The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-05-09
A MOTHERS LOVE,

There was very impressive scene at
the Amber House in tho afternoon
when Mrs. Harris saw the reporters.
1t was a fewminutes after three o'clock.
This remarkable woman had endured,
not only tho grief ola mother losing her
first born, but had suffered lhn agony
OF having her sou, whom she believed
innocent, branded aa murderer and
killed by tho state, and yet she stood
there calm and passive, waiting for the
score OF newspaper mon to enter.
Then facing them with dry eyes and
firm voice she said:
"Ithas been said that Carlyle Harris
was guilty because he shed no tears
when Helen Potts died, Ished no tears
now, and God knows | loved Carl Har-
ris.
My boy was innocent You men
who saw him die know thar he went to
the chair an innocent man, With his
last words he declared his innocence,
and yet he has been killed. He hus
been judlcially murdered. His last
statement was 10 have been given to me
as soon us no was dead and have not
received it yet. l don't think shall
ever $50 it, ut least notas my boy wrote
1t was my boys last wish that 1t be
given out to-day, but am powcrless to
carry it out"
Mrs. Harris'then gave out statement
for publication in part as follows:
Though an innocent boy has been ju.
dicially murdered, can praise him for
even this last ordeal. AS soon as saw
my boy, ! felt he had grown spiritual
ly. He made no professions Of conver-
sion, but very quietly told mehe prayed
10 God, had asked His forgiveness, and
uhough not sure OF Immortality
trusted in God for the future. There
was no confession OF the crimo for
which he was charged-how could
there be? He felt very deeply
the disgrace his execution brought
upon us, but l told him l
thanked God was Carlyle Harris
mother and | could say what few moth
ers can say. that in his twenty-throe
years OF life he had not given me one
unkind word or ever disobeyed an ex.
pressed command. We agreed that
Gods way must be best. A last word
OF thanks TO the hundreds who have
felt for and believed in Carl. l know
no friend who has not proved himself
Carls friend. My last word would be Il
testimony to Gods great goodness in
proving my boys innocence beyond
reasonable doubt and IN sustaining us
IN this hour OF trial."
TIE ALLEGED CRIME.
The recent proceedings in tho case OF
Carlyle W. Harris have made the pub
lie familiar with the crime for which he
paid the death penalty to-day.
When nineteen years old Harris bc.
gan to study medicine, and spent the
school year OF lSSS.S0 in the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons. In 1889 he
went to live ut Ocean Grove, N. j., with
his mother, and there met Mary Helen
Potts, aged eighteen years, to whom he
was secretly married February II, $780,
Harris is alleged to have become tired
OF his young wife, and, on January 20,
1901, Harris gave her four pills for the
headache, telling her to take one each
night. Tho pills contained morphine
and made herworse, buthe mother said
that Carlyle know what was best for
her and tho girl took the fourth pill on
the night OF January 81, and died the
next morning. The apparent prepara-
tions Harris had made to clear himself
OF suspicion, the refusal to allow the
girl to be buried under his name and
the conflicting stories ho told caused
suspicion to be directed toward himself.
He was indicted on May 13, 1901,
brought to trial on January II,
1892, and three weeks later the
Jury found him guilty of murder in the
Grst degree. Hon. George Ratnes, OF
Rochester, was appointed commits
sioner by the governor, to hear the new
testimony on which Recorder smyth
had denied now trial. Commissioner
Raines reported that there was no testi-
mony to show that Miss Potts was q con-
frmed morphine eater, and on this re.
port tho governor declined to extend
clemenCy to Harris.