The Portland daily press., 1893-05-10

Doubt of His Guilt-The Funeral in
the Death Chamber.
ALBANY, N. Y, May 9.-The last
statement written by Carlyle W. Harris
was given out this afternoon from the
state prison department.. In it, Harris
says: "a notification has been brought
to me that Governor Flower has refused
to interfere with the execution of the
sentence of the lower court in nv case.
Evidence has come to light that my wife
was, for years before her death, addicted
to the use Tor misuse) of the drug from
an overdose of which she died. / was
sentenced to death upon the suppo-
sition that I substituted a capsule CON
tanning five grains of morphine for one
OF the harmless capsules prescribed for
her ten days before her death. It is self
evident to any one having knowledge of
medicine that no one addicted to NOR
phine could be murdered with five grains
OF that drug, because for such person
i've grains would not be fatal dose.
Upon this fact was based my motion for
re-trlal, which Recorder Smyth denied.
and later my plea for executive interfer.
ence. In recognition of this last plea. a
commissioner was appointed to inyesti
gate the credibility of the witnesses who
voluntarily offered testimony as to nv
wlte's habit. Their evidence remained
unshaken, though the prosecution pre-
sented in rebuttal what they did mot
oare produce In open court, the Witness
es,affldavits which were theImost import
ant OF those on which Recorder Smyth
denied the motion for re-trial. 1 refer
to Eunice Rockwell, Rachael Cookson.
Dr. Ireverton and DR.. Hand, who, in af-
ndavlts, foreswore the testimony given
on my trial, and Dilworth Choate.
1t was established before the govern
ors commissioner, by the testimony of
DR.. Kinmouth, DR.. Woolman, Miss Jack
son, Miss Waddell and others that nv
wife purchased morphine frequently and
foollshly used it to quiet neuralgia pain.
1t is not claimed, and never has been.
that nv wife wilfully destroyed herself.
When charges of murder were first
presented against me, L delivered myself at
once into custody, demanding an inyesti-
cation. On the goth of April last. al
though under sentence of death. / re-
fused to take advantage of free oppor-
tunity to escape. So how is it, in a case
where SO many facts and the entire be-
havior of the defendant invite executive
clemency, together with petition of
over 50,OoO citizens, among them many
prominent III national esteem, such Glenn
ency can be denied? Because the action
OF the court was not justified by the
facts in the case, hence the public outorv
must be silenced by the seeming iustifi.
cation of the court outside of the facts.
Where there was no doubt of guilt. Gov
ernor Flower has not hesitated to inter-
fere, as IN the case of James Minnaugh,
In that case the facts justified the court
and there was no Recorder Smyth clam
oring to be upheld. Carlyle Harris. liy-
ing, would be a daily menace to the
career of Smyth Wellman and others
Dead, he will be soon forgotten, and af-
fairs may go on as before.
'"There is an idea in the minds of
many that at the time of nv
wife's death, desired marriage
with some other woman. Such
a person has never been found nor does
she exist. 1t is my misfortune that I
nave been prosecuted by libel and in
nuendo through the columns of the press
rather than by means of witnesses in
court.
Il desire to express my great thanks
to those members of my jury who brave
ly declared that had they known OF the
newly found evidence at the time of nv
trial, they would have acquitted me. /
beg the witnesses who did not bring for
ward their knowledge until too late, not
to upbraid themselves. have for them
no thought of blame. To those many
friends who labored so diligently to
bring the truth to light send nv thanks.
''It is reported in the newspapers that
during my stay in Sing Sing, I scoffed at
the devotions of my follow prisoners and
INDUCED in irreverent jokes. This is
cruelty false. The governor states that
he was finally convinced of nv guilt by
the affidavits of Eunice Rockwell and
Rachel Cookson. These afidayits are
identical as to phrase, and were evidently
both dictated by the same person. 1t is
my honest belief that they were signed
unread, for on the trial Miss Cookson
gave testimony that directly conflicts
with her later affidavit. The district at
torney did not dare call either of those
witnesses before the commission and
submit their statements to cross examin.
alton.
mo one had so many reasons, all SEN
timent OF love aside, for desiring nv
brought me money and professional sue
cess, and would have graced my home.
Had known of her bad habit, it would |
have been my happiness to shield and
cure her. Now, face to face with the
greatest mystery known to man, know
ing no concealment or untruth can mi
gate my end, declare that am innocent
OF the crime for which / am condemned
to die. beg that those who think. or
speak, or write of me in years to come.
will do so as kindly as they can, not for
getting that, when much proof of nv in
nocence was found, it was inhumanly
cast aside.
CARLYLE HARRIS,
''SING SING, May 6, 1S93."
The original manuscript will be sent |
to Mrs. Harris at her Massachusetts
home by Superintendent Lathrone
There are erasures in two places. and |
Harris added postscript in pencil saw |
ing that they Were made by him.
The body of Harris arrived from Sing
Sing this afternoon and was taken to the |
Rural (Protestant cemetery followed by
a carriage, In which were Mrs. Harris
A