Evening star., 1896-02-14

hang Until 12.08, twenty-nine and a half
minutes, and then 1t was cut down and
placed In q coffin, furnished by the gov
eminent. The features were composed. and
confirmed the opinion of the medical men
that death was painless and unconscious
ness instantaneous. Undertaken Harvey
removed the body to his shop, and there
1t was later In the day turned over to the
widow and mother of the unfortunate man.
His Crime.
The crime for which Harris died was the
murder of Matthew Spruell, colored, the af
ternoon of the 4th of last July. The two
men. with their families, lived in the same
house in Georgetown, and there Spruell had
q little barber shop. Shortly before 2
O'Clock the afternoon of the murder Harris
condition Entering the barber shop, lie in
quired of Spruell why he had been annoy
ing mis- wife. Spruell replied that he had
not In any way annoyed her, but the ar
swer did not satisfy Harris and an aiterca-
ton seemed imminent, when the men We're
separated. not, however, before Harris had
threatened to take SprIelrs life before the
sun went down that day. Leaving the lit
tic shop, Harris went up to his own room,
ard there his wife endeayored to persuade
Elm to be quiet. Her entreaties had no ef-
rect upon him, however, ard, discovering
that she had thrown his revolver into the
yard, he went out in search of it. He found
II, and then he went in search of Sprueli.
Some one warned the latter that Harris
was after him with pistol, and out he ran
lrto ire street, Harris following him, pistol
In hand Spruell ran up the street a little
way. and, finding that Harris was close
upon him, he ran into an open doorway
Harris dashed in after him, and as SprueIl
ran UP the stairway fired at him. The first
shot missed the man. but as Spruell turned
on the stairway Harris fired again, and
Sprueil fell mortally wounded dying in
fH 1i1rr
the street, but Was almost Immediately
taken into custody. His trial took place be-
fore Judge Cole last October, and although
me mans counsel, Messrs. Thompson and
rralley, who served without COMPENSATION
made a strong fight for their client he was
convicted. and month later was sentenced
to be hanged the 31st of last month But
the Court of Appeals not having disposed
of the appeal taken by the defense the
PRESIDENT respited the man until TODAY and
yesterday afternoon announced that he
could not grant the petition. which asked a
communication of the death sentence 10 one
Oh life Imprisonment.
His Statement.
Harris has always claimed that he had no
intention of killing Spruell, and he has in
Variaoiy insisted. as was done in MS de-
Tense that the killing was due to his intox-
lcation His reputation was not a good
one however. and in January, 1892, he was
Tor attempting to shoot a man. Last Sat
urday Harris wrote out a statement, which
he requested the Rev. John Roberts, a we'll
known colored evangelist, to hand to The
star 1or publication after his execution. 1t
Is follows:
Dear Friends:
Il am now going to relate to you how 1
committed that unfortunate deed
ITO tine Public:
am twenty-three years of age. 1 have
wife and child. 1 lived happy until 1
commenced to drink, and TODAY / am under
sentence of death for crime 1 commit ted
while under the influence of drink. About
SIX years ago shot at a man because he
siandered my dear mothers good name,
and any SON would have done the same
thlng as did under those circumstances
But this crime 1 am about to relate and
give up my life for was not premeditated
as they have said, but was because L was
erazed with drink. l had no intention of
taking that mans life, and | am heartily
sorry for it, But, dear friends, if L had Of
had justice l would not be under sentence
or death today. L should be punished, but
i do not deserve capital punishment
Il am willing to die, but I'll go where
there Is no more trials, no more injustice.
but L am going TO that beautiful place called
Paradise Good friends, forbear to drink
for in the end you will be where 1 am to-
day l Will now give you minute descrfp-
ton of the crime.
Il left my work about a quarter of
J
1895. with the intention of going around
home to see what my wife wanted, and
when / arrived there 1 met Matthew SpruelI
standing in the door, and he asked me why
1t was my wife did not speak to him. /
told him that i did not know and he
insisted that 1 did know. Then he COM
menced to swear at me. and / retail
lated 1 told him l would hit him if he did
anything to me. 1 did not have any pistol
then. l went upstairs to look for it, and
my wife mad thrown it away, unbeknowins
TO me. / went out to look for my pistol,
and, not finding it, returned to Matthew
and asked him if he had seen 1t. In reply
he told me, No, there is no one in here that
has anything belonging to you, and you
get out of here id quick And then he
walked to where his razors were. Then 1
said, IF you bother me I'll break your
mouth Then he takes up of his
razos and came to me in threatening
attitude. but woman came between and
separated Us.
Il ran out the back way, and he followed
me to the middle door. /, being drunk, in
the excitement ran into the yard, and the
first object that l saw was my pistol that
my wife had thrown away. Picking it up,
/ ran around the front street, and the first
person L saw was Matthew Spruell. He
turned as though he was coming toward
me, and then 1 raised the pistol, and then
he turned and ran up the street, 1 in pur-
suit
AT the corner he ran into a hallway and
as he turned / fired, but did not hit him.
Then l ran in the doorway myself. 1 pull
ed the trigger the second time, but it did
not go off. and then he turned around and
started toward me, and / shot him then on
the stairs and he fell. Then / ran about
half a square, when l realized what l had
done. l Immediately returned and gave my
self up.
This. kind friends, is the true story of
the affair. and may God. in His mercy, for
give me. Trusting that 1 may be thought
kindly of by the people, and hoping to meet
you all in heaven.
Dear friends. don't drink. Whisky is
the cause of all our misf0rtunes.
Signed by me this Sth day of February,
1896. District Jail, Washington, ID. C.
JOHN HARRIS"
breaches Temperance.
Another statement was handed to the
colored clergyman by Harris, and in that,
which is as follows, the condemned man
breaches quite an effective temperance SER
mon:
How often men go through this world,
never thinking for a moment that God is
watching our evil ways. There is not a
man in this world who does not know there
is a God. but still no kTopS on as