
''Unbutton my vest, Chalmers, there's
where the trouble is"
BY this time the stricken man had
been borne TO couch in an adjoining
room, and as quickly as he spoke Mr..
Chalmers gently opened his waistcoat
The front of his shirt was soaked In
blood, which welled rapidly from two
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