Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-03-01

he expected the worst, and was making
strong effort to conceal his fear The
courtroom was filed with spectators.
Judge Brentano read a lengthy decis-
ion overruling the motion for q new
trial.
Prendergast arose in response to the
courts order, and the crowd surged
forward. No attention was paid to the
orders of the bailiffs, and the anxious
spectators could not be quieted. When
asked by the court if he knew of any
reason why sentence should not be
passed upon him, Prendergast arose.
Producing few sheets of paper, he
began to read, as follows:
"Your honor, I have nothing particular to
say. suppose your honor is under the impress
sion that you have done your duty. But this
Plea OF insanity has been set up BY my attor-
neys without my consent. 1t was an
infamous. dirty and disreputable plea,
and done against my objections Now as
for Juror Murray, 1t Is certain to my mind that
from the manner he answered questions
he was anxious to be juror in the
case. There was something wrong
yeniremen Juror Larkin came here
on written statement but, OF
course, the defendant had no control over
this part OF the courts work Newspapers had
whole columns about 1t at the time and 1t is not
necessary for me TO go into it further now. We
had no opportunity TO watch the proceedings
in sumEoning the jurors"
Here Prendergast laid aside his notes
and seemed to become animated with
his subject. Raising his voice he ex-
tended his long, thin arm, and, gesticu-
lating like lawyer addressing the
court, continued:
Nov, your honor says that Harrison was a
great and good man. deny this geod
man is generally faithful 10 his friends, and
Harrison was not II he had been good man
he would not have been hostile toward me.
Harrison was attacked by the news-
paper trust We have been attacked by the
newspaper trust, and il the sentence Of this
court is carried out on me you will all be at the
mercy OF this newspaper trust No man 8
character or reputation will be safe Flattery.
blackmail and corruption will prevail l don't
know what the result viii be-
THE issue In this case was whether I did
right or wrong; whether I did my duty
or not; whether did the will Of God or not
II did wrong should be condemned. and il I
did right should be Justified ana ac-
quilted. This was the real issue in the case,
and that Issue was never settled II the court
wants to shirk the responsibility in this case it
will not be my fault The most OF the motions
made by the attorneys for me have been over
ruled by the court, and that was wrong.
This great embarrassing issue-if you con-
sent to my DEATH my execution, my being
legally murdered. you also consent to this
that caused me to shoot Harrison as much as
his unfaithfulness-I am feeling much better
than when I>came here. I"
He closed by declaring that if he went
to the scaffold the jury and doctors
would be infamous throughout all the
ages.
Then Judge Brentano said:
Patrick Eugene Prendergast, 1t is my pain.
ful duty TO sentence you to death. The sem
tence OF the court is that on March %, between
the hours Of 10 and IL a M. in the county Jail,
you be hanged by the neck till you are dead"
As the last words left the judges lips
Prendergast reeled as if he had been
struck heavy blow. The bailiff tried
to catch his arm, but before they could
reach him, he had steadied himself by
taking hold of Attorney Gregorv's
chair. Resuming his position he again
justified his act. He would have spoken
further, but the bailiffs led him away
to jail
Attorney barrow, Tor Prendergast,
asked leave to file bill of exceptions
within thirty days to take the case to
the supreme court. This was granted,
although the court had overruled his
motion for al arrest of Judgment.
New YORK, Feb. GA communica-
ton addressed to the New York Times
brings up coincidence that has not
yet been commented on. The writer,
who signs himself Good Friday" says:
HAS the day appointed by Judge Brentano.
OF Chicago. March %. for the execution of Prem
dergast, the assassin OF Carter Harrison, been
designedly selected because it will be Good Fri
day, or was 1t accidental selection, and II SO,
will the sentence be executed? The sanctity Of
this holy day, reverenced almost universally
for Its one preordained execution, has not in
the recollection of man been desecrated by
Vnch nnho oxvo6 ut