Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-07-19
HARRISON AVENGED.

PreEderSast, the Murderer OF Carter Har-
rison. Hanged-He Went Stoicaliy to His
Death Apparently NervinS Himself to
Meet the Fate He Had COurted WtthOue
Collapse-The Execution Devoid of Ex-
citing Incident.
CHICAGO. July IA crime against
the state was expiated on the gallows
Of the Cook county Jail this morning
Nearly nine months have elapsed since
the bullet of an assassin deprived Chi
cago of her chief executive, the state
Of one of her most illustrious citizens
and the country at large of states
man and a patriot.
To-day the crime was avenged and
Patrick Eugene Prendergast suffered
an ignominous death at the hands OF
the hangman. The execution was de-
void o. incident, for the assassin went
to his death like an OK going to the
shambles.
A HEARTY BgEAKFAsr-uoPE TO THE
LAST.
Prendergast partook of a hearty
breakfast of porterhouse steak, sliced
tomatoes and cucumbers, French fried
potatoes and hot biscuit, washed down
with copious draughts of chocolate, OF
which he seemed Unfortunately fond.
Up to the last moment the hope of in
terposition from some source did not
desert him, although he was fully
cognizant of the fact that all efforts in
both state and federal courts and in
the executive chamber had been ex-
hausted. When it came to the end he
nerved himself for supreme effort,
and paid the penalty of his crime with
out whimper and without a word.
THE DREAD PRELIMINARIES
At 10 o'clock Sheriff Gilbert entered
the cell and read the death warrant.
Prendergast made no direct response to
the official, but remarked in a side voice
to Father Barry: 1--WE may yet hear
from the governor" Meanwhile the
physicians composing the jury, the
members of the grand jury now in ses-
sion and about 200 ticket-holders had
been admitted to what is now known in
the jail as the death corridor
THE WALK To THE sCAFFoLD.
At 11:40 the deputy sheriff on the
scaffold raised his hand to command
silence and one minute later the pro-
cession rounded the upper corridor and
came into view. Sheriff Gilbert led the
way with Father Berry close behind.
Prendergast walked between two depu-
ty sheriffs and half dozen deputies
brought up the rear. 1t was apparent
to everyone that while the condemned
man was on the verge of collapse he
was nevertheless determined to present
a nervy front. He looked neither to
the right nor left, but straight ahead
and seemed unconscious of
THE SEA OF FACES BEFORE HIM.
AS he advanced to the front of the
scaffold he made a sign of the cross
upon his breast and upon his forehead.
Father Barry repeated a prayer in an
undertone while the deputies adjusted
the straps at his knees and fastened
his arms behind him. Just as the
white shroud was being tied around
everyone imagined he was about to
make speech. In a second, however,
HE HAD SET HIS TEETH TOGETHER,
while his face grew red and white by
turns. The two deputies led him to the
center of the trap, quickly adjusted the
moose and drew the white cap over his
head. His limbs seemed to tremble for
a second, and then there was move
ment from under the white robe as
though he were bracing himself. The
signal was given to
THE UNSEEN EXECUTIONER,
the trap shot downward, the body
swung round and round, there was
one brief convulsive struggle, and the
murder of Carter Harrison had been
avenged. The body was surrounded
by the jury of physicians, and as soon
as life had been pronounced extinct it
was cut down.