The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-10

his mother and brother became ac-
quainted with the Potts family. Carlyle
Harris and Mary Helen Potts spent most
OF that summer in each others company.
lie came back TO New York in the fall
to resume his medical studies. The Potts
family came TO live here too. The young
folks continued TO meet. and Mrs Potts
spoke to Harris. lie secuted the idea
that there was anything more between
him and Mary Helen Potts than friend
ship. A few DAYS later, however, he
called on the girls mother and asked her
TO consent to his engagement TO the
daughter. She absolutely refused to give
her consent until he had finished his
studies.
The secret Marriage.
That was shortly before Feb. IL, 1890.
On Feb. II NJ cCready Harris. the younger
brother of Carlyle. asked Mary Helen
Potts to 90 and see the stock exchange.
Carly 10 called for her and the three went
10 tho city hal. where Harris and the
girl were secretly married by Alderman
RinkhoM. Neither of them gave right
names for that marriage and il was kept a
secret. Within few weeks Harris began
10 uNOlu MS ElTl-Wlld anu hllt DeEhu W
grieve about il. In May the Pottes went
to live at Ocean Grove. Miss May Scho-
field, school-friend of Helen's,
was visiting there. The girl wife was in
delicate condition. Harris would not per-
NIT her to make known her marriage. cay
ing that II IL Was done his grandfather
would disinherit him. He proposed an
operation to conceal her condition from
the world. She would consent only on
condition that May Schofeld know about
her marriage, so that if she should die
her honor would be protected. Harris
took Miss Schofeld for walk and told her.
That night he performed the operation
upon his wife.
Mary Helen Potts then went to visit DIR.
Traverton, her uncle at Scranton, Pa. The
doctor soon discovered her condition.
Harris was made to confess that he had
performed not one but two operations
upon his wife. He denied the marriage.
though. Helen confessed all to her
mother. All this time, it developed upon
the trial, Harris was having an affair,
which had q disgraceful termination,
with a depraved woman whom he was
meeting at Canandigua. y. y, under an
assumed name.
The Fatal Medicine.
After Miss Potts got we'll her mother in
sisted that Harris should marry her pub
licly. Harris promised that ne would.
He kept putting the marriage off and
finally induced the mother to send Helen
to the COmstOck school. The mother kept
insisting on the marriage and on Jan. 20,
1891, Harris wrote her that all her wishes
should be complied with. The young
wife had been complaining OF headache.
On Jan. 20 Harris got a prescription for
six capsules. each TO contain one-sixth OF a
grain OF morphine and four and one-half
grains of quinine. He gave her four of
the six pills, telling her to take one each
night. The other two pills he kept. Then
he went to Old Point Comfort. The girl
took three OF the pills. She complained
that they made her feel worse. She told
her mother that she had good mind TO
throw the fourth one way. Her mother
advised her 10 take il, saying thsg CARLYLE
knew what was best for her. Ii she hsd
rot taken that pill she probably would
have been alive today. She took il Just
before retiring on the night of Jan. 81 1891.
She awoke In a partial coma and said to
her schoolmates that she had had beRuti-
ful dreams. She had dreamed that Car
lysle was with her Soon she began to
LAOhH anu WAS unconscious.
DR.. Fowler and DIR. Bauer were called
to attend her She died the following
morning. Harris was sent for. He seemed
To care little for his wife's death, but kept
insisting that the medicine he had
given her was al right. lie was told to
90 to the drug store and find out. The
evidence showed that he did not go near
the store, although he returned 10 say that
he had been there.
SING SING, y. Y. May SIT was a
peaceful. beautiful day. This day of Car
lyle Harris expiation; this day the law
had fixed for intiicting penalty meant to
punish and prevent murder. and to pro-
tect society from the murderer. And
with this fearful vengeance but short
breath away he proclaimed his innocence
and the injustice OF the laws judgment.
The Last Hours.
Contrary to the usual custom here, the
death warrant was not read by the warden
at midnight. The doomed man had been
told. however. when the end would come.
He retired early last night, and, though
he showed no signs of breaking down, he
was more nervous and excitable than
usua. Principal Keeper Connaughton
said this morning that Harris rested we'll.
He did not sleep much and what thoughts
racked his brain no one will ever know.
His self-con;rol was marvellous His only
sign of agitation was the constant smok-
ing of cigarettes. He was up early this
morning He looked over the manu-
scripts which he had prepared to be given
out to the press by his relatives after the
final scene of his dramatic life had
ended and the curtain had been rung
down. at S o'clock Harris ate a light
breakfast. He was cool and collected and
appeared to be capable of going through
the ordeal which awaited him. At 500
o'clock Warden Durston and Mrs. Durs-
ton arrived from the hotel where they had
breskfasted. Mrs. Durston and her son
went away from the prison few min
utes later and did not return until all was
over.
The Apparatus Tested.
Electrician Davis. accompanied by the
warden and witnesses who had arrived,
proceeded to the execution room, where
the final test OF the death-dealing appara-