The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-07-14
ChaS. Kaufman g Bros.

ms happiness, was 20 be talked abouE.
He longed to see his name i'm che news-
papers, 20 know that ho was filling the
public eye. He lusted after distinction,
no matter whether 1t was good or bad.
BE felt that to enioy the sensations og
nosorlesy ne would risk much. bat Be
was, according to general belief. !
coward. and would mot risk his life.
He would risk his liberty 3or tha
delights be dreamsd 0t 6mS not lais aSfN
For days and wesks he cast aboaE him
for 9 satisfactorily promising means ID
his end. At last it occurred 60 him
that 1t would create cOmmenk IL one il
his station OF life. humble newspaper
carrier, should apply for . high Office
In the municipal government. The
idea, once admitted, took complete pos
session Of his mind. He appeared in
Corporation Counsel Adolph Kraus'
office ons day. and announced that he
desired 10 succeed Mr.. Kraus In the
position. Mr.. Kraus Laughed nc him
and took the announcement "a Joke,
and Prendergast sneaked ont. With
what eagerness he looked for the news-
papers next morningi How anxiously
he hoped that they would contain an
account OF his visit to Mr.. Krausi III
they had probably Mayor Harrison
would b alive today. IF they had
Pfendergast would probably have been
satisfied. he would have seen his name
In type. He would have lorded it over
the other carriers. OF whom the public
had never heard.
He ssi~stsd Mayor HAIRLESS.
But. unlucklly for Mayor Harrison
and for him. he was disappointed. The
newspapers contained no mention OF
the incident he had 90 carefully
planned. Exasperated by his failure 60
secure the notoriety he craved, Prem
dergast determined to make another
attempt At last he selected Mayor
Harrison. He called upon the mayor,
and, with all the gravity he could mas
ter, stated his desire TO be appointed
corporation counsel. But the mayor
was In good humor, and the ludicrous-
mess OF tho affair struck him. He
chaffed Prendergast good naturedly.
and speedily forgot him. At any rate
he did not think ID necessary 10 notify
the newspapers. and again Prsndergast
failed OF his object. He was
now more determined than ever 20 st-
tain il. He resolved that he would ret
his name into the newspapers, even at
the risk OF arrest. He called again On
Mayor Harrison and limited that if his
request did not secure prompt attention
II would be the worse for the mayor.
But his cowardice prevented him from
making the hints o1ninous enough to-
frighten or even staStle the mayor. Mr..
Harrison did not know fear, and he
treated Prendergast's threats as lightly
as he had treated his request. This
time he ordered Prendergsst ont OF the
Office, but in spite of that he did not
think the matter important enough TO
mention 1t.
Prendergast determined to write TO
the mayor. His letters were not only
unanswered, but he could not be sure
they had even been delivered. Again
he called On Mayor Harrison. This
time he was received brusquely. and
was warned TO keep away and trouble
the mayor no more.
Desperate with his determination to
secure the longed for notoriety and en-
raged ut his repeated failures, Prender.
gast at last worked himself into 3 fren-
xied momentary courage and COM
mitted the frightful crime for which he
died.
Fatal Night a. Oct as
On the night OF Oct. IS. 1865. Carter