Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-05-20
A Reporter faints.
History OF Harris Crime.

Carlyle w. Harris was born In Glenn
Falls, n. Y, in September, 1869. He
was the grandson of DIR. Bejamin w
McCready, of New York city. Carlyle
went TO work early to earn his own liv-
ing. He canvassed as a book agent,
was a clerk and for two years an actor
in Paul Kauvar" company. Having
decided To be a doctor he entered the
College of Physicians and Surgeons in
this. city, going to live with DIR. Me-
Cready. He spent The school year of
1852 in that college. In the sum
Ocean Grove. y. j. In August. 1889, a
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Helen Potts The girl was then IS
years old. They went boating, played
| tennis and took long walks along the
shore. In the ensuing fall Harris came
back to New York to resume his medi-
cal studies. The Potts moved into
New York, going to live at i16 West
Thirty<ourth street Helen attended
the college of music. Harris continued
his calls on her. They became so fire.
guent, and Harris attentions so ardent
that the suspicious of Mrs. Potts
were aroused Helen seemed 10
be fond of Harris On Feb
ruary IS on the pretext of taxi
ing Helen to the Court street exchange
Harris and Miss Potts went to the city
hall and were secretly married by Al
derman Rinckhoff under assumed
names Six weeks after the marriage
Harris calls on Helen began to be less
frequent He seemed to want TO avoid
her. In the latter part OF May. 1890,
Miss May Schofeld came to visit Helen.
Harris and Helen were in great trouble,
( ~ the girl wife was in delicate con-
aition. Harris proposed way to
avoid letting the world know. She
finally consented, but fearing that
it might kill her she insisted
as protection to her honor that first
Miss Schofeld should know of her
secret marriage. Harris took Miss
Schofield for walk on the beach and
told her. That afternoon he took
Helen out. They were gone till late in
the evening. On returning, as she was
very pale and sick, Helen went at once
TO bed. On that afternoon, il was
afterward learned, Harris performed
criminal operation on his wife. The
next week Helen went TO Scranton,
Pa. to visit her uncle. DIR. Treverton
Seeing that Helen was i'll he took her
to task. She confessed. Harris was
sent for. He confessed that he
had performed two operations, but
TO DIR. Treverton he denied
the marriage. After Miss Potts
got we'll her mother insisted that
Harris marry her publicly. Harris pro-
missed to do SO, but urged Mrs. Potts
to wait till he had got further in his
studies In the meantime he induced
the mother to send Helen to the Cum
stock boarding school in this city.
Mrs. Potts continued to insist on mar
riage by a minister. On January 20,
1891, Harris wrote her: "All your
wishes shall be complied with, il no
other way can be found to satisfy your
scruples." On January 90 Harris got
prescription for six capsules, each to con-
tain one-sixth of grain of morphine
and four and half grains of quinine
He gave Helen four of the pills, telling
her to take one each night. He kept
two pills out OF the lot. On the even !
ing of Saturday, January 81, 1891, !
Helen took the last pill and went 10
bed. When her room mates came in
between 1880 and IL o'clock they woke /;
her up. She spoke of q choking sens.- !
IOuy one Sdtu SIG cOutu not SWailOW
and believed she was going TO die. |
Subsequently she awoke her friends |
with her means. They gave an alarm. !
DIR. Fowler, the school physician. came |
and saw the trouble. He called DIR. /
Bower to help him. All night they
tried TO save her life. At IL o'clock on |
Sunday morning. February !, she died.
Harris seemed to care little for his !
wife's death, but feared he would be /
held responsible. The apparent pre-
parations Harris had made to clear
himself OF suspicion and previous re-
marks he made about wishing Helen !
were out of the way, caused suspicion I
to fall ON him. He refused absolutely
to allow Helen to be buried as MrA |
Harris. He told many conflicting stor-
les to the mother, who repeated them
TO the distris& attorney. He presented
the facts to the grand jury who in
dicted Harria on May IL, 1921. He
was arrested. brought TO trial
ON January IL 1892, and the
jury three weeks later brought In =
verdict of guilty Of murder In the iirst !
degree. Harris was sentenced TO be
exeSnted during the week beginning |
March "a. lS92. He took an appeal. but 4
the conviction was confirmed BY tho
court OF appeals A new trial having
49, - c.~-kA