St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-30
DEATH TO The CRANK.
Patrick Eugene John Prem
dergast Must Hang
FOR A MURDER MOST FOUL.
Crankism Thus Receives a
Just Rebuke,
AND THE GUiTEAU MITHT0RS
Will Retire From Business
for a Time.
A JUST AND TRUE VERDICT

CHICAGO. Dec. 29.-Prendergast, the
murderer of Carter II. Harrison, will be
hanged for his CRIME. The verdict of
the jury has said it, and the people of
Chicago approve il. Ably defended as
the assassin has been, strong as has
been the evidence adduced to save his
neck from the halter, the jury has found
him sane, responsible for his act. and
demanded that he pay the highest price
for his otfense against the law. This
price, however, IS a sorry one at the
best. The value to the world of one
life such as that of Carter II. Har-
risoE would weigh down the scale
against the existence of hundred such
as Prendergast. Nothing since the
commission of his crime has so irritated
Prendergast as the comparison between
himself and Charles J. Guiteau. He
has resented it with energy and scorn as
though the assassin of Garfield was a
foul and creeping thing compared with
himself. But In the court room this
afternoon he showed that one trait ex-
listed in common between Guiteau and
himself. He proved himself an un-
manly, miserable coward; a creature
who would have life at any price. under
any conditions, anywhere, anyhow
only let 1t be life.
THE CLOSING SCENES.
Mr.. Trude resumed his argument at
the opening of court and spoke until
within few minutes of 12 o'clock. He
closed with an eloquent plea for the
conviction of the prisoner, who had, he
declared, been proved sane by the pre-
ponderance of evidence. When he fin
ished the court announced recess
until L o'clock. Court was in session
few minutes before that time. and
Judge Brentano began his charge to the
jury precisely at o'clock. As the court
commenced to read the instructions
offered by the state Prendergast buried
his face in black handkerchief, which
he held in his left hand, and never once
did he look up or move until just at the
close of the judges charge, when the
court Instructed the jury as to the form
Df their verdict. At the mention of the
word "death' the prisoner dropped his
hands for all instant. When the court
said, 'or you may sentence him to the
penitentiary for the term of his natural
life," Prendergast again twitched merry
Dusly. At 1:30 the jury retired to con-
slider the verdict. Upon the question
Df insanity, the only question at issue.
JUDGE BRENTANo SAID:
"If from all the evidence in the case
you believe beyond reasonable doubt
that the defendant committed the crime
Of which he is accused, in manner and
form as charged in the indictment, and
that at the time of the commission OF
such crime the defendant knew that il
was wrong to commit such crime, and
was mentally capable of choosing either
10 do or not to do the act or acts con.
stituting such crime and of governing
his conduct in accordance with such
choice, then it is your duty under the
law 10 find him guilty, even though you
should believe from the evidence thai
Mt the time of the commission OF the
crime he was not entirely and perfectly
sane. The court instructS the jury thai
if they believe from the evidence in the
Ease that, at the time of doing the act
charged, the prisoner was not O
sound mind, but was affected with in
sanity, and that such affection wa;
lhe efficient cause OF the act, anC
that he would not have done the
act but for that affection, then he
ought to be acquitted. But the cour
further instructs the jury that this un
soundness Of mind or affection Of
Insanity must be of such degree as tc
create all uncomfortable impulse to d.
the act charged by overriding the rea
son and Judgment and obliterating thu
sense of right and wrong as to til
particular act done and depriving th
accused OF the po wer OF
CHOOSING BETWEEN THEM"
After declaring at some length thai
The prisoner must be acquitted if be
ieved 10 be Insane, and saying tha
Insanity is legitimate defense, th
court said:
sit IS not sufficient TO warrant convic
lion of Mr.. Prendergast with the weigh
and DrepOnderance of the evidence il
favor of his sanity. Nor is it sufficien
upon the doctrine of chance it is NOR
probable that he was sane than insane
You must go further than that, ant
although the preponderance of the ties
timony may incline you to the belle
that he was sane at the time lie fires
the fatal shots. and even if there i
more testimony given to show his SAINT,
than his insanity, still if you have an,
reasonable doubt as to whether he wa
sane. the law gives him the benef
of that doubt, and your verdic
must be accordingly. If the jur,
believes from the evidence that the
defendantlwas laboring under a delu
sion that it was his duty to mankind Il
commit the deed for the benefit of man
kind and to prevent the slaughter o
individuals on account Of the railroad
track not being raised, and that he. tht
defendant, believed in his delusion a
the time Of the killing, they must acqui
him, provided you further believe from
the evidence that at the time of tn
shooting of Carter Harrison the defend
Rnt was under the impulse of such delu
sion to such an extent that it was un
sontrollable by overriding the reason