The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-30
PRENDERGAST'S DOOM.
Mayor Harrison's Murderer Must
Die for His Crime.
MET THE VERDICT LIKE A COWARD.

MET THE VERDICT LIKE A COWARD.
A. tho Words Were Pronounced That
Consigned Him to the Galiows He Would
Have Fallen to the Floor but for the
Assistance Of n Bailin.
CHICAGO, Dec. 3o.-Prendergast, the
murderer OF Carter H. Harrison, will be
hanged for his crime. The verdict Of the
jury has said It, and the people of Chicago
approve 1t. Ably defended as the assassin
has been. strong as has been the evidence
adduced to save his neck from the halter,
the jury has found him sane, responsible
for his act, and demanded that he pay the
highest price for his offense against the
law. This price, however, is sorry one
at the best The value TO the world of one
life such as that Of Carter II. Harrisoo
would weigh down the scale against the
existence of a hundred such as Prender.
CAST
Nothing since the commission of his
crime has so irritated Prendergast as the
comparison between himself and Charles
]. Guiteau. He resented It with energy
and scorn, as though the assassin of Gar
field was foul and creeping thing COM
pared with himself. But In the court
room yesterday afternoon he showed that
one trait existed In common between
Guiteau and himself He proved himself
an unmanly, miserable coward.
Mr.. Trude resumed his argument at the
opening Of court and spoke until within q
few minutes Of 12 o'clock. He closed with
an eloquent plea for the conviction of the
prisoner who had, he declared, been
proven sane by the preponderance of evi.
I dence. When he finished the court an.
nounced recess until o'clock, Court
was in session few minutes before that
time, and Judge Brentano began his
charge TO the Jury precisely at o'clock.
/ Upon the question of insanity, the only
question at issue, Judge Brentano said in
part:
] III from all the evidence in the case you
believe the defendant knew that it was
I wrong to commit such crime and was
mentally capable of choosing either to dc
or not to do the act or acts constituting
such crime and of governing his conduct
in accordance with such choice then it Is
your duty under the law to find him
D guilty, even though you should believe
I from the evidence that at the time of the
i com mission of the crime he was not en-
tirely and perfectly sane.
/ IF the jury believe from the evidence
|, that the defendant was laboring under
delusion, that 1t was his duty to mankind
: to commit the deed for the benefit of man
kind, and to prevent the slaughter of in
ldividuals on account OF the railroad track
and that he believed in his deluslon at tn,
time of the killing, then you must acqui
5 him, provided you further believe from
the evidence that at the time Of the shoot
i ing of Carter Harrison the defendant wa
) under the impulse Of such delusion I,
such an extent that 1t was uncontrolabl,
4 by over riding the reason and judgment. ,
D The balance Of the charge was on tn
points OF law and evidence.
, Twenty-Five minutes were consumed il
J. delivering the charge and then the judg
snid: Gentlemen, you may retire to con
n slider your verdict
d Leaving the court room at 1:27, ther,
y was nothing heard from the jury until ex
actly an hour had elapsed. Then the jur.
I filed into the room and took their places
Judge Brentano came from his room ant
n took his seat on the bench, and stimuli
taneously the prisoner was led in.
As Prendergast took his seat the judg
4 said:
y Have you agreed upon verdict'"
eral of them answered, Eyes sir" Juro
n Jacob Suffer had been chosen foreman
and In his hand he held sheet of paper
,. Hand your verdict to the clerk to
= read, !" said the Judge. Mr.. Suffer wake
Ito where Clerk Fitzgerald stood besid
5 his desk and handed him the document
When Clerk Fitzgerald arose to rea
70 the finding of the jury the prisoner stoo
e Iclutching the back Of chair, cycling hiI
n with the pspst intense eagerness. Hi
ie long, bony fingers nervously clasped an
unclasped the back of the chair, his knee
violently, his face was flushed
E and his spiteful looking mouth opene
m and closed as though he would say SOM
C thing, but lacked the power TO speak. NJ
II FitEgerald's voice was clear and calm q
o he read:
1--WE. the Jury, find the defendant, Pa
rick Eugene John Prendergast, guilty {
@ murder in manner and form as charged
lSelthe indictment, and fix the penalty q
~ death"
Then Prendergast proved himself til
utter coward. His face turned pal,
. he opened his mouth to speak, but only
faint murmer came from between hi
a, hot and quiviring lips. He moved slight
= and would have fallen to the floor but Il
b the assistance Of bailif. When the ju,
y y was polled he listened with ayidity
lr each and every answer to Judge Brel
D.. tano's question: WAS this, and is tn
!" your verdict"
= ut is" said Foreman Jacob Suffer, ar
os, at is" repeated ever, other juror, al
o, %, then hope and the last vestige of coural
be faded utterly in Prondergast's breast /
,p. was half led, half carried, back to his CO
where, refusing to speak, he threw hiI
he self upon his bunk in the attempt to hit
he from his fellow prisoners whose expire
~ sions Of satisfaction over the verdict we
On more emphatic than graceful and mo
sincere than polite
Before the adjournment of court NJ
= Wade made the usual application for
new trial, but the Judge announced tn
,Slhe would hear q motion to that effect at
ia, future date.
ne Today Prendergast was given cell
OF murderer's row, and has for his neare
~ ~ neighbors Painter and Higgins, two mi
under sentence Of death for murder. n
:. death watch will be necessarily mai
. tanned at his cell door, three bailiffs alt,
mating In turns Of eight hours each. as
special guard against attempted suiei
or escape.
ira Ohio Miners May Strike.
ng BRLLAIRE, o., Dec, Bo.-The operators
tkl- % II. L. -