The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-06-04
startling Tragedy.

\ es~SSS5s
Elder Pratt, the Mormon-Seductlon Of
Wife in CaiSfornia-She Deserts her H,,s.
band, steals oloay her Children, and is Sealed
as The Ninth Concu5iae 10 her Debaucher.
We have to record to-day another painful
narrative of Mormon iniquty, seduction aud
vllainy, followed up in this instance, however,
as it will be seen, by summary vengeance
! from the injured husband The account which
we publish below is taken from the Van Buren,
| (Arkansas) InteIligencer, and gives in brief
! the facts Of the case pretty much as they have
occurred. From the Fort Smith Herald, aud
the New Orleans Balletin, we also have con-
frmation OF the whole story, up to the las.
act in the drama, the tragic death of Elder
Pratt, the Mormon apostle. Thus it will be
seen what utter ruin aad devastation has been
wrought in a virtu 'us family by the designing
arts of a sanity scoindrel aad the lures of
false and licehtioas faith. Haie is what the
Van Buren, Intelfgeacer records Of the teruin
alton of this affair:
TRAGIcAL.-Nk with regret that we have
to chronice the homicide, committed in our
vicinity on "Wednesday last, by Mr.. Hector
MIA, upon the person OF a Mormon preacher
More Than all do we iaplore the melancholy
affair thatled 10 its commission. The deceased,
whose name was Farley Parker Pratt, was a
man of note among the Morluons, and iadg-
ing from his diary ani his letters to Mrs. Nc
Lean, he was mln of more than ordinary in
telligence and ability. He ha 1 been preach
| er and Missionary of the Mormon, at San
| Francisco, California, where he made the ac-
! quaIntance OF Mrs. Mclean, whom he induced
to embrace the Mormon faith.
she was at that time living with her hus-
band. Hector II. Nc Lean; they were happy
and prosperous until she male the acquain-
lance of Pratt, and embraced the. Mormon faith .
| She is the mother of three children by Me-
Lean, two boys and girl, and seems to be an
intelligent and interesting lady converses flu
emily, and with more grace and ease than most
laiies. About two years ago, and soon after
she became convert to Mormonism, she
made ain attempt to abduct two OF her children
to Utah, but was detected and prevented by
her brother, who was then in California, and
residing with his bro her-in-iaw, Mr.. Nc
Lean. She soon after, however, found means
to eope with SAID Pratt to Salt Lake, where
it is said that she became his ninth wife.
After the elopement of Mrs. Mclean, her
parents, who reside in New Orleans, wrote to
Mr.. Mclean, in California, to send the chill
dren to them. He did so. Several months af-
ter this, Mr. Mclean learned that his wife
had been to her father in New Orleans, and
eioped with the two children. He Immediate
ly left San Francisco for New Orleans, and on
arriving at the house of his father-in-law, he
learned from them that Mrs. Mclean had
been there, ana after an Intellectual effort to
, convert her father and mother to Norm onism.
she pretended to abandon it herself, aud SO far
obtained the confidence Of her parents. as to
induce them to entrust her in the city of New
Orleans with the children; but they soon found
that she had betrayed their confidence and
eloped with the children.
/, They then wrote 10 Mclean in San Francis.
co, who, upon the receipt of the letter went
to New Otleans, and learning from them the
above facts in relation to the affair, imneli.
ately started in pursuit Of his children. h
, went to New York and then to st. Louis
!, While in S.. Louis he learned that the WON 4
and children were in Houston, Texas. o.
his arrival in Houston, he found that his wife
had left Just before his arrival, to Join u large
: party OF Mormons en- route for Utah. He
then returned to New Orleans, and from there
went to Fort Gibson, in.the Cherokee Nation,
yifh th. nf int ptipr bic g..
and children at that point. On arriving at
Fort Gibson, and while there, he found letters
in the post office to his wife from Pratt, some
of which were mailed at St. Louis, and others
at Flint post office, Cherokee Nation. We are
unable to give the contents Of these letters,
with particularly, but they contained the fact
that Mclean was on the lookout for her and
the children, and that they were betrayed by
the Gentiles, and advising her to be cautious
in her movements, and not to let herself be
known only to few Of the Saints and Elders.
| Mclean, then, upon affidavit, made by him
self, obtained writ from the United States
Commissioner at this place for their arrest
and succeeded in getting them arrested by the
United States Marshal. They were brought
to this place for trial, and after an examina
ton before the Commissioner they were u.s.
charged.
| Pfatt, as sooi as released, mounted his
horse and let the city. Mclean soon after
obtained horse and started in pursuit, and
overlook Pratt about eight miles from the city
and shot him. Pratt died in about two hours
after receiving the wound. This is plain
narrative of the facts, as we heard them from
| the most reliable sources, which we give to
our readers without comment, as we feel that
we are unable to do SO with justice TO all par
ties. But deeply do we sympathize with Nc
Lean in the unfortunate condition in which
Mormon viilainy and fanaticism has placed
him.
u ST. Louis, May 25.
Advices from Kansas to the 2lst, say that
Stanton had issued proclamation for the cleo
ton of delegates TO the Constitutional Conven-