New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-30
UARITS OF TIE ASSASSIN.

IIAHIIS Ot' HE A>SASNlH.
WHAT PEOPLE WHO WERE BROUGHT IN CON
T,Cr WITH THE MURDERER SAY OF HIM
Chicago Oct 29-Patrck Eugene Prendergast.
the murderer. roomer for eight days al NO.
ia Eugenie-st on the North Side. He called there
on October IS and engaged single room In the
family of John Albrecht. a jobber in cigars, VINO
lived on the third floor of a three-story brick nat
Three other families live on the floors below Prem
dergast seemed to be a sullen fellow. low and de-
graded in appearance, and was so filthy In MS
habits that the Abrechts allowed him to remain
only eight days.
Prendergast. it seems. was a "bogy man 10 the
swarms of small children in the nelghborhood. His
han ,.dog look and appearance frightened them'
and whenever they saw him coming down the
street. they invariably stopped their play ana ran
for their homes. Prendergast made no acquaint-
ances during the brief period he roomed IN the
neighborhood. and even the saoon-keepers ne
patronized while remembering that they had seen
a man who looked like the pictures In the news
papers did not know his name. In answer TO call
at the house Eugenie-st. to-day. German
woman came to the door and told the following
story
I'VE never saw Prendergast until he came here
and engaged a sleeping room. and we knew moth
ing about him whatever. We gave him small
front room here the third hoor and as We gave
him a key he came in and passed out at any hour
OF the day or night He ate no meals here, ana
/ he had anything 10 say 10 any vi US. TIC
wore shabby clothes and generally covered
with smut and dirt. and we took him to be
/ laboring man. One day | asked him what was
his occupation, and he did not make a reply. We
became rather suspicious that he might not be all
right. Then he filthy and left his room IN
such A disordered condition that finally We could
have him around. and so we told him
to leave last Thursday. He had only roomed here
eight days
He did not want to talk to any one, 1t seems
He went out to a neighboring saloon nearly every
night for pitcher OF beer. but he always went
to his own room and drank 1t alone"
Prendergast used to rise at o'clock every morn
ing and 20 out, remaining away until g. He was
out in the afternoon and returned early. NOT
knowing he was newspaper carrier Mrs. Al
| brecht was afraid a man Of such habits might De
"A thief She took look in his room one DAY 10
see II he had any baggage or clothing such as
desirable lodger might be expected to nave. All
she saw was a razor a pair Of socks and two pos
tai cards lying table The postals she no
ticed were addressed. one to Congressman Nc
Cam the other to Congressman Durborrow.
! Assistant Chief Of Police Ripley said to-day re-
garding Prendergast: This mans peculiarities
have been known for time. but what could
any one do? II he Is crazy there is no law to ar
rest him. He must be allowed to go at large until
he commits offence. There are lots OF such
fellows about. Mark Crawford. the superintendent
Of the Bridew ell. tells me that he has prisoners
their terms expire and then has to turn them loose
on the community. He can't do anything else.
II knew Thomas Prendergast very WELL said
Rrother Baldwin. Of ST. Patrick's Academy. this
morning when | read the awful story in the
papers this morning recognized In Prendergast
one of our fcrmer pupils was not surprised that
! he committed Infamous crime. For some
wears | have believed him be a crank. and for
two years We have allowed him to visit the
| academy. Like many OF our old pupils he had been
| in the habit OF calling occasionally at the academy
! As | had been brought in closer contact WIN
him during his school days than any other OK the
| teachers he always sought me out From the first
| visit he made me | that there was screw
| loose in his head. He would insist upon extoiling
Henry George and celebrating the single tax philos
! ophy in the tangled form In which II existed IN
his BRAIN often in the midst of sentence ne would
! seem to forget his subject and fly of TO some
! other issue or scheme OF visionary character.
"He became a nuisance. and az he never sought
advice. but insisted upon giving 1t. told him
| several times that he must not come about the
! academy and annoy with his fancies He per-
| sisted in making his visits more frequent and grew
more boisterous and violent in his harangues until
gave orders to the porter not to admit him.
! He made several Intellectual attempts to enter the
| academy and was very Indignant and as recall
it.. abusive In his language because he was re-
| fused admission When he found that he could no
longer see me he desisted in his efforts and he had
almost passed out of recollection when his name
appeared before me this morning as the murderer
| OF Mayor Harrison. -
II am entirely ignorant of his career during
| the past two years. Ii might be possible that his
! cranky notions have led him up to insanity. As
| | knew him he was simply crank and an insult
| ferable bore did not consider him dangerous
| when he visited me. / knew that his mind was
| not strong enough to grasp the social problems
| of Henry George. and possibly constant dwelling
| upon such questions has completely broken down
his reason. ,,o,
! what were his characteristics ut school?'
| He was but an ordinary boy. He came here at
| the age OF fourteen fifteen years and was with
! ms two years He not bright. but plodder
| When he left the school he was In the NTH gram
| mar grnde He took special studies. quiet
| and excellently well behaved. He passed out Of
| school and never came near us until three years
| after and we renewed the acquaintance OF which
| have already told you
| DR. G. Iadlow. "a physician recently made an
| examination OF j. W. Prcndergast. the boy :
b.other and says: Il have been the family physi-
| clan for wears and never discovered any traces of
insanity In the family If there is any II has re-
| Gently developed In Patrick Prendergast. and am
| confident that his brother. j. w: Prendergast.
whom recently examined. Is not affected by II In
| the least When asked II he had examined
| Patrick Dr. Iadlow replied: Il have not. be-
| cause there has never been any necessity for SO
| doing The boy was sick day In his fe
| CORPORATION Counsel Kraus recently received a
| DC stall card from Prendergast II was written In
red Ink, and on 1t Prendergast demanded Mr..
Kra,is's resignation. IF you can't elevate the