The herald., 1894-09-26
READY FOR WITNESSES.
THE PRATT WILL CONTEST IN
JUDGE CLARK'S COURT.
Lawyers spsnd tho Day Reading Docu-
ments- Judge Chapman's Opening
Statement for the Contest
ants in tho Case.

The trial of the contest of the will OF
Mrs. Annie A. Pratt got under good
headway yesterday before Judge CLARK,
but another day was taken up in pre-
liminary business and the frat witness
was not called.
Judge Clark having decided that he
had jurisdiction of the case, nothing re-
msined but for the numerous counsel to
get down to business.
The tables were rearranged for the
convenience of counsel, and they were
80 seated as to be grouped on each side
of the judge. instead of being strung
along in row, as they were last week.
Judge j. G. Campbell of San Francis
co was absent, having been suddenly
called home. Some new faces were seen
in the court room yesterday. There
were the two children of Charles Pratt,
deceased Orville. and Miss Annie NJ.
Pratt, a fsxen haired little lady of 16
years.
Charles T. Hanlon OF San Francisco
attempted theatrical grouping of the
dramatis persoD8 on his side yesterday
afternoon which caused great many
smiles. He had all of them occupy seats
in semicircle, back of the seats of
counsel, and they did not look bit
pleased to be on exhibition in that
fashion. The group embraced Mrs.
Lucy Goodspeed. daughter of the de-
ceased, the children Of Charles Pratt,
Mrs. Webb, mother of Mrs. Chalie 9
Pratt. deceased, and Others. .y,,n
Mansfield and Mrs. Louise G. Gross,
sisters of the deceased. Before the
court convened in the afternoon the
Pratt children held an amicable chat
with venerable looking General Mans
field. v. Sot.
The work OF the day consisted in the
reading OF the papers in the case, the
petition Of contest and answer, the
reading of the disputed will, and an
opening statement by Mr.. Chapman of
what the contestants expected to prove.
In making this statement Mr.. Chap
man said IL had been expected that this
would be done by Judge Campbell, who
had been called away.
He referred to the life OF Mrs. Annie A.
Pratt, and spoke at come length about
the late Judge Orville Pratt of San Fran
cieco, her former husband. He alluded
to the fortune amassed by Judge Pratt
of 81. 800, 600, and touched upon the do
mestc troubles between him and Mrs.
Pratt. which resulted in q separation
and then divorce.
Commenting upon this, Mr.. Chapman
ssid the contestants would show that
Mrs. Pratt was never the same woman
afterwards; that her eccentrioty devel-
oped, and she finally lost her mind. The
loss of her mind. he said, came very
rapidly after the death of her son
Charles, to whom she was passionately
devoted, as she was to his wife and chill
dren.
He expected to show that the Mrs.
Pratt came more under the influence OF
her sisters after her separation from her
husband. and that finally Mrs. Mans
field and Mrs. Cross and General Mans
field acted as her agents in many busi-
ness traneections. The contestants ex-
pected to show that the influence exer-
cised BY the eisters was undue. They
further would chow many suspicious
circumstances connected with the will
which it was desired to have admitted
to probate, and without which the petit
TONERS would not come in for the be-
quests mentioned.
Referring more particularly to the
will. he said it was expected to be ehown
that the original contained pages which,
it was believed, it could be shown had
been replaced by others which mate
rally changed its character.
Both sides appear to have exhausted
their skirmishing, and Senator White
stated that Mrs. Webb would be the
first witness called by the contestants
this morning.
Do not wear impermeabie and tight-1tting
hats that congest the blood vessels Of the scalp,