Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-11-03
Assassination of the Mayor Of Chicago.

The people of Chicago were appalled, and
this Nation was startled by the assassina-
ton OF Carter II. Harrison, Mayor of Chi
cago, last Saturday evening, by crank
named Prendergsst who claims that the
deed was done in revenge for not being
appointed to office.
Prendergast called at Harrison's home
about P NJ. of Saturday, asked for the
Mayor who at that time was lying asleep
on lounge, and when the Mayor came to
tie door he fired four bullets into his body.
Harrison died about twenty minutes
after, and Prendergast went to police
station, acknowledged his crime and gave
himself up.
Carter Henry Harrison was born Febru-
ary 15, 1925, in Fayette county, Kentucky.
| His father inherited tract of land and
an uncut forest and on this tract he erect
ed one-room log house, in which Chicago's
late mayor was born, At the age of 10
Carter II. Harrison was sent to school to
DR.. Lewis Marshall brother of the late
chief Justice and father Of the celebrated
Kentucky orator, Thomas Marshall. He
entered as a sophomore at Yale college
| two years later, in 1912, and graduated in
the class of 1845 at the age of 20.
He then began his career as traveller
going over the continent of Europe, thence
| into Egypt and thence with Bayard Taylor
through Syria and Asia Minor. He returned
| to his native country in 1853 and finished
| his legal education at Transylvania law
school, Lexinton, KY, where be graduated
| in the spring of 1855. Mr.. Harrison was
married in April of the same year to Miss
| Sophonisda Preston of Henderson, Ky,
and went to Chicago on bridal tour. He
was very much pleased with the outlook OF
| the town on the lake, and invested all his
available cash in real estate there. Twelve
| days later he hung out his single as
| lawyer and a real estate dealer.
Mr. Harrison's FIRST appearance in politics
was in 1871, Just after the great tlre, when
he was elected county commissioner on a
mixed ticket He as nominated tor con-
gress by the Democrats in 1872, but was
defeated by 3, 309 votes by /. d. Wood.
He ran again for congress two years later
and was elected by majority of votes
over Wood He became member OF the
Forty fourth congress from the Second,
now Third, Illinois district in March, 1879
He was again sent 70 congress in 1876 and
IN April 1879, he was elected Democratic
mayor of Chicago He was nominated for
governor in July, 1884, but was defeated.
His subsequent candidacy for the office of
Uuited States senator also proved unsuc
cessful.
One of the acts which established his
record as an economist was the defeat of
the proposition 10 pay an abstract trm
$3.50, 900 for abstract books and records
after the fire.
At about this time Chicago's mayor had
entirely overcome his early ditfidence and
was fast earning laurels as an orator. His
oratory was of the spread eagle" sort, and
Garter and his eagle soon became house |
hold words in Chicago.
At the expiration of Mr.. Harrison's term |
as mayor in 1856 he started out again for |
an extended tour of the world and remained |
abroad nearly year Upon his return to
Chicago he was reeeived with public dem |
onstrations and escorted TO his home at |
he head of great civic parade.
Mr. Harrison ran as an Independent |
Democratic candidate for mayor in 1891, |
but was defeated by Hampstead Wash |
burne. At the beginning of the present |
year he again became candidate for |
mayor OF the regular Democratic ticket. |
His opponent on the Republican side. |
Samuel W. Atherton, a wealthy pork |
packer, had almost the entire support OF |
the Chicago press, but, for second time |
Carter Harrison overcame all opposition, |
anu OA pm VI eho PANSoAS
elected mayor by majority OF 2O,OO0.
His election created the most intense |
excitement in Chicago.
Mayor Harrison was mighty talker. |
He talked his way into trouble and out OF
it again with equal facility. Personal
vanity was one of his ruling characteristics, |
but behind all his yerbosity and seeming |
superfcialties there was sturdy horse sense.
He was hard and constant worker.
Mr.. Harrison was ambitious TO be the
Worlds Fair mayor of Chicago. He pur-
chased the Chicago Times in September,
1891, which had been through several trials
after the death of its founder, Wilbur L.
Story Placing his two sons in charge be
started on a journalistic career. Mr.. Har-
rison always declared that he would have
nothing to do with the management or
policy of the paper. He said he had just
purchased it for his "boys," but little |
matters of policy began to peep out which
indicated that Mr.. Harrison was at the |
helm.
The most sensational features of the
Times was its broadside attack on the
gambling element. 1t had failed to sup
port Mr.. Harrison in 1891, The affairs OF
Mr. Harrison were skillfully looked after
in the paper.
THE Moors have been whipping the
Spaniards in northern Africa. One Span
ish general was killed last week.