Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-10
T o DIE F RI D AY
Death Watch Placed on a Condemned
Murderer.
Only a Few Witnesses to Be Allowed
at the ExecutfOn-Given
I'D Hope.

John Harris, or Patsy Harris, as he is
known to many people, the young colored
man who will be hanged at the District jail
Friday next, unless the President inter-
feres. and that is not likely, will be executed
in the presence of the smallest number ever
before present at an execution in the Dis
trict. Heretofore it has been the custom Of
the authorities to admit to executions here
many as fifty or a hundred spectators
despite the fact that the law restricted the
number to a jury of twelve, counsel for the
government and prisoner, physicians, clergy
men and peace officers. Warden Leonard
greatly reduced the number when Trayers
and Beam were executed last July, and he
intends that at The execution of Harris the
law relative to the number Of those entitled
to witness the hanging shall be strictly COM
piled with.
The warden has been confined to his bed
since the LIST of the month from the effects
of injuries received in the war. and in con-
versation with a Star reporter yesterday he
explained that he had received from Judges
Bingham and Cole construction of the law
in question, the judges informing him that
the law must be fully obeyed. Il have de-
termined, therefore," said Mr.. Leonard, Ito
issue no invitations to witness the execution
of Harris. 1 will, however, request the at
tendance of jury of twelve witnesses, to
be composed almost entirely of newspaper
reporters, and the only other witnesses Of
the execution will be the necessary number
Of physicians, counsel, clergymen and police
officers. In fact the whole number will not
exceed thirty persons, if, indeed, there are
that many present. / have always been
greatly opposed to making the infiiction OF
the death penalty a show, as 1t has too
often been made here and it will be utterly
useless for people to ask for invitations,
for the court has instructed me in the mat
ter, and the law will be strictly observed.
In thus obeying the law ] will, believe, be
court.
by public opinion"
Given Up Hope.
Harris has, it is said given up all hope
of a reprieve or of a Communication of the
death sentence, and is said by the officers
of the Jail to have become perfectly re-
signed to his fate. For a time ii was
feared that he would break down, but he
has recovered his nerve, and it is expected
that he will march to the scaffold fear
lessly and confident of better life here
after. He is being visited by Father Mat
thews of ST. Cyprian's Catholic Church,
and has embraced that faith. The con-
demned man has for some time been
anxious to be photographed, that he might
leave his old mother a picture of himself,
and yesterday afternoon he was photo
graphed by an officer of the Jail, who Is
something of an amateur photographer.
Harris spends about all of his time in
reading his Bible and prayer book. His
appetite is coed, and the warden allows
MIN to virtually select Whatever he wishes
to eat. He is a rather uncommunicatiye
man, and has little to say to any one, and
rarely refers to his crime, which was the
shooting of Matthew Spruell, colored, in
Georgetown. His record is a rather bad
one, and in January, 1892 he was SEN
fenced to two years in the penitentiary for
assault with intent to kill, having then
used pistol on a man.
Death Watch.
The death watch was placed over Har-
ris last night, and from now until he
marches to the scaffold he will not be
out of it's sight. This is done out of
abundant caution, not that there is any
real necessity for it, as the man has been
at all times a model prisoner, quiet and
obedient to the prison rules. His coun-
sci. Messrs. Thompson and Frailey, will,
it is understood, ask the President for
reprieve or for a Communication of the death
sentence but the law will, it is believed,
be allowed to take its course, as the Court
of Appeals, in affirming the judgment OF
the lower court Judge Cole, states that
it was a case of premeditated and mali
cious murder. The sentence of the court
requires Howard to be hanged between the
hours of 10 am and / PM. and the exc
cution will probably take place about IL 80
next Friday morning.