Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-05-09
LOVE OF A MOTHER.
The Devotion of Mrs. Harris to
Her Son.
FAITHFUL AND TRUE TO THE LAST.

She Clings to Her Belief in Carlyle's limo
ceuce-An Address to the Reporters
After the Lightning Had Done It's Dread
work-YoUng Harris Last statement
N6t:LikeIy to Ever Sec the Light-Lizxie
BOrden's Case.
SING SING, n. ". May 9.-At window
in the Amber hotel Mrs. Harris, the
mother of Carlyle w. Harris. watched
watched from o'clock in the morning
for the hosting of the flag over the prison
that should tell her of the death of her
son. The looked-for but dreaded signal
appeared at little before p. M, and then
without tear but with rigid face the
mother turned from the window. Harris
was perfectly cool at the execution. which
was just little more perfect probably
than any of the almost perfect catelectriza-
tions that have preceded it, rs in every
other instance death was instantaneous.
A Statement from the Mother.
Later in the afternoon Mrs. Harris re-
ceived about twenty reporters In the parlor
at her boarding house. Mrs. Harris was
attired in black, with low cut corsage and
white lace at her throat. Standing in the
middle of the folding door Mrs Harris mo-
toned the newspaper men into semi
circle and addressed them:
GENTLEMEN: Ny boy has been killed be-
cause he was accused of murder. And
what was the principal evidence against
him? That he did not weep when his wife
died: Look in my eyes. You do not see a
tear there, do you? Not a tear his been
there yet. and who of you doubt that L
loved Carlyle2"
She Finds One Believer.
She then advised the reporters, if they
happened to get into trouble to run away,no
matter how innocent they were. Tammany
had killed her son and the money and in
fiuence of the Potts Helen's parents, but
what good did il do? Did it bring back
their daughter? She asked the reporters
if her boy died like a murderer, and con-
tinued: did not you believe him inno-
cent Look me in the eye and tell me If
you do not believe him innocent" Mrs.
Harris paused moment for a reply, and
in answer to personal inquiry one of the
reporters replied: yes. l believe he was
innocent"
Not IA Murderer, but Murdered.
Mrs Harris then continued: "Why, l
am surprised that there is not one great
response. / am ashamed of you; if you
believe him innocent of the murder pro-
claim him So Don't one of you men dare
to write about my son as murderer Har-
ris-noU murderer. but murdered Harris"
Praise for Her Dead Boy
Mrs. Harris further said that her boy
prayed to God in his last hours, and that
she had prayed with him; that in the
twenty-three years of life he had never
given her an unkind word nor disobeyed
her Helen Potts Harris had been proved
a morphine eater; had boosted that she
had been engaged four times, winding up
by secretly marrying Carlyle, while he had
solemnly assured her that he had never
asked any other woman to marry him.
(which of the two was the most innocent?
Certainly not Helen. Helen was no inno-
cent, ignorant child. a morphine eater
contracting a secret marriage which was
connived at by her mother for seven
e. months, though that mother had the mar
rage papers and knew me. l leave the
public to judge quietly between the two
as / leave them to God"