Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-03-01
TO DIE BY A ROPE
A New Trial is Denied the Assassin -
Carter Harrison

o' ILL., req. 24.-Judge Bren-
1ano day overruled the motion for
new trial Tor Prendergast and sentannod
the assassin to be hanged on March % =
Ffendergast entered the court-roon,
In charge of a bailiff. He had haan
shaved early in tho mornino ana -
mar was carefully combed. The ,ssas-
SIN was assigned to chair in the nlace
ne occupied during his trial. He soon
gre" restless; his face was rale. and HE
eyes rolled around INCREASINGLY. ~
AS the Court addressed Prenderooa.
ana asked him if, he had anythine to
say why sentence should not be nossa W
upon him, Prendergast rose to his feet
nervously drew a small sheet of naner
ouGeae l1 WIN notes from his vest pocket.
d nu 4ouresseo the court as follows: II
:; uont I'll, suppose, Your Honor, that
say anything to the Court IT. NOW W.
| have made no prenarat NV
to say anything in particular, T ', s,1nl
pose our Honor is under the impress
SION that you have done your duty
But this plea of insanity has been set
up by my attorney without nv consent
Ii was an Infamous, dirty and dis.
reputable plea, and was against nv OBJ
jections 10y W.
Now, as for Juror Murray. If is Ger
tam TO my mind that from the manner
ne answered questions he was anxious
10 be juror in this case. There was
something wrong also in regard to sum
monlng the veniremen. Juror Larkin
came here on written statement. but
OF course the defendant had no control
ut 20
Evening News contained whole COL
umn about it at the time and it is not
necessary for me to go into il further
now. We had no opportunity to watch
the proceedings in summoning the
jurors.
But that 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.
AS stated, Your Honor, be-
fore they set up this infamous
plea of insanity against my will.
But, Your Honor, the issue is did | do
right Or did do wrong? Did do my
duty or did | not? Did do the will of
God or not? This point has never
been touched upon, and | say it is the
only issue before the court
"Of course if did wrong | should be
condemned. But, Your Honor, if did
right | should be justified and acquitted.
AS Tor this talk about the Dacey or
the Guiteau case, the court all along
ruled that no reference should be made
to 1t, but the attorneys for the defend
ant continued it throughout the trial.
AS tar as these doctors are concerned,
they came to me without my consent
and without my invitation, and | did
not write them nor give my consent tor
them to come and find out whether |
was insane or not. No doubt the mo-
tives of these men were humane, but it
was through the connivances Of Jailer
Morris that they got into that Jail.
Ending his speech, Prendergast
glanced wildly about the room and sat
down to listen to the sentence of the
court. He did not listen to great part
of the Courts remarks. but turned half
around and looked ut the large clock on
the wall.
The courtroom was filled when the
Judge read his decision. Prendergast
appeared Indifferent for Il time, but as
the reading progressed appeared ready
to make one Of his old-time scenes.
Prendergast was ordered to stand up
during the reading of the sentence.
Judge Brentano said:
Patrick Eugene Prendergast, it rarely falls
to the lot ofthe court to discharge so pain
full q duty as devolves upon it in this case
You stand at this bar convicted OF the crime
of murder of q fellow being, and 1t is In
cumbent on me to pronounce sen,
lalr ana impartial trial and you
have been defended by counsel whose zeal
and devotion in your behalf merit the nigh
est praise and compel the admiration OF the
Court. | do not think that | can fairly pc
subjected to the criticism that dld not al
J., Il lot TN 10 DrpSpnta-
ton of evidence that in any way tended TO
establish the defense made for you ana you
were given the benefits of all presumplons
which the law says you are emitted 10 h',e.
Despite all this YOU have been tound gul'ty
in accordance with the well-estahllshed
trials of this kind. Possibly large
part of this community would,
Tor the sake of the reputation
of this great city, upon whom the eyes
of the world were at the time rlveted, nave
been comtorted if the verdict OF the jury
had established the fact that YOU aIr h h"5
that of a mentally irresponsl Ole person. pus
the result of the trial denies people lnaI
comfort The evidence did not estaolish
that Won were acting under an insane oelu-
sion which irresistiby impellea yo', ~ wy
commission OF an act when you uiu NV
discern to be wrong ana over WntIn M
had not the power to exercise controi. Ing
;nrv has found that when you comml.teu
he he act YOU fully understood it and its con
and ae faas + yon m hSad so wd
a anI ,baf Your own misguided will was the
s as '' Impulse to the commission ihsd9atio oi
the deed. No imaginary in nppdsr
to do q personal wrong utue, ,l,;a
~ ,is,,s; o or belief that some great pubic
benefit will flow from it. when nh.b the n eanse,
of The act done and its pfopaole eul n,,1r
onences and that the act Is III llseti ~ ni thafi
ssiSs As yeSh ssss nj
e d Tss s9s4 o fna IT.
sentence and ]ndg,mEs, nse N Prendergast be-
i; ea + e. ssssdo in The the
noon and o'clock s IN D 9n 1894 in the manner
sd day OF Ma tba Statute Of this state be
RRanssd BY y he neck until are ds@ began
Just before Judge Brehasa any;nr the