The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-06-03
ELDER PRATT, THE MORMON,
SHOT.

444I &0O "
SHOT.
1t is with regret that we have to chon-
icle the homicide committed in our vicini-
ty on Wednesday last, by Mr.. Hector H..
Mclean, late of San Francisco, Califor-
mia, upon the person of a Mormon preach
er. More than all do we deplore the
melancholy affair that led to its commits
sion. The deceased, whose name was
Farley Parker Pratt, was a man of note
among the Mormons, and, judging from
his diary and his letter to Mrs. Mclean,
he was a man of more than ordinary intel
ligence and ability. He had been a
preacher and missionary of the Mormons
at San Francisco, California, where he
made the acquaintance of Mrs. Mclean,
whom be induced to embrace the Mormon
faith.
She was at that time living with he
husband, Hector Fl. Mclean; they were
happy and prosperous until she made the
acquaintance of Pratt, and embraced the
Mormon faith She is the mother of
three children by Mclean, two boys and
IL Sii, IL oCCuiS L " oG I'LL ihtClilSOhtd IL
interesting lady; converses h%uently, and
with more grace and ease than most ladies.
About two years ago, and soon after she
became a convert to MormonisE, she
made an attempt to abduct two of her
children to Utah, but was detected and
prevented by her brother who was then in
5 California, and residing with his brother
in-law, Mr.. Mclean. She soon after,
: however, found means to elope with said
Pratt to Salt Lake, where it is said that
she became his ninth wife.
t After the elopement of Mrs. Mclean,
her parents, who reside near New Orleans,
S wrote to Mr.. Mclean, in California, to
send the children to them. He did so.
e Several months after this Mr.. Mclean
|, received news that his wife had been to
her father, in New Orleans, and eloped
with the two youngest children. He i'm.
, mediately left San Francisco for New Or.
: leans, and, on arriving at the house O
his father-in-law, he learned from them
f that Mrs. Mclean had been there, and
after an Intellectual effort to convert hel
father and mother to Mormonism, she pre-.
tended to abandon it herself, and so fal
obtained the confidence of her parents al
o to induce them to intrust her in the city
of New Orleans with the children; bu'
t they soon found she had betrayed thei1
: confidence and eloped with the children
4 They then wrote to Mclean in Sal
e Francisco, who, upon the receipt of thei
d letter, went to New Orleans, and learning
r from them the above facts in relation t.
n the affair, Immediately started in pursui
p of his children. He went to New Yorl
n and then to ST. Louis. While in St. Loui
he learned that the woman and childrel
were in Houston, Texas. On his arriva
n in Houston he found that his wife had lief
some time before his arrival, to join a larg
s party of Mormons en- route for Utah. H
O then returned to New Orleans, and fror
n there to Fort Gibson, in the Cherokee Ma
ton, with the expectation of interceptinI
It his wife and children at that point.
Y On arriving at Fort Gibson, and Will
h there, he found letters in the post Office t
Or his wife from Pratt, some of which wer
mailed at st. Louis, and others at Fin
post Office, Cherokee Nation. We al
unable to give the contents of these LEI
N tiers with particularly; but they containe
the fact that Mclean was on the look-or
for her ard the children, and that the
III were betrayed by the apostates and Ger
I'd tiles, AND advising her to be cautious
her movements, and not to let herself
us known only to q few of the saints an
,r elders. Mclean then, upon afiday
H. made by himself, obtained q writ from Il
United States Commissioner at this plat
q for their arrest, and succeeded in gettir
them arrested by the United States Ma
or shall. They were brought to this pla'
for trial, and, after an examination befo
the Commissioner, were discharged.
a. Pratt, as soon as released, mounted i
r. horse and left the city. Mclean sot
r. after obtained a horse and started in pu
cd suit, and overlook Pratt about eight mil
from the city, and shot him. Pratt di'
id in about two hours after receiving Il
"a wound. This is a plain narrative of t
%. facts as we heard them from the most re
N able sources, which we give to our rea
70 ers without comment, as we feel that ,
are unable to do SO with justice to all pa
ties. But deeply do we sympathize wi
Mclean in the unfortunate condition
which Mormon v%illainy and fanaticism h
% placed him.
The New York Difficulty.
The Republican Legislature of NJ
York, thinking there was some polite
capitol in the hands of the police of th
great city, have taken. the responsible