People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1894 — MAY ESCAPE THE ROPE. [ARTICLE]

MAY ESCAPE THE ROPE.

Prendergast to Have the Advantage of Another Stay. Chicago, March 29. —Patrick Eugene Prendergast will not be hanged on April 6, the date to which Judge Chetlain postponed the execution. That was definitely settled during the proceedings, although the judge refused to grant a further stay of execution at this time. The sanity hearing was continued until April 5 at 2 p. m., at which time Judge Chetlain says he will take such action as may be necessary. As it will be manifestly impossible to complete the trial by the time set for the execution, both sides agree that a further stay will then be granted, and it is understood that this will not be opposed by the state’s attorney. It is also announced that Mr. Trude will appear at that trial, but there are still many who do not believe that he will. Prendergast was quieter than ho has been on previous occasions in court. He interrupted the proceedings two or three times to denounce the state’s attorney and proclaim that he was acting in bad faith, but was not as wild in his talk as usual. Tuesday afternoou while Johnson, the death watch, was sitting in front of Prendergast’s cell, the latter began to abuse him for forcing him to be quiet in court a few days ago. The guard replied to his epithets good naturedly, which seemed to increase the assassin’s temper. Suddenly Prendergast seized a broom stick which was in his cell and poking it through the bars punched Johnson twice in the face, bruising him considerably. Assisted by another guard, Johnson entered the cell and overpowered the prisoner. Prendergast was taken to the dungeon, a small black room with perfectly bare walls and utterly devoid of furniture, where he spent the night