Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-01-06
PRENER0AST'S DOOM.

Tho Jury Say the Assassin OF Mayor Uar.
rison Of Chicago 10 Guilty Of WiIfu1
Murder and that lie Must Pay the Pom
atty with His Life-An Impressive Scene
in Jndge Brentanos Conrt When the
Jury Returned, After q Brief Absence,
with the Expected Verdict
CHICAGO. Dec. s9.-The death watch
sits tonight in the cell of Patrick
Eugene John Prendergast, the muir
derer OF Carter Henry Harrison. He
must die on the gallows. Twelve rep.
resentative citizens of Chicago ad Judged
him responsible to the law for his cold
bloodcd, cowardly deed the night of
October 2s. The verdict was agreed
upon after the jury had deliberated
little over an hour.
The morning of the last day OF the
trial was allotted to Alfred s. Trude,
who pleaded eloquently for justice and
argued concisely to convince the twelve
men before him that the miserabl
crime when he took the life Of the law.
yer's friend.
Judge Brentano followed with in
structions TO the jury, lengthy, but ex-
plicit, providing for every contingency
Or doubt which might arise in the
minds Of those who were Prengergasts
Judges The texts of all verdicts for
and against the prisoner which could
be rendered in his case were given to
the twelve peers, and they retired at
| :25 p. III. to consider which one they
should return, according to the law
and the evidence. Prendergast sat
sullcn and silent through this last
scene but one in the trial. He was
hemmed in by officers of the law, who
had no sympathy for him, and farther
away sat wcIl-dressed men and women
who came to hear the eloquent Trude.
The contempt for the ugly-faced as
sassin may have been tempered with
little pity, but their hearts were
steeled to receive verdict of guilty
and death. While the judge was read
ing his carefully prepared instructions
the prisoners face betrayed the keen
est anxiety. His open mouth twitched
ncrvously. and he turned his misshapen
head at every sound coming from the
| entrance to the crowded court room
after the jnry had retired. He WIS
fearful of a speedy agreement,
as he realized thar it would bc
significant of "a guilty" YER
diet. After awl6ie no was taken
back to his cell in the ad1oin-
ing jail and the tension which had
kept the men and women subdued was
relaxed.
Suddenly at 2:2s o'clock, in the midst
OF general conversation and laughter,
came bailiff's shrill voice calling:
"Take seats now, gentlemen"
The meaning of the order was well
understood. 1t had the effect of an
electric shock. THAT means guilty
sure" ITS hanging were the
words which passed from mouth to
mouth. Every eye was turned towards
the door and the buzz of excitement
and conversation died away. Instead
solemn stiffness pervaded the cham
ber. From the door came procession
of stern-faced men. Judge Brentano
led the way, followed ~ the Jury aui
bailitfs.
uIKlng with guards IN front OF hiul
and guards behind him, Prendergast
returned slowly to his seat Jail
Clerk Ben Price, who accompanied the
assassin, urged him to Brace up and
keep your mouth shut" Prendergast
obeyed the latter injunction only.
His bravado and vanity had fed. The
mask had been torn from his face by
fear of an adverse verdict and he
stood before court and jury natural
covering coward afraid to hear his
doom pronounced.
The countenance of every juror was
sphynx-like. No sign of hope for
Prendergast could be detected there.
lie dropped into his seat against the
wall and the guards stood over him.
His protruding lower jaw became
limp so that his lips hung wide apart.
The silence was impressively intense.
| 1t was broken by the voice of Judge
Brentano saying:
"Ilave you agreed upon verdict,
gentlemen?'
1--WE have. your honor, replied Fore
man J. Sutter, handing the fatal docu-
mcnt to the judge, who transmitted it
to the clerk. That officer quietly
opened 1t in the midst of breathless
suspense, and read as follow:
We. the jury. find The defendant Patrick Eu
! gene Prende rgast. guilty OF murder in name,
and form as charged in the indictment, and we
fix his punishment at death.
When the clerk uttered the word
death Prendergast made the Cath.
Ollie sign of the cross over his breast
with his right hand. His dcmeanol
was abject and pitiful. He looked in
deed miserable wretch in human
form. Not word escaped his lips.
The effect of the death verdict kept
the spectators silent. No one rose to
go. Quickly the guards took hold of
the trembling prisoner, and were hur-
cing him back to Jail when the voice
Of the judge was heard again.
Bring the prisoner back" he com.
manded. and the condemned creature
was led back to his seat. The formal
ity of polling the jury had not been
complied with. 1t was soon over, each
, juror answering YES to the question
"Was and is this now your verdict?'
Prendergast did not sit down th,
second time. He stood pale and ter
, ror-stricken close to his chair, stretch
ing his hand for support against the
| wall, while guard held the other arm
After the removal of the guilty
: wretch Attorney Wade entered the for
NAL motion for new trial, which will
, he argued next week. Then the salts
fed crowd quietly dispersed.
Preston Harrison was the first to ap
proach Mr.. Trude and thank hin
earnestly for his able services and per
sonal interest in melting out justice t.
. the murderer of his father. His remark
were free from exultant feeling HI
believed that justice only had bcel
I done.
Prendergast created no scene whel
!. he was returned to his cell, and tn
, verdict was kept from bis fellow-pris
r oners as long rs possible. They 500
received word through visitors, how
i ever and Jailcr Morris removed tn
a condemned man tonight to murder