The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-07-19
PRENDERGAST EXECUTED
THE MURDER OF MAYOR HARRISON
FINALLY AVENGED.
He Approached the GsIlOws in Fear and
Trembling and Appeared to be Sane
Enough to Appreciate His Awful
Doom-Mads no Speech.

/
= ton of Carter H. Harrison has bee
f avenged, Patrick Eugene Prender
3 CAST, his assassin was hanged in tn
. Cook county Jail at II As this morn
ing. Within the gloomy whit
/ walls of the Jail today all wa
hustle, confusion and suppressed
, excitement as the time rapidly drew
near when Prendergast, the murdere
OF Carter Harrison would expiate hi
crime, paying the forfeit with his life
, The gsllOws mad been placed in posi-
ton in the corridor and at 1880 Jaile
Morris and his assistants made tn
final test of the rope, trap ana trigger
Prendergast rested we'll last nigh
ana seemed calm and collected wher
the taller left him for few minutes
He refused late last evening to receive
spiritual consolation, but when night
fall came on he asked tina
Father MuldOon be admitted. AT 1:5t
all the prisoners in the tiers of cell;
Immediately in front and to the left
of the scaffOld were marched out and
taken into the south wing in order
that there might be no demonstration
during the final scenes.
Az is the custom, the assassin was
closely guarded by bailitt5 during the
night. Between 6 and o'clock Prem
dergast partoOk heartily of breakfast
of ham and eggs. He showed a raven.
Gus appetite and about 8 o'clock sent
word to Jailer Morris that he was
again hungry. The jailer had his
prisoner served with another meal.
This Prendergast disposed of quickly
and he seemed to relish it greatly.
The assassin talked freely with his
spiritual advisers, and several times,
apparently fearing that they would
desert him, remarked, You must stay
with me to the end" AS the hour
| for his execution came near Prender-
CAST showed some signs OF slightly in
creased nervousness, but on the whole
he was remarkably calm and col
! leCted,
Father Barry was with him at IL a..
M, having been in constant attend.
ance upon him all the morning, but
the little assassin had "thawed" out
very much since last night and was
most deferential to his spiritual ad-
wiser. Preparations were made
at II a. m. to bring the condemned
man TO the gallOWs. Prendergast
had been removed from his cell in
murderer's row to an ante room of the
jail office, which is in fact the bath
room, and where the last kindly Off
ces were performed for the miserable
wretch. Prendergast specially re
quested sheriff Gilbert to allow him
20 minutes in which to make his dy-
ing statement, but this was refused
The jury of physicians at lilo filed in
and inspected the sCaffOld and ap.
purtenances. Fifty deputy sheriffs
were ranged around the sides of the
corridor, and the rather tedious,
though ia reality short wait, hogan
until the final march should be taken
up.
At II AZ q hush tell upon the throng
in the corridor and tar down the SOM
bre halls could be heard the mutfled
tramp of the funeral cOrtege A few
minutes later Sheriff Gilbert and
Jailer Norris appeared at the right of
the scatfOld The prisoner, pale aud
unsteady, walked behind them, He
stood without apparent nervousness,
though a rifle weak and unsteady, as
his arms were being piniOned
He seemed determined TO die
game aud looked calmly out on
the assem- bled crowd below him
The white shroud was next placed
about him. Barring a little listless
motion OF the eyes, mp, down and from
side to side, he made no motion.
Jaier Morris placed the rope about his
neck, the whitecap over his head, and
Prendergast gave the last look az
earth. An instant later, at HAS, he
shot downward, the head twisted to
one side, the neck having apparently
been broken. Slowly swaying back
and forth he hung for a few moments,
while the physicians held his
wrist. A slight spasmodic moves
ment of the legs was all the
sign of life apparent within the loose
ly hanging white robe. Surrounded
10y the jury of physicians the corpse
swung to and fro and at 11;51, 8 min
utes after the trigger was sprung, he
was pronounced dead and the murder
of Mayor Harrison was avenged.
The assassin made no audable
sou d from the time he left his cell,
apparently being lost in
contemplation of his aw-
.tul fate. He took final
leave of his spiritual advisers, gave Il
last hand shade to his guards and with
a low voice bade them last auieu.
He was gently dissuaded by Sheriff
Gilbert from his determination to make
a speech.
At 11:5S JaiIer Morris unloosened
the anchored end of the
rope, the shrouded corpse
was slowly lowered aud laid in the
coffin under the platform. The face OF
the dead was not badly distorted.
though the mouth was open and the
tongue protruded The color OF the
features was BLUSH tint, which, with
his unkempt hair, staggled down his
forehead. After the legal formalitias
We're gone through, the body was sub
j.ctgd TO claim by relatives or friends
How's This.