The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-01-04
PRENDERGAST CONVICTED
THE JURY UNANIMOUSLY AGREED
THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE.
Took the Announcement Hard, Showing
That He Appreciated Its Import but
Lacked the Courage to Meet His
Doom With His Usual Bvavado.

CHICAGO, Dec. 29.-Prendergast, the
murderer of Carter H. Harrison, is to
be hanged for his crime. The verdict
of the jury has said it and the people
approve it. Ably defended as the as
sassin has Teen, strong as had been the
evidence abducted to save his neck
from the halter, the jury found him
sane and responsible for his acts, and
demanded that he pay the highest
penalty for his otfense against the
law. This price, however, is a sorry
one at best, The value to the world
of one life such as that of Carter H
Harrison would weigh down the scale
against the existence of 100 such as
Prendergast.
Nothing since the commission of his
crime So irritated Prendergast as a
comparison between himself and Gui3
teau. He has resisted with energy and
scorn as though the assassination of
Garfield was foul and creeping thing
compared with himself. But the
courtroom this afternoon he showed
that one trait existed in common be.
tween Guiteau and himself. He proved
himself an unmanly, miserable cow
ard, a creature who would have life at
any price, under any conditions, any
where, anyhow, only let it be life.
When Clerk Fitzgerald arose to read
the finding of the jury the prisoner
stood clutching the back OF chair
cycling him with most intense eager
ness. His long, bony fingers ner-
vously clasped and unclasped the back
of the chair, his knees trembled vio-
lently, his face flushed aud his spiteful
looking mouth opened aud closed as
though he would say something, but
lacked power to speak.
I'VE, the jury, find the defendant,
Patrick Eugene John Prendergast,
guilty of murder in the manner and
form as charged in the indictment and
fix his penalty at DEATH" Fitzgerald's
voice, clear and calm, read out the
finding and died away with slight
emphasis on the final word. Then
Prendergast revealed himself an utter
coward. His face turned pale, he
opened his mouth to speak, but only
faint murmer came from bet Ween his
hot, quivering liD He moved slightly
and would have fallen to the floor but
for the assistance of the baililf. When
the jury was polled he listened with
avidity to each and every answer to
Judge Brentano's question:
"Was this and is this now your YER
dict?"
at is" replied Foreman Jacob SUIT
! ter, and ut Is" repeated every other
juror
The hope and the last vestige of
courage faded utterly in Prendergast's
breast. He was halt led, half carried
to his cell where, refusing to speak, he
threw himself upon his bunk in an at
tempt to hide from his fellow prison
ers whose expressions of satisfaction
over the verdict were more emphatic
than graceful and more sincere than
polite,
The jury was out exactly an hour.
After the jury had retired a general
discussion of the testimony followed
and the jurors expressed individual
opinions, particular attention being
paid to the testimony of insanity ex.
perts Then two ballots were taken.
The first. to determine the guilt or in
nocence of the prisoner, resulted in an
unanimous verdict of guilty" The
second ballot to determine upon the
penalty and twelve men all said "han-
ging." The foreman then wrote out
the verdict. 1t was approved by the
jurors and delivered to the court.