The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-02
FIVE TIMES MAYOR OF CHICAGO
Mr.. Harrison Was Of Illustrious Lineage
and Was One Of the Best Known
and Most Popular Men in the
United Statss-The Mur-
derer Surrenders.

crank has done his deadly work and
Carter 81. Harrison, five times mayor
ofChicago and one of the best known
men in the West, lies dead in his
home, 231 South Ashland boulevard.
Three bullets entered his body, two
making wounds sufficient to cause
death. The murder was committed
by Eugene Patrick Prendergast, a
paper carrier, who declared that Har-
rison promised to make him corpora.
tion counsel and had not kept his
word. This he SAID was the only
reason for committing the crime. The
only person in the house at the time
besides Harrison was his son, William
Preston Harrison, 25 years of age,
and the servants. shortly before 8
o'clock the door bell rang and when a
domestic opened the door she was
confronted by man who asked, "Is
Mr.. Harrison in"
Eyes SIR" responded the girl as she
threw the door open to permit his
entrance"
"I would like to see him, please ~
said the man as he walked towar'
the back end of the hall.
Mr.. Harrison was in the dining
room which opens into the rear end OF
the hall. Hearing man ask for him,
me rose and stepped into the hall,
walked toward Prendergast who
caught sight of Harrison, and with
out saying a word drew a revolver
and commenced firing. He pulled
tho trigger three times and every
bullet hit the mark. One ball shat
tered Mr.. Harrison's left hand and
passed into the lower right side of the
abdomen, making a wound that
would have been mortal in few days.
The third entered the chest slightly
above the heart. This bullet was the
immediate cause of his death.
AS soon as Prendergast be-
gan firing Mr.. Harrison turned
and walked rapidly toward the din
ing room. He walked through the
door, across the dining room and
passed into the butler's pantry open
ing off the room, where weakened by
loss of blood, he fell to the floor.
Prendergast did not follow up his
victim or make any attempt to ascer-
tain how deadly his aim had been.
He replaced the revolver in his pocket
with the same deliberation that mark
ed all his actions, and started toward
the door. Just as he was passing out
William Preston Harrison, the may
or's son, came tearing down the stairs
from the upper portion of the
house lust as Harrison's coachmaD
ran into the rear end of the hall. The
cries of the domestic directed the son
to where the father lay, but the coach
man was after other game. He had q
revolver of his own, and as quickly
as he realized what had occurred he
leveled the weapon and sent bullet
after the disappearing form OF the
murderer. A second time the revol-
yer spoke, but both bullets went wild
Running to the door the coachman
prepared to continue hostilities, but
several people entered to learn the
cause of the shooting, and by the
time the coachman reacneu tne slue'
walk Prendergast had been swallowed
up in the darkness.
Across Ashland boulevard, directly
opposite the residence of Harrison, is
the home of w. j. Chalmers, wealthy
maker of mining machinery. Chal.
mers was standing upon the front
steps of his residence when the shots
were fired. He bounded down the
steps, dashed across the street, and
met Prendergast almost out OF the
gate. ~
"What is it?" said Chalmers. The
man walked rapidly north on Ash.
land avenue without replying and
Chalmers hastened into the bnuse.
He reached Harrison's side almost at
the same instant the son did.
care you hurt?" asked Chalmers, as
he and the son of the dying man
strove to raise him.
MI've got my death, Chalmers"
responded the mayor.
htNoticing a spot of blood on the
mayors waistcoat, Chalmers said u
guess not" r,
"I'm shot in the heart and I'm q
dead man, was the only reply. a
moment later he said with voice