New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-08
LIVING HIS LAST HOURS.
CARLYLE W. HARRIS WILL LEAVE A
WRITTEN STATEMENT
he Is As COOL AND COLLECTED AS EVER. AND
HAS SAID GOODBY TO HIS PARENTS AND
D3oruER-THE DEATH WARRANT
READ TO HIM.
by TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUyE.1

orFHiS NdIlAIe w. Haffl-, DctOfc midday lO-uOr-
row, VIII have paid the legal penalty for the
crime Of which he was convicted the murder Of
his girl wife. Everything is in readiness for
the execution, which will probably take place
between II and II o'clock in the forenoon
There is NJ probability that the Governor will
grant Harris a rcpricvc. Neither Harris nor his
friends want it. On the other hand the moment
the Governor issued his decision on the appeal all
Of those who have been interested in the fight for
the young mans life gave it up. and it was
their determination, it was his that the sooner
the execution over the better il would be
for all concerned. More interest is attached 10
this execution than there was to the first one
under the present method There are more peo-
pie in Sing Sing than there were in Auburn
when krmmler went to the death chair, and all
are anxious to learn the latest news from the
death cell where Harris is now waiting for the
order TO 90 to the death chamber.
The long fight in the kcnmlcr case was not
one for a life, for one cared anything
for the drunken pcdder who chopped lis wife
to pieces with AN axe Then ii was the bat
tic of rich corporation against a State In
this case il has been the fight of bold,
brilliant. educated man for his life, and his
fight has won for him many people who be-
leve that he is guilty of the crime for which
he is to suffer. but who would have been willing To
him cacapc the legal penalty.
Fer mar who knows that his hours are few,
Harris has spent most remarkable day. Neither
priest nor minister has attended him. 1hs was
at his request Chaplain Wells of tho prison,
went 10 his cell early this morning and asked
him if there was anything that he could do for
him. Harris received him with all the courtesy
and suayity which have marked his actions for
81. ,f-.li
his kindness. but told him. AMI told him in terms
that could not be- mistaken, that wien he wanted
him he would send for him. Tho minister
turned away more shocked than surprised. Only
once before had the offers of at least some minis
ter or priest been rejected 10y man 80 near to
death. and that was when ,usra tho japanese
sailor who was executed NJ .hs prison with thrr"
o,her murIcrcrs the first week in Juy 1891,
cfused the ATTENDANCE of minister OF priest.
Lut the d" Jap" was an agnostic
Harris worked hard all day statement fiat
be has lccn Preparing to be mad" public after
his death Neither the Warden nor any Of the
keepers seem 10 know what his wishes are in re-
latidn 10 IT, soon after h" learned that the Gov
ernor had refused TO interfere l." asked for "A lot
of note paper and pen and ink and h" has been
working over since This statement is supposed TO
ic q complete history Of the crime. and il has
been hintcd that II might contain startling adj
mission, if not confession. When or how it
j. To be made public one knows.
Tho only interruption that Harris mad to-day
70 his work on the statement short
visit from h- father lie reached the prison about
o'clock This afternoon, and was with his
for ten minutes only. Allan Harris. the
Younger brother. WIS with hi~ father. but he did
not 90 near the death cell Harris bade his
mother and his brother coodby yesterday after
noon. and asked them not TO come again, it
mi-i,t unncryc him.
He Al pear anxious. above all things. 70 pre-
serve that outward appearance of camneSs when
The real fest comes that has marked his conduct
since hc went 10 the Distrct-ittorncy's Office in
New York and offered 10 give himself up
Mr.. Harris was not allowed 10 20 near his son
\ guard sat between them As the last words were
spoken. The father yas plainly the most affected
Of the two. and when he left thr prison to take
train back to his home in Syracuse he acted ~
though ten years had been added to his life
instead of as many minutes Harris kept to his
work and his cigarette steadily throughout the
day, disturbed only by the visit Of his father and
his meals He ate in an absent minded way a.
though il duty that hr hal 10 perform, and
wanted il performed IA quickly ~ possible. He
ate all that the guards brought to him, but ate
hurrcdly, and turned to his work the instant
that he finished.
At q o'clock this cvoning the last death
watch went on duty. Harris of course knew
that the death week began at midnight, and he
suspected that there would be little delay after
that time before he would be called TO the
electric chair. H. said few words 10 them. and
turned Ia his work. About o'clock he
pctcd his statement. threw down his pen, put
cigarcttc'i in his mouth and asked for IA light.
lie was cool and collected. After he hal taken
a few puiis he said that he was tired and
wanted 10 go 10 bed
Whlr he was undressing. Warden Durston came
in and spoke TO him. The warden stayed but IA
minute, TO see that everything was all right
IIarri, must have made some sudden request OF
him, or the warden may have found something
wrong, for he hurried 10 the main office ana
tclcphoncd for Dr. Irvine the prison doctor and
Chaplain Wells to come to the prison at once.
Keepers were sent ont in hurry TO find car
riaec TO bring them there In about fifteen
minutes carriage came rushing down to tn"
prison. The chaplain and the warden went into
the Office, where they had long consultation.
Neither the chaplain nor the doctor went further
into the prison. DR.. Irvine examined Harris at
II o'clock this morning. aud found him to be in
taken every possible precaution to that Eothing
got to him with which he could do himself any
injury An extra guard was pu; the death
cells late tonight and the warden arranged tnat
there should be unexpected visits of keepers to
this portion of the prison throughout the night.
\ few minutes before midnight Warden Durston
went 10 Harris's cell to read the death warrant
TO him. Harris was asleep, bat he got up from
his cot and listened To the reading attentiveiy
He said nothing at It's competition and Immediately
went back 10 his cot and went 10 sleep.
There has been some talk around the prison 10
the effect that Harris would try TO make spe'ch
in the execution room tomorrow. Nari"h ours
ton will probably not permit this lie sad To-
night thar he would follow III" same rule that has
been observed heretofore. That means that within
thirty seconds after Harris steps into the death
chamber the current will b" turned on:
Iiarris's brother, Allan, to-day informed the
warden that the body would be claimed by the
famiM 1t will probably De buried at East North,
field Mass. local undertaken has been employed
to take charge Of il.
all day buf did mot