Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-06-18
ANOTHER STARTLING TRAGEDY-EL-
DER PRATT, THE MORMON, SHOT
SEDUCTION OF A WIFE IN cALIFoR.
MIA.


MA. " "
We have TO record 10 day another painful mar.
rativs Of Mormon iniquity. seiactiou ard Vilaiy.
followed up 10 this instance, however, ~ will be
seen, BY summary vengeance from the injured
husband. The account which We pgLlsh below
is taken frOmlhe Van Barau Ark.) bisElgsnxr. q
and givesin brief the facts Of The case pretty much
As they have occurred Thus it will he seen Whist
utter raia and devastation have beel wrought in
virtuOus family by the designing arts Of saiOi-
ly scouBdrel, and the lures Of false and liceu.
ticus faith: ...
TRAsIcAL-It is with regret that We have to
chronicle the homicide, committed 10 our vicinity
on Wednesday last, BY HsetOr II. Mclean, hts
Of Ssu Francisco, California, upon the person Of a
Mormon preacher. More than all do We deplore
the melancholy affair that led TO It's commission.
The deceased, whose name was Perley Parker
Pratt, was a man Of note among the mormouA
and judging from bis diary and bis letter to Mrs.
Mclean, he was man Of more thss ordinary ia-.
ieIligeBce and ability. He had beea a preacher
and missionary Of the NomoBs at San Francisco,
California, where be made the Acquaintance Of Mrs.
Mclean, whom be irdueel to embrace the Nor
mon faith.
She was at that time living with her husband.
Hector Fl. Mclean; they we're happy and pros
perJus until she made the acquaintance Of Pratt,
and embraced the Mormon faith. She is the
mother Of thres children by Mclean, two boys
and girl, and seems to he an intelligent and 10.
terestng lady, converses freely, and with more
grace and ease than most ladies. About two years
ago, soon after she became a convert to Mormon.
sm, she made an attempt to abduct two Of the
children to Utah, but was detected and prevented
Ly ber brother, who was then 10 California, ld
residing with bis brOther-in.law, Mr. Mclean
She soon after, however, found means TO elope
with said Pratt to Salt Lake, where it is said she
became his ninth wife.
After the elopement Of Mrs. Mclean, her pa.
rents, who reside near New Orleans, wrote to Mr..
Mclean, in California, 10 send the children to
them. He did 50. Several months after this Mr..
Mclean received news that bis wife had bseL to
her fathers in New Orleans and eloped with the
two youngest children. He Immediately left San
Francisco for New Orleans, and on arriving at the
house of bis fathern. law, be learned from them
that Mrs. Mclean had been there, and after az in.
efectua effort to convert her father and mother to
Mormonism, she pretended TO abandon it herself
ard SO far obtained the confidence of her parents
New Orleans with the children; but they soon
found she had betrayed their confidence aud eI-s
ped with the children.
They then wrote 10 Mclean 10 San Franciseo,
who upon the receipt of THEN letter, went to New
0rlesns, and learning from them tue above fs ts
in relation to the affair, Immediately started in
pursuit If bis children. He went to New York
and then to St. Louis. While in St, Louis be
learned that the woman and children were in
Houston, Texas. 0n bis arrival in Houston, he
found that his wife had left some time before bis
arrival, to JOIN large party of MOrmons en- route
for Utah. He then returned TO New Orleans and
from there to Fort Gibson, iu the Cherokee M.
ton, with the expectation Of OfnercePting bis wife
and children at that point. @ -.
On arriving at Fort Gibson, and while there,
he found sttes in the post Office to bis wife from
Pratt, some of which were mailed at ST. Louis.
and others at Flint post Office, Cl erokee nation
We are unable TO give the conten of tLOse leters
with particularly, but they contained the fact
that Mclean was on the look cut for her
and the children, and that they were betrayed
BY the apostates and gentiles, and advising
her to be cautious in her movements, and not to
let terself be known only to few Of the saints
and elders. Mclean then, upon affidavit made
by himself, obtained writ from the United States
Commissioners at this place for their arrest, and
succeeied in getting them arrested by tue United
States Marshal. They were brought TO this place
for trial, and after an examination befole the Com,
missioner, were discharged, .s--,
Pratt as sooa as released, mounted bis holA
and left the city. Mclean soon afterwsrd o.
taineI horse aud started in pursuit, and overlook
Pratt about eight miles from the city, and shot
him. Pratt died in about two hOuls after recei-
wing the wound. This is a plain narrative Of lbs
facts rs we heard them from the most reliable re-
sources, which we give TO our readers wilhopt
comment, as We feel that We are unstie to do %
with justice to all the paltiet But deeply do We
sympa hiss with Mclean in the uulorlunAle con.
condition in which Mormon vilIiary snl aD1tieislp
has placed him.