The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-02-25

CHICAGO, Feb 24 Judge Brentano to-
day overruled the motion for new trial
for Prendergast and sentenced the assassin
to be hanged on March %.
When asked if he had anything to say.
Prendergast arose to his feet, nervously
drew small sheet Of paper from his vest
pocket, covered with notes, and addressed
the court as follows:
II don't suppose. your honor, that it will
do me any good to say anything to the
court now. l suppose that your honor is
under the impression that you have done
your duty. But this plea of insanity has
been set up by my attorneys without my
consent. 1t was an infamous, dirty and
disreputable plea, and done againt my OBJ
jections. Now, AS for Juror Murray, it is
certain to my mind that from the manner
he answered questions he was anxious
to be juror in this case. There was some
thing wrong also in regard to summoning
veniremen Juror Larkin came here on a
written statement but of course defend
ant had no control over that part of the
courts work The Evening News con-
tanned whole column about it at the
time, aud it is not necessary for me to go
into it further now We had no oppor-
tunity to watch the proceedings in sum-
monlng jurors
'But this is not the question. At the
very beginning Of this trial the court told
me my attorneys would attend to my case.
Nevertheless, they did not. But your
honor, the issue is: Did l do right or did
l do wrong? Did / do my duty or not!
Did do the will of God, or did not? This
point has never been touched upon, and l
say it is the only issue before the court. OF
course, if I did wrong l should be con-
demned. But your honor. if I did right
should be justified and acquitted.
GAS for this talk about Dacey or
Guiteau's case, the court all along ruled
that no reference should be made to it. but
the attorneys for the defendant continued
it throughout the trial. As far as these
doctors are concerned, they came to me
without my consent and without my invi-
tation and | did not write them nor give
my consent for them to come aud find out
whether l was insane or not"
The condemned man continued his
speech in a ram bling sort of way, turning
from one subject to another without any
connection whatever. He spoke of
newspaper trust" which he said was or
ganized to attack him. He classed among
his enemies the sheriff OF Cook county, who
had, be said, threatened to kill him; con-
demned the late Mayor Harrison for his
the court for overriding motions made by
his counsel.
He then compared himself to Jesus
Christ, referring to the temptation on the
mount, and said that Christ was not vain
glorious; neither was he (PrendergasD
'It was most Infamous thing" he said,
"to kill Christ Oh the cross, and it will be
as infamous to kill me. But, your honor,
the issue is: Did do right or wrong? Did
| dn N, Hntu | riaIn l HIf9 Tha iESna
for you to determine"
The judge then read his decision, recit-
ing that Prendergast had had fair trial
and that he was given the benefit of all
which the law says pris-
oner is entitled to. Despite all this, the
court said, Prendergast was found guilty
in accordance with we'll established prin-
ciples of law and evidence governing trials
of this kind. Continuing, the judge said
that the evidence did not establish that
the prisoner was laboring under an insane
delusion which irresistibly compelled him
to do the deed.
"The jury has found that when you
the act you fully understood it
and It's consequences, and that You might
have controlled your actions If you had SO
willed it, and that your own misguided
will was the sole impulse to the commits
sion of the deed.
The court then sentenced Prendergast to
be hanged between the hours OF 10 O'Clock
in the forenoon and 2 o'clock in the after
noon of the 23i day of March. 1894, "in the
manner provided by statute of this state,
until you are dead.
''Oh, it was just as l expected it would
be, said John Prendergas,. brother of the
assassin, after hearing the courts de-
cision. Courts do not generally reverse
their own decisions. | felt SO certain that
my brother would be sentenced that told
mother TO remain home. But it is merely
IL temporary embarrassment. Eugene is
clearly insane, and | think his rambling
to the court will satisfy any doubt
that has existed He will rant in that
manner until the day Of his death. This
is but part of the plan to send this poor
Insane boy to the gallows because public
clamor demands his death. He expected
the sentence, too; for he spent his time
this morning preparing notes for his talk.
| tried to converse with him In Jail, but he
refused to talk with NE. | thnk he
blames me somewhat for getting the at
torneys to put in plea of insanity. He
did not seem TO understand that this was
only plea that he could put in. My
brothers denuuclatlon Of his attorneys
for defending him and following the plea
Of justification shows that he is insane
The supreme court will not permit that
boy to be banged
ItiiuefSdSI grew dS tue udy du-
vanced after receiving his sentence. To
night. when a reporter called at the Jail
aud asked if he had anything to say re-
garding his sentence, he replied:
No: not to reporters. No man is safe
from villificatioD, abuse and personal at
tack from the newspapers"
WANTS A GREEN SHRoUD.
Thomas Higgins, sentenced to be hanged
on March 23. next. with Prendergast, Was
Disguised when he learned the news.
Il have notion now to commit sui
eide" said Higgins. Won. we be two
peaches. standing up TO be dropped to-
gether," he continued with grin. Say,
when it comes my turn to shuttle off, |
want to be hanged with Irish hemp, and |
also want a green shroud. But | draw
the line on being compelled to pass out
with Prendergast. Somehow or another |
cannot appreciate the fellows greatness.
Perhaps ! am obtuse. Anyway, If | am
allowed ans voice in the matter, l shall
not line up Oh the scaffold with the man
who killed Carter Harrison"