The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-21
CARLYLE HARRIS PLEA
MIXES 4REMARRABLE SPEECH
OF GREAT LENGTH.
He Excoriates His Accusers in Bitter Lan-
guage-A Touching Ine'dent-The
Sentence of Death.

the court Of general sessi )ns building as
there was this morning. Carlyle W. Har-
ris. after having exhausted every possible
means to escape the penalty for the
murder Of his wife was to De finally re-
sentenced by Recorder smyth.
Interest in the case has been phenome-
nal. II was evidenced this morning by the
crowds which surrounded the court build
ing. Extraordinary measures had been
taken by the authorities to prevent the
courtroom being crowded. The ordinary
entrances to the building were barred
hard and fast. Big notices reading
CLOSED" were put on the doors.
The only way to get into the building
was by the basement entrance, on Cham
bers street Two policemen and clerk
from the district attorneys Office were
stationed there, and no one was allowed
to pass except newspaper men who were
authenticated, and persons bearing tickets
Of admission by the district attorney
After the visitor got inside the building
he had TO run the gauntlet Of more officers
to get into part third. where Recorder
Smyth sits Notwithstanding this, the
courtroom was crowded before 10 o'clock.
A dense crowd surrounded the building on
all sides
At $3.50 Harris left the Tombs, shackled
TO Deputy Sheriff Brown. Deputy Sheriff
Burke followed closely. Brown and Burke
are the biggest men on the deputy force
They left by the Lconard-streot entrance
to the Tombs Crowds lined Centre street,
| and 10 escape them the sherifs took llar-
ris through the department Of public
works building, and rushed him across
Chambers street 20 the court.
af epHrf Harris sat down
in a remote corner closely guarded by
the deputy sheriffs.
Harris looked very pale, and sank back
I'm his chair. as If utterly exhausted Al
sharp 10 o'clock Recorder Smyth took the
bench. There was a rustic of expectancy
among the spectators. Harris leaned to-
ward and gazed intently at the recorder
Amid silence so deep tnat every sound
outside could be distinctly heard, the re-
corder said slowly; Carlyle w. Harris
to the BAR
Harris arose with start. and walked
u,.toadtlN through the rows of spectators
up to the rail IT.,
made the usual motion that the sentence
be passed. .. 49,,
There was silence for moment wheh
the district attorney sat down. Iheh 'ne
recorder. somewhat huskily' sain' 'ar-
lyle W. Harris have you anytnlns 10 att
| why the sentence or the court sho"'" "''
be passed upon you2'
Harris leaned both hands on the ra'|
! bent forward. and began TO speak In tones
| eo inaudible that the deputies that $1,000
cloee beside him on each side could NOT
! near what he said. and leaned the"
| heads 10 catch the words. There was "
slight buzz Of whispering among ,he
| ,ators. Recorder Smyth's voice this ullu'
/ tNN''t'- fufqrTuIfai Has
LET every whisper cease ne nun
/ dared .orhs man or woman VINO SPEAKS
or u,hispers will be elected. rms Is 700
/ solemn a matter for chatterlnS'
rho courtroom was again as quiet as
,ossibie. Harris began again. JUS. 'n'"
| tho officers opened The door 10 let III TWO
women. The door creakec and the WOO
mems skirts rustled' IN,
Let no one man, woman or Cnn''
whoever he or she may De- enter OF 70
this COURTROOM thundcred 'he re0o'
| The door was closed carefully. thr'e
| oaicers GOOD against II. The women
ebr,nk behind a group Of men clustered
around the door.
Harris began again. The scene was ora
rootic m the extreme. Harris leaned ms
LEFT hand on the rail and slightly s"aye'
a. he smoke. with effective gestures be
waved his right arm but although the spec
tators kept absolutely silent and craned
/ their necks 10 hear, not one could eaten
a syllable OF what the prisoner was say
! ing. for Just fve minutes that he talked.
Judge MARITIME sat on the bench along
eide OF Recorder Smyth. Although he
leaned back in his chair negligenty ne
never once took his eyes of Harris
Tho recorders attitude was marked by
Anrighf times
even leaned forward. and with his LETT
hand behind his ear seemed 70 be striv-
ing painfully 10 hear what Harris said.
He looked straight into Harris eyes.
District Attorney Nicoll was surrounded
by hiS entire staft Of assistants. Nearly
all his clerks were also in the courtroom.
Superintendent Byrnes was marked fig
ure. He stood within the rail- and, like
everybo else, listened with strained at
tention.
Mrs. Harris. Caryle's mother. was not
10 be seen. 1t was said that she had been
persuaded to stay away by Harris him.
self who feared that the scene would b.
too much for her.
Among the spectators was Mr.. Potts,
the father OF the girl whom Harris mar
rieG and murdered lie sat well back and
seemed to try to avoid appearing con-
spicuOus.
Harris was evidently very weak. lie
swayed backward and forward as he
spoke. and at times seemed 10 save him
self from falling by clutching cOnvuisive-
~ at the rail. After the first ten minutes
ne grew stronger. and his voice could he
heard by those in the immediate vicinity.
The spectators could only gather that
Harris was speaking OF the afidavits
which was presented by the defense ON
the motion for a new trial.
The first time that Harris accents rang
out strong and clear was when he spoke
OF Dilworth Cheate. With a sudden
ness that startled every one came the
words There Is one man for whom /
have been looking around this court room
and | do not see him. He is Dilworth
Choate, Dilworth Choate."
He repeated the name with such in
tense scorn and bitterness that shudder
ran around the court room.
"Diiworth Choate," continued Harris,
"Dilworth Choate. sneak and perjurer.
newspaper outcast-the district attorneys
tool"
Harris continued 10 excoriate Choate.
but his voice fell II was this way
all through Harris most remarkable
speech. For moments at times his voice
was so low that no one could hear. Then
he would burst forth with some dramatic
exclamation that penetrated 10 the furth-
est recesses OF the court room.
Then for few minutes all could hear
distinctly all he said During these
periods Harris seemed strong and yigor-
Gus. He stood unsupported and talked
easily and distinctly. Then as suddenly
as before his voice would sink 10 a husky