Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-09
BxEoUTIoN OF HARBIs.

/ EXECUTION OF HARRIS.
His Death was Instantaneous-H
Makes Declaration Before HI
Death OF His Innocence-AnI nscrip
don was Placed on the Cake
Plate which Said that He Wa
Murdered and Swe would Not 4
We Had Knowno and which Wa
Signed by the Jury.
SING SING, May s.-The witnesses to tn,
execution of Carlyle Harris were all Assem-
bled int the warden's ofice at II o'clocl
this morning There were twenty-sever
OF them. Seven were physicians and ter
were newspaper men; the others were state
officials and friends of the warden. 1t WA
1915 p. m. when Warden Durston an
nounced that everything was in readiness
and invited the witnesses down stairs. The
witnesses as they entered the execution
chamber seated themselves on wooden
stools arranged in half circle at the west
end of the room and facing the chair.
The electrician, Mr.. Davis, attached the
wires to the battery of lamps. He finished
testing the apparatus at 1885 and an
nouncsd that all was ready. Keeper Con-
naughton and two guards then went for
Harris, who was awaiting the final sum-
mons in his cell. With him was Chaplain
WELLS. Harris was ready in q moment
and the little procession was quickly
formed. Screens had been placed In front
of the other cells 30 that the men who will
soon meet Harris fate did not see him as
he went out with guard on either side
and the chaplain following him. II
He looked pale as he stepped into the
room. He paused an instant on the
nesses. Warden Durston had stepped over
to the reporters and asked them to conceal
their pads, saying, .sHarris might not like
it." The pads were put out of sight.
Keeper Connsughton pointed to the chair,
and without even look of curiosity at II,
Harris dropped into the seat As he did
SO he said in a low voice: Il have a word
to say, If the warden will permit" He
paused and repeated: al would like to cay
something, If I have the warden's con-
sent"
Warden Durston stepped over to the
chair and said: "What did you wish to
ssyf
Harris then, in a weak voice as though
each word cost him q powerful effort, esfd:
81 have no further reservation to make. 1
desire to say that 1 am absolutely inno-
cent"
Those were his last words. After utter
ing them, he seemed relieved and settled
back in bis chair to which bis legs and
arms had already besn strapped by the
two guards. The work of attaching the
electrode to Harris,s right leg which WAS
barred to the knee, made in advance, of
placing the helmet containing the other
electrode on the head, and of attaching the
wires to the two electrodes was done
quicker than the telling of 1t, and then the
guards stepped back. Davis, who had
gone to the switchboard, said "All ready"
form in the chair Strengthened up until the
straps creaked. 1t was just 12:403 p. m.
A current of l, 760 volts passed through
the body of Harris. In two seconds Davis
threw the switch back DO that only $50
volts were on. In $50 seconds the current
was shut off.
Drs. Arvine and Habershaw Immediately
stepped forward and examined the body,
which had settled back limp in the chair.
DR.. Daniels then invited the other physi,
clans to examine the body. Life was ex-
tinet, and 1t was plain to all present that
death had come at the fist touch of the
current. The only sign of animation after
the current was turned on was a slow
land, and that was evidently due to invoi-
antary muscular contraction. ALL the
physicians present expressed themselves
As satisfied that the death had been in
At 8 O'Clock Undertaken Kipp drove up
10 the prison. In his wagon was q highly |
polished oak casket which was carried into |
The death chamber, where the body of Hsr-
-is dressed in dark suit of prison made |
goods, reposed upon table. The body |
was placed in the cssket, but the under |
disposition of it. The silver plate upon |
.he cover of the essket contained this in |
,cription:
"Carlyle W. Harris, murdered May 8,
1893, aged % years, months, Is days.
"We would not If we had known
(Signed) THE JURY"
Mrs. Harris saw a number of reporters
This afternoon. She said:
"1t has been said Carl was guilty be-
cause he shed no tears when Helen Potts |
lied. i shed no tears now. My boy was |
You men who saw him die |
Know he went to the chair an innocent |
innocence, and yet he has been killed. He |
aas been judicially murdered. His last |
statement WAS to have been given to me as
soon as he was dead, and l have not re-
,sived 1t. do not think shall ever see
It, at least not as my boy wrote 1t. 1t WAS |
my boys wish that 1t be given out to-day |
and am powerless to carry 1t out"
This afternoon the reporters asked War |
len Durston for Harris statement, as it is |
said to be addressed to the press. He re-
Piled that when Mrs. Harris sent for it che |
could have 1t.
1t was learned that the statement had
been revised by Carlyle Harris at the war
denis request on Saturday and again this
The warden had practically
acted as censor over his prisoner even up
to tho moment of his electrocution.
Chaplain WELLS admitted that the state
ment was In his pocket, but he refused to
give Ii out until he took 1t to the warden.
He said the statement had been partly re-
written by Harris az the warden objected
to a portion of it's contents. After 4:30
Mrs. Harris sent her son Allan to the pris
on to ask for the statement To Allan the
warden said sharply:
81 have notgot it. l cannot be bothered
to the requests of Mrs. Harris.
I've got this prison to run. Tell your
1 will send 1t to her,"
Young Harris went away much broken
up. At O'Clock Mrs. Harris with another
lady and Allan drove to the prison. They
took with them a wreath of flowers to place
upon his coffin. The wreath bore the in
seriptions cat Rest" and Innocence"
Warden Durston refused to allow them
TO take the flowers to the coffin. Then
Mrs. Harris asked for the statement made
by her son. The warden, who remained
seated with his hat on, replied that he had
not got the statement and had not seen 1t.
Mrs. Harris protested tina. he must have
seen the statement for she had been told
that the chaplain had left 1t with the war
den. Warden Durston finally said he had
mailed Harris statement to Superintend-
ent of Prisons Lsthrop at Albany.
But" eaid Mrs. Harris, "you promised
my son you would hand 1t to me-"
81 cannot help that" replied the war
den.
"And can get 1t at Albanyr
tiT do NOT know -