Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-07-19
LAST HOURS OF LIFE.
Prendergast Speaks with His Spiritual
Advisor-Firm to the Last.


Chicago, ILL.,, July 13.-Within the
gloomy whitened walls of Cook county
Jail all was bustle confusion and sup
pressed excitement as the time rapidly
drew near when Patrick Eugene Prem
dergast the condemned murderer of
Mayor Garter Harrison, would expiate
his crime, paying the forfeit with his
life. The gallows had been placed in po-
sition in the east end of the north corri-
assistants made the final test of the rope,
trap and trigger. Jailer Morris at 1O:45
said: "Prendergast rested we'll last
night and seemed calm and collected
when the jailer left him few minutes
before. He refused until late last even
ing to receive spiritual consolation, but
when nightfall came on he asked that
Father Muldoon be admitted"
At 11:3O all the prisoners in the three
tiers of cells Immediately in front of and
to the left of the scaffold were marched
into the south wing in order that there
might be no demonstration during the
final scenes.
AS is the custom, the assassin was close
ly guarded by bailffs during the night
Between 6 and { o'clock Prendergast par
took heartily of breakfast of ham and
eggs. He showed a ravenous appetite,
and about 8 o'clock sent word to Jailer
Morris that he was again hungry. The
jailer had his prisoner served with anoth-
er hearty meal This Prendergast dis
posed of quickly, and he seemed to relish
it greatly.
The assassin talked freely with his
spiritual advisers and several times, APP
parently fearing that they would desert
him, remarked: ''You must stay with me
to the end"
AS the hour for his execution came
nearer, Prendergast showed some signs
of slightly increasing nervousness: But
Oh the whole he was remarkably calm and
well-collected. Throughout the Jail the
officers and other attaches remarked
about his behavior, for it was the general
opinion that he would weaken badly
good while before the hanging.
Father Barry was still with Prender-
CAST at IL a. M, having been in constant
attendance upon him all the morning.
The little assassin had ''thawed out" very
materially since last night and was now
most deferential to his spiritual adviser.
The doomed man announced with trif1e
of bravado that he would Idle game and
country" He intended, it was stated, to
make a speech. which, he asserted, was
to be the effort of his life.
Preparations were being made at II a.
m. to bring the condemned man to the gal
lows. Prendergast had been removed
from his cell in murderers' row to an
anteroom off the Jail office. which rs in
fact the bathroom, and where the last
kindly offices were being performed for
the miserable wretch Prendergast es-
pecially requested Sheriff Gilbert to allow
him twenty minutes in which to make his
dying statement, but Prendergast's tenn
per has been proverbially uncertain and
it was thought by many that he would at
the last moment forego his determination.
The jury of physicians at II 10 filed in
and inspected the scaffold and appurten-
ances Fifty deputy sheriffs were ranged
around the sides of the corridor, and the
rather tedious though in reality short,
wait began until the final march should
he ia ken mn