The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-08


back to Judge Bonney, who will sentence
Prawda. 1t is not impro bable that it
may be next January before the con-
victed man will know whether he is to
be tried again or go to Thomaston at
once for life.
In the meantime Prawda must remain
in Jail, where he is far from welcome
guest to those who have him in charge.
He has everything to gain and nothing
to lose by trying desperate chances of
escape. The life of the turnkey would
not stand in his way moment, since his
punishment cannot be any greater. no
matter how many persons he may kill.
Among the various public opinions exist
AS to the guilt or innocence of the ac-
cused; but there seems to be a general
tendency to regard the testimony as not
justifying the verdict. This is not, how
ever, the general opinion of those who
heard the whole of the evidence and
witnessed the bearing of the witnesses
and the prisoner. Among the people of
Yarmouth there is general opinion that
the verdict was just. Prawda did not
bear a good name there. He is a good
looking man in many respects, as is
shown by the accompanying cut, which
is believed to be the first auth entic like
ness of the man to be published. Prawda
has had a great aversion to allowing the
newspapers to publish his picture, and
refused previous to the trial to allow one
to be taken. His picture does not give
a fair idea of the character of the man,
if anything can be judged from the few
facts known in regard to it. AS is
already known. Prawda is thirty-one
years old, and native of East Prussia,
where his parents and several brothers
are said to be living now. He served
little over two years in the German
army, and quite likely deserted or left
under cloud. The people of Yarmouth
quite generally believe that he killed a
man in Europe. This opinion is based
upon a little incident which occurred in
a mill in Yarmouth where Prawda once
worked. A fellow workman caught him
stealing some brass castings, and
threatened to report him. Prawda at
ones turned livid with rage, and drawing
a revolver said threateningly: III you
do, will kill you. I once got away with
a better man than you, and he told no
tales"
Prawda's temper was very violent, and
he had trouble at different times with
both his brothers-in-law, Thomas Carey
and John meyer. Both these men are
quiet, respected citizens, who never have
trouble with any one unless they are
wronged.
Prawda has been before the courts ONCE
before, about two years ago. He was
then accused of arson, the circumstances
being somewhat strange. The present
Mrs. Prawda was married to him two
years ago. Previous to that for many
wears she had been the house keeper of
a man named Kuch, who lived at Var
mouth. Prawda went to board with
Kuch. with the result that he soon had
trou BILE with him, in which the house
l,eeoer was involved. The result was
that the housekeeper left Kuch's house.
Not long after this Kuch's buildings
burned one night. Prawda was at that
time working in the Yarmouth paper
mill, on the night crew. For an hour
and a half before the. fire broke out he
was absent from his post, and was sus-
nected. Arrested and brought into Port
land before the court he explained that
during the hour and half in which he
was missing from the mill he was down
in tbe mill water closet. The Waterman
of the mill was brought up and testified
that in his rounds he made superficial
examination of the,closet as he passed
and thought NO one was in there. But
he did not put his lantern in and there
fore could not say positively. Also one OF
the Carter brothers, who was going
along the railroad just before the lire
testified that he saw a man whom he
took to be Prawda going towards
Kuch's. But Carter could not swear
positively that the man was Frawoa'
So he got off that time. Later he lost ms
place through trick That he attempted
to play on Il fellow workman against
whom he had grudge. One morning
just after pay day Prawda, winning ana
taking on, came into the office OF super