The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-22
HE SAID, DIDN'T SET ANY FIRE, DID Ip'
Della Pray Tells Some Peculiar
Things About Sylvester Cummings.
He Was Jealous of Hts Young Rival
and Threatened to Shoot Him.
the Defence Declares Its Ability to
Overthrow a Conspiracy.


Especial to the Pressl
ALFRED, May 21.-The cross-examinatior
OF George W.Pray was resumed this morning
at the coming in of court. The point hay
ing been made that it was incompetent fol
George W. Pray to testify in his own case to
matters as Of threats, ETC., made by Cum
mings, now deceased, the court ruled that
from this point on, the case should be con-
sidered as Charles Pray against the estate,
dropping out the case of George w. Pray.
Mr.. Edgerly noted an exception and the ex.
animation was continued. When the point
was reached at which the court interfered in
the examination of Perley Abbott, Wednes-
day, Mr.. Pray explained in regard to the
conversation between Cummings and him.
self. Cummings objected to Delia's going up
to Pray's because he wanted her at home to
help him get ready to go to Boston that night.
He asked about the FIRE and said he was sor-
ry for It,. He had been burned ont once him
self and knew how to pity people in the
same plight. He offered to do anything in
hi. power to help them. Cummings seemed
to be very nervous and excited as he talked,
Witness never noticed this nervousness in
Cummings's ordinary manner, although
when ne mad been threatening witness with
trouble he had seen the same nervousness.
When Della went home again witness to Id
her to get pair Of shoes belonging to Gu M
mings so that they could measure them.
Della brought pair Of light over hoes.
The cross-examinati0n was long and
searching. but nothing OF Mr.. Pray's testI-
monv was shaken. On redirect examination
Mr. Pray. said that he first started out toward
Springvale looking for tracks, because of his
recollection of Cummings threats.
John w. Frost OF Springvale testified as to
Cummings appearance. He was bow-leg-
Mrs. Della G. Pray was the next witness.
She Is the Della Gerry of the case, and he r
testimony was listened to with interest. She
was Mr.. Cummings house-keeper for five
years.. She first met George Pray at his
fathers year ago last April when she went
there with Cummings after calf. She af-
terward saw him several times and he paid
her more or less attention, the first time be-
ing Decoration Day. Cummings saw Pray
at. at the house on that day; The first time that
and his partiality for the witness was some.
where near Fourth of July. Cummings OBJ
1ected TO her continuing with George and
told her that If she would marry him [Cnm-
mlngs.l he would give her the house. The
TWltness refused: Pray kept on coming and
OF bis own property and endeavoring to dit
vert witnesses affections from George to him
self. he then began to make threats. Mr..
lame. lame asked sReoa,, about the threats
the counsel for the ether side claimed that
the threats against George Pray had nothing
to do with Charles Pray. Mr.. Came re-
Joined that the known property of George
Fray had all been shown to be in his fathers
barn and that to injure George the barn be-
longing to his father must be burned. The
question was admitted subject to an excep.
tlon. Cummings, one night, when the wit
ness came back from a ride with Pray,
Threatened to shoot Pray showing witness
time went out with his revolver at time
when Pray was expected to 90 by the house
on his way home from Springvale. Witness
endeavored to dissuade Cummings, who re-
fused, unless witness stopped going with
George Pray. The first threat was made Sat-
urday. the week before the barn was burned
The other was made in the middle of the
week. The witness confirmed the testimony
OF other witnesses in regard to Cummings
personal appearance and the manner in
which he walked. Cummings had three
pairs OF rubber boots, two pairs having the
tops cut off. One of these, a light pair, was
in the barn the night of the fire, and witness
brought them into the house for him. She
hunted for this pair of boots after the fire
but could not find them. On Sunday after
noon, the day.after the fire, Cummings spoke
about the fire. He told her he guessed her
calf was not burned. Then he said, 81 didn't
set any fire, did l?' repeating this over two
or Sctl three times. When IN he missed his rub
that Pray had probably taken them to fit in
to some tracks that they might have found.
That night he came to her room several
times and begged her not tell the Prays the
threats he had made against George. The
witness did not make a. positive reply
to him. Mr.. Came produced a pair of rubber
boots which the witness identified as
belonging to Cummings. The boot was not
the one that made the track, but one of the
same size. These boots were taken from
n.,x, har l.xy HFx Crask
by Detective Davis.
On cross-examination Mrs. Pray told
about the visit of Detective Davis to Mr..
Cummings house and admitted that she
took the rubbers that she carried to Pray's,
unbeknown 10 Cummings.
On the Saturday evening of the fire, the
witness gave the cutoff boots to Cummings
and afterward went to walk with him. He
went to the pOstoffice and she made CALL
She came back to the house at about $50.
Cummings was In the dining room, read
ing paper. He seemed pleasant, and talk
ed with witness more or less. The burden
of his conversation was his brother David's
financial difficulties Sunday morning he
told the witness that he was going to North
Berwick that night to take the train for
clock Saturday night and got up at about
half past six in the morning. Cummings
was in the kitchen kindling the fire. He
had driven the cow to pasture. Cummings
seemed pleasant, although somewhat wOr-
red about his brother David's affairs. He
told witness that he was going to put his
own property into his brothers affairs. On
the Sunday when Pray came down to take
her to ride. Pray asked her several ques
tions In regard to what was done at the
Cummings house the night before, and then
about it until after Abbott had left the
wagon. After her return Cummings asked
her II the barn was insured. The cross
examination was long and searching bnt no
point In her direct testimony was shaken. A
the witness which she declared not to be the
light pair that Cummings wore. Mrs. Pray
conducted herself with great firmness
through the searching examination.
Albert j. W0odman was the first witness
after the noon recess. He is son-in-law of
Charles Pray. He came up through Cum
mings's field Sunday evening between s and
9 o'clock and saw Cummings on the piazza
talking with someone he did not know. He
heard Cummings say that he must 60 in and
60 to bee, as he had been up late the night
before. On ncross-examination, witness said
that some Of the Pray family asked him to
go down to Cummings's to see and hear all
he could.
Fred A. Allen, of Alfred, testified that he
house and Pray's. The distance was i've
miles and 2l3 rods, minus one-third.
q Robert A. Davis, of Portland, the detec-
tive, took the stand and was examined by
Col. Burbank. Mr.. Dayis testified that he was
summoned to Saco by the county attorney of
the Pray barn. He first went to Pray's four
days after the fire, and to Cummings house
the day following. lie identified the rub
Der boots that Mrs. Pray identified In the
He said he saw Cummings several
times, that Cummings was very much ex-
cited, trembling SO much that witness
thought he would fall over. On other occa-
sions ne was less nervous. He talked with
Cummings considerably about the fire. Saw
Cummings walk several times and noticed
each time that he toed in. Cummings once
told him that his toeing in was something
natural to his family. The witness arrested
Cummings somewhere about the 10Th of
September. He identified the return on the
capias on which the arrest was made Mr..