The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-14
PRENDERCAST DIES CAME.
He NeTVed Himself for the End and
Braves Ii Out.

he Secures a Good Sleep Between
Midnight and @ o'Clock-rwo Break
fasts Placed Before Him Bsfors He
Found One He Liked-He Looked for
Communication of His Sentence Up to
the Last Moment.
Chicago, July IA crime against the
state was expiated on the gallows Of
Cook county jail this morning. Nearly
nine months have elapsed since the bullet
OF an assassin deprived Chicago of her
chief executive, the state of one of her
most illustrious citizens, and the country
at large of statesman and d
patriot. To-day the crime was
avenged and Patrick Eugene
Prendergast suffered an ignominious
death at the hands Of the hangman. The
execution was devoid of incident, for the
assassin went to his death like an OK
going to the shambles. Up TO the last
moment the hope of iuterposition. from
some source or another did not desert
him, although he was fully coenizant of
the fact that all efforts in both the state
and federal courts and in the executive
chamber had been exhausted. When it
came to the end, he nerved himself for n
supreme effort, and paid the penalty Of
his crime without a whimper and with
out word.
HAD A GOOD SLEEP.
Pendergast laid down to rest for the
last time at midnight, and in five minutes
was asleep He slept soundly until $40
o'clock when he awoke with q start and
IN a surly mood. Inf few minutes he
was dressed and asked for his breakfast.
lie was asked what he wolld like TO have.
His order was for ham and eggs, fried po-
tatoes aud coffee, but when IL was put be-
fore him it did not suit him, and he called
for porter house steak, French fried
potatoes, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers,
and a big pot of chocolate He then
cleaned up the dishes. During the morn
ing he drank two quarts of chocolate in
addition to what he had at breakfast.
The waiting time was spent in company
with Father Barry. When the death
warrant was read to him at 10 o'clock
Prendergast remarked to the priest:
1--WE may yet hear from the governor"
WITNESSES OF THE EXECUTION.
Those who witnessed the execution
were the examining physicians, the mem
bers of the grand Jury, now in session,
and about 200 ticket holders among whom
were included the newspaper men. A5
ll:4O o'clock the procession TO the scaifold
moved Prendergast looked straight
ahead and gave no sign OF weakening.
Just as tho white shroud was being tied
around his neck he took long breath,
and every one imagined that he was
about to make a speech In a second,
however, he had set his teeth
! together, while his face grew red and
white by turns. The two deputies led
! him TO the center of the trap, quickly ad-
justed the moose and drew tho white cap
| over his head His limbs seemed to trem-
bic for a second, and then there was n
movement from under the white cap as
though he were bracing himself. Tho
signal was given TO the unseen execu-
tioner, and then the body swung round and
round. There was one brief convulsive
struggle, and the murder of Carter Har-
rison had been avenged. The body was
surrounded by the jury and physicians,
and as soon as life had been pronounced
extinct it was cut down.
The jail officials said after the execution
that the condemned man had requested
an indulgence of twenty minutes after
reaching the scaffold for the purpose Of
making a speech. He was dissuaded from
his intention, however, by Father Barry.