The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-06

right. | went to Miss Whitton and charged
her with it, and she admitted the trip, but
denied that anything criminal had &C.
CURED. The next afternoon l went to
Napa. On my arrival went to my wife's
room and accused her of going with Brom-
we'll. She admitted the trip to the Hermit
tage. but denied that 1t was more than an
indiscretion."
At this point the witness became yisibly
agltated and while describing the converse
ton with his wife burst into tears.
wADSwoRTH CALLED IN.
Continuing, he said: az told my wife
that [ could not go back to the employ of
the insurance company, but she urged me
not to act rashly. She counseled me to ad-
wise with Mr.. Wadsworth. | telegraphed
him, but he replied that he could not come.
My wife then wrote him and he telegraphed
shat he would come and l met him at the
depot. We proceeded to my wife's room,
where she asked to see Mr.. Wadsworth
alone and | retired. After the conversation
he called me in and said: George. l am
sorry you called me in. Bromwell is my
friend and you are my friend. Do not act
rashly. Think Of your wife and children
and 60 back to your place. | am sure your
wife is innocent / grew quiet and re-
turned home. There found my father-in-
law and we had a further conversation and
went back to the office"
" Did you ever intimate to Mr.. Cromwell
that you suspected him of intimacy with
your wife?"
Never in my life. tried to avoid Brom-
well at all times, as | was suspicious and
wished to relieve my mind"
Witness then went on to state that he
brought his wife home in the latter part of
1889 and that on the evening prior to the
shooting he had a conversation with her.
Il may stale" said he, that Miss Whit
ton had gone East but Just prior TO the
shooting returned to Oakland. This dis
turbed my wife greatly. When | went
home on that evening she was lying on the
sofa with headache. | expressed no SYM
pathY. but told her she had better go to
bed. / carried her upstairs, and while she
was undressing she turned to me and
asked, George. don't you love me?'
Il replied that if she would prove that
she was an innocent woman | would love
her, but not until then. She burst into
tears, and exclaimed: / cannot do it.
Cromwell has ruined me, and Wadsworth
knows all about it,
I'm moment l saw the romance of life
blotted out, and my mind was torn with
conflicting emotions"
Witness then went on to describe the
contendlng emotions which struggled for
mastery. within his brain, and prompted
him to the act for which he was on trial.
THE DISCRIMINATION.
Prosecuting Attorney Osborne, at the
conclusion of the witness statement cross
examined him on the occurrences of the
night preceding the shooting.
Defendant stated that he arose about
O'Clock on the following morning, and took
loaded pistol from his shaYing-case plac-
ing 1t in his pocket. He left home about
S:45 O'Clock, coming TO San Francisco by
the narrow-gauge route, and arriving about
three-Quarters of an hour later. He went
at once to the Office and inquired for Mr.
Bromwell, who was not in. He asked to
be notified when Mr.. Bromwel came in.
Bromwell came in soon after, and defend
ant went to his private Office
lie stated that he had letter which had
been written by him to one of the com
pany'S agents, and which lie desired to sub
nit to Mr.. Cromwell for his approval. His
impulse was to etaway, but after exchang-
ing lew remarks with Cromwell he drew
his revolver and fired
The moment he fired Cromwell squealed
and crouched behind chair While Brom-
well was in this attitude Pratt stepped for
ward and fired again. Cromwell then
sprang down the steps, and Pratt fired a
third time, and Cromwell fell.
During the entire crOsS-eXamination the
defendant described with great clearness
and without any appearance of hesitation
all that TRANSFERRED during the shooting, and
showed by diagram the positions of both
himself and Bromwell.
lie admitted that he had fired the first
shot at Bromwell with the intention of
killing him. lie had debated with himself
whether to commit suicide or to shoot
Bromwell His first Impulse was to shoot
himself, but his mind, he claimed, was in
such an excited state that he hardly knew
what he would or could dc.
AT TINS point court adjourned until 10
O'Clock this morning, when the crosS-exam-
nation OF Pratt will be continued