Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-22
]. T. HARRIS GOES
! TO ELECTRIC CHAIR
WITHOUT A QU|VER
Eleventh-Hour Efforts to Get
Life Term for Slayer of
Alabama PhiIanthropist
Prove Vain

RALEIGH, n. c.. Oct. 21.-J. T.
Harris, former Ridgecrest merchant
and brother-in-law of the late United
States Judge Peter c. Pritchard, was
electrocHted at the state prison here
Thursday morning at 1880 for the
killing of F. w. Monnish, philan,
thropist Of Tuscaloosa. Ala, at
Ridgecrest, on September 8. 1920.
Two shocks We're required to pro,
duce death. He left no statement re.
garding the killing.
Led by his spiritual adviser. Rev.
o. B. Mitchell, of the Baptist church,
of Cameron. Harris, man of about
fifty-fve years of age. walked with.
out falsaring step from his death
chamber. He declined the offer of
two prison guards to assist him,
telling them he preferred to walk
alone. AS he passed the cells of
other men under death sentence,
Harris looked in, but said nothing,
merely waving his hand as a fare.
well to them.
When Harris took his seat in the
chair, he calmly watched the prison
attaches strap him, showing no sign
of emotion.
According to Rev. Mitchell, the
prisoner ate hearty breakfast and
told him that he slept we'll last night.
He asked the minister to thank
his friends, who. made appeals to
the governor for d communication OF
his sentence.
1t was exactly 1890 when Warden
Samuel Busbee signalled the prison
guard to bring Harris into the death
chamber, and a minute later he was
securely strapped in the chair and
the deadly current sent through his
body. On the first shock, Harris
body snapped forward and the hands
closed and remained in this position
until the current was cut off Il
minute and a half later.
DR.. Norman, prison physician, eX-
amined Harris and signalled for
another shock, and pronounced Har-
ris dead SIS seconds later.
The body, accompanied by Har-
ris' daughter and son, will be taken
to Asheville tonight.
History of Case
J. T. Harris, who was electrocut
ed at the state prison here today,
was convicted in Buncombe county
phiIanthrop.st, of Tuscaloosa, Ala.
at Ridgecrest, September 5, 1920.
Harris was tried in Buncombe
county superior court, found guilty
by jury of murder in the FIRST de
gree, and Judge B. F. Long eeli
fenced him to be electrocuted. Al
the trial, Harris counsel set IL r lea
of insanity, while the prosecution
contended that Harris had killed
MonniSh because of the ALTERS ac-
Invites against blockaders. Harris
appealed to the supreme court for
a new trial, but by a thcee-to-tWo
decision, the verdict of the lower
court was affu aIed.
On September Z Of this year, one
year after the killing OF MOnnlsh.
hearing was held in the offices
of Governor M0rr ison on / pctition
for communication of the sentences
Attorneys for Harris aLra Ike the
character of Rev. Livingston T.
Mays, manager Of the Baptist as
sembly grounds at Ridgecresr, one
OF the principal witnesses for tie
prosecution. and argued that Nd 9TH
er man had ever been executed when
the supreme court had b1cn divided
three to two.
The governor declined the appli-
cation and set October 20 as the
day for his execution.
Three days ago, Harris chief
counsel, Judge Frank Carter, issued
long statement in which he ap.
pealed to the conscience of the
people, to prevent the execution of
Harris, declaring that on neWly-dis-
covered evidence as to the charac-
ter of the states principal witness.
the sentence should be committed,
and also declared that Harris father
had been insane and that he had a
sister at one time confined in an
asylum at Knoxville. Tenn. In re-
Spouse to this appeal. the governors
office yesterday and las. nigh. was
flooded with kilograms and tele-
phone calls urging him to commute
the sentence. The governor issued
q statement last night saying he
would not interfere win the judg-
n1ent of the courts, AMI that Earr.s
MT st die this morning.
No Statement by Harris
Monnish was shot srUrCly after
leaving the store of Harris at Ridge
crest, Harris using a shotgun. Mon
nish died on a railroad train while
being taken to Asheville for treat
Hent. harris mas never mace any
statement regarding the killing. al
though no effort was ever made to
deny that he shot MIR. Monnish
The defer Sc claimed that llarI IS
was suffering under "a hallucination
that Monnish had1 been intimate
with Mrs. Harris.
Harris was a brother inlay of
the late Judge Jeter =. Pritchard,
and at one time was RENTED 10 he
wealthy He leaves a widow, 0augh-
ter and son, all of whom have made
personal appeals to the governor re
Gently to have the sentence com.
muted.
The son and daughter were with
their father up to late last night.
His body will be accompanied by
them to Ridgecrest TODAY