The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-03

CHICAGO. Dec. 29.-Prendergast. the
murderer of Carter H Harrison, will be
hanged for his crime. The verdict Of
the jury has said it. and the people Of
Chicago approve it.
Ably defended as the assassin has
been. strong as has been the evidence
adduced to save his neck from the hal
ter, the jury has found him sane, re-
spOnsible for his act, and demanded that
he pay the highest price for his offense
against the law. This price. however,
is a sorry one at best. The value to
the world of one life such as that of
Carter H. Harrison would weigh down
the scale against the existence of an
hundred such as Prendergast.
Nothing since the commission of his
crime has so irritated Prendergast as
the comparison between himself and
Charles J. Guiteau. He has resented it
with energy and scorn, although the
assassin Of Garfield was a foul and
creeping thing compared with himself.
But in the court room this afternoon he
showed that one trait existed in COM
mon between Guiteau and himself. He
proved himself an unmanly, miserable
coward. a creature who would have life
at any price. under any conditions.
anywhere, anyhow, only let 1t be life.
When Clerk Fitzgerald arose to read
the finding of the jury the prisoner
stood clutching the back of chair, eye
ing him with the most intense eager
ness. His long. bOny fingers clasped
and unclasped the back of the chair,
his knees trembled violently, his face
was flushed and his spiteful-lOoking
mouth opened and closed as though he
would say something, but lacked the
power to speak.
I'VE. the jury, find the defendant,
Patrick Eugene John Prendergast,
guilty Of murder in manner and form
as charged in the indictment and fix the
penalty at death"
PrenderEast the Coward.
Fitzgerald's voice, clear and calm,
read out the finding. and died away
with a slight emphasis on the final
word. Then Prendergast revealed him
self the utter coward. His face turned
pale. he opened his mouth to speak but
only a faint muTmur came from between
his hot and quivering lips. He moved
floor, but for the assistance of a bailif
When the jury was polled. he listened
with avidity TO each and every answer
TO Judge BrentanO's question:
Was this. and is this now your YER
dict?"
1T is" said Foreman Jacob Suffer,
and lit is repeated every other juror
and then hope and the last vestige Of
courage faded utterly in Prendergasts
breast He was half led. half carried
back 10 his cell. where, refusing to
speak. he threw himself upon his bunk
in the attempt TO hide from his fellow
prisoners, whose expressions of salts
faction over the verdict, were more en-
phatic than graceful and more sincere
than polite.
Mr.. Trude resumed his argument at
the opening OF court and spoke until
within a few minutes of Il O'Clock. He
closed with an eloquent plea for the
conviction of the prisoner, who had. he
declared. been proved sane by the pre-
ponderance Of evidence. When he fin.
ished the court announced a recess I'M
til 1 O'Clock. Court was in session a
few minutes before that time and Judge
precisely at 1 o'clock
The Courts Instructions.
AS the court commenced to read the
instructions offered by the state. Prem
dergast buried his face in a black
handkerchief. which he held in his left
hand. and never once did he look upon
or move until just at the close of the
judges charge when the court instruct
ed the jury as to the form Of their YER
dict At the mention of the word
death the prisoner dropped his hands
for an instant When the court said
''or you may sentence him to the peni-
tertiary for the term of his natural
life." Prendergast again twitched nerv-
ously
Upon the question of insanity, the
only question at issue, Judge Brentano
said:
"If from all the evidence in the case
you believe beyond a reasonable doubt
that the defendant committed the crime
Of which hs is accused, in manner and
form as charged in the Indictment and
at the time Of the commission of such
crime the defendant knew that il was
wrong to commit such crime and was
mentally capable of choosing either 20
do or not to do the act or acts con-
shutting such crime and Of governing
his conduct in accordance with such
choice then il is your duty under the
law TO find him guilty, even though you
should believe from the evidence at the
time Of the commission of the crime he
was not entirely and perfectly sane
THE court instructs the jury that IL
81 believes from the evidence IN the
case that at the time of doing the act
charged the prisoner was not of sound
mind but was affected with insanity and
that such affection was the efficient
cause Of the act and that he would not
have done the act but for that affection,
then he ought to be acquitted. But the
court further instructs the jury that this
unsOundness Of mind or affection of in
sanity must be Of such a degree as to
create an uncomfortable impulse TO do
the act charged, by overriding the rea-
son and judgment and celebrating the
sense OF right and wrong as to the par
ticular act done and depriving the ac-
cused Of the power Of choosing between
them
Legitimate Defense.
After declaring at some length that the
prisoner must be acquitted If believed
TO be insane and saying that insanity
is legitimate defense. the court said:
1T is not sufficient TO warrant con-
viction of Mr.. Prendergast, with the
weight aad Dreponderance Of evidence