The record-union., 1893-10-30
DETAILS OF THE MURDER.
Mayor Harrison Shot Down Without
Word Of Warming.

Mayor Harrison Shot Down Without a
Word of Warming.
CHICAGO, Oct. 29.-Carter II. Harrison,
Mayor of Chicago, was assassinated last
night at his home, 231 Ashland boule-
ward. The murder was committed by
Eugene Patrick Prendergast, a paper
carrier, who has declared that Mayor
Harrison had promised to make him Cor
poration Counsel and had not kept his
word This, he said, was his only reason
Tor committing the crime. The shooting
took place at o'clock. Mayor Harrison
died at ST O'Clock. The murderer gave
himself up at the Desplaines street sta
ti,4 a lew minutes after the shooting.
The only person in the house at the
time of the shooting besides Mr.. Harrison
was his son, William Preston Harrison.
aged %, and the household servants.
Mayor Harrison had been at the fair
nearly all day. He returned to his home
about ) o'clock. Dinner was served at 6
o'clock, and after dining Mr. Harrison
went into back room to lie down upon
q couch, saying be would take a rest.
Shortly after s o'clock a ring came at the
front doorbell. Mary Hansen, the maid
who answered it, found waiting there a
small-siZed man with wiZened, smooth
shaven face. In answer TO his question
he was told the Mayor was at home. He
then gave his name as Prendergast, and
said he had particular business with Mr..
Harrison.
Harrison was in the dining-room,
which opened into the rear of the hall
Hearing the man ask for him he stepped
into the hall and walked toward Prender-
CAST. Without saying word Prender-
past drew a revolver and commenced fir
Inc. He pulled the trigger but three
times, aud every bullet hit the mark.
One shattered Harrlson'S left hand, an
other passed into the lower right side of
the abdomen, making a wound that
would have been mortal within a few
davs: third entered the chest slightly
above the heart and 1t was this wound
that was the immediate cause of death.
AS soon as Prendergast began firing
Harrison turned and walked rapidly
toward the dining-room. He passed
through the room into the buffers pan
try, where, weakened by loss of blood
be fell to the floor.
Prendergast did not follow up his vic
tim, but replaced his revolver in his
nocket with the same deliberation that
marked all his actions and started toward
the door. Just as he was passing out,
William Preston Harrison came tearing
down stairs, and the cOachman ran 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 a revolver of
his own. and as quickly as he realized
what had occurred, he sent a bullet after
the disappearing form OF the murderer.
A second time he fired. but both bullets
went wild.
Running to the door the coachman pre-
pared to continue hostilities, but several
people were entering to learn the cause
of the shooting, and by the time the
coachman reached the sidewalk the assas-
sin had disappeared.
Across Ashland boulevard, directly
opposite the Harrison residence, is the
home of w. J. Chambers, a wealthy
maker of mining machinery. Chalmers
was standing upon the front steps OF his
residence when the shots were fired. lie
dashed across the street and met Prender-
gast at the gate.
''W hat is it?" said Chalmers.
The man walked rapidly away without
replying, and Chalmers fastened into the
house and reached Harrison almost at the
same moment when William Preston
Harrison found where his father lay.
Are you hurt?" asked Chalmers as he
and the son Of the dying man strove to
raise him.
i nave got my death, ChaImerS,' re-
sponded the Mayor. Pm shot in the
heart; Pm dead man,
A moment later Harrison said. with
voice rapidly losing its strength, "Unbut-
ton my vest; there's where the trouble
is"
By this time the stricken man had been
horne to couch in an adjoining room,
and as he spoke Chalmers gently opened
his waistcoat. The front of the linen
shirt was soaked in blood, which welled
ranidlv from the wound.
@Ips through the heart" the Mayor
said again.
His voice was now scarcely above
wbisper. A moment later he sank into
unconsciousness and twenty minutes af-
ter receiving the wound Mr.. Harrison
was dead.
When young Harrison came down
stairs and learned the cause OF the shoot
ing he turned in the burglar alarm and,
even before he reached his fathers side,
a patrol wagon filled with officers from
the Iake-street station, was dashing to-
ward the Mayors house. By the time
the officers had arrived all traces OF the