The herald., 1897-11-30
|CRAZED BY
JEALOUSY
Charles Pratt's Fatal Gun
Practice
SHOOTS At HIS sweetheart
AND THEN TURNS THE WEAPON
UPON HIMSELF
SHOOTS At HIS SWEETHEART
Steel Corset Busk Saves the Intended
Victims Life-Today She Was
TO Have Married Another


AZ East Ninth street, and then killed
himself. A steel corset busk turned the
course Of the bullet and saved the young
woman's life: The tragedy was preced-
ed by proposal Of marriage which was
rejected.
Both Ida and her lover were employed
by the Acme laundry on Second street.
Pratt drove a wagon for the company
and was considered one of the best men
IN their employ. He was 30 years old
and came here from Arizona two years
ago and engaged in the butcher busi-
ness. but gave that up to accept his lat
ter position. About five months ago the
young woman began to work at the
laundry, where she was employed to
feed one Of the mangles.
1t was soon evident that Pratt had
formed strong attachment for Miss
Tharp. He became very attentive and
used to take her home frequently in his
wagon after the days work was done.
He. was introduced to the young wo-
mans parents. who took quite a fancy
to him and invited him to become fire.
quent visitor at their house.
About month ago Pratt declared his
love to Miss Tharp and proposed mar
riage. He received an evasive answer.
but the following day she accepted an
engagement ring from him. She wore
the ring until two weeks ago, when she
returned 1t. At the same time she told
him that her troth was plighted to an
other, and that she was engaged and had
been for, several months, to Frank
Sharp. They were shortly to be mar
ried. The young man is a tunneler and
had just returned from Azusa, where he
had been engaged driving a tunnel for
the Azusa Water company.
Pratt was broken-hearted that the
engagement which, while perhaps never
spoken. was none the less understood
should be suddenly broken off. He went
to his sweetheart's father. but received
little consolation. Tharp said that he
had mo choice Of lovers, but that he
should object to his daughters marriage
to anyone at the present time Pratt
continued to call, however, at his
sweetheart's home.
Yesterday morning Miss Tharp did
not appear at the laundry as usual to
work. During the forenoon the foreman
called. at, her, home, to See what was the
matter. The young woman told him that
she was preparing for her wedding,
which was to have taken place today.
and that she had deco1ed to quit work.
She said that she was to be married to
Frank Sharp. The foreman told the
news at the laundry on his return, and
Pratt came in for a merciless badgering
by the other employees, who laughed at
him and said that his girl had Tilted
him. He had nothing to say in reply and
throughout the remainder of the day
maintained perfect silence in regard to
the matter.
Last evening about $3.50 o'clock Pratt
called at the Tharp home. He inquired
for Ida, and the two remained in the
parlor for few minutes. The family
were just sitting down to their evening
meal and the young man was pressed
to join them, but refused When the two
were alone Pratt asked bis sweetheart
about the preparations for her marriage
He again begged her to break her en-
gagement with Sharp and marry him.
When refused he said: "This is more
than can bear" He started apparently
to take his departure, and the young
woman accompanied him out to the
porch, where they stood and talked for
fifteen minutes.
Miss Tharp was sitting on the railing
when Pratt again asked her to become
his wife. She replied as before, and
moment later felt some hard instrument
pressed against her stomach. 1t was
quite dark and she had not seen Pratt
draw revolver from his pocket, which
he kept concealed by his overcoat. She
had just said. "There are. plenty of
other nice girls in the world" and Pratt
had replied, Eyes, but none like you,"
when there was deafening explosion.
and she was almost thrown off her feet
by the force of bullet which had, for
tunately, struck steel corset stay and
been turned out of it's course. Pratt evil
IDENTIFY supposed that he had killed his
sweetheart, for he turned about quick
ly and placing the smoking revolver
against his forehead fired again. He
fell against screen leading into the
Of the house, mortally wounded.
The two shots were fired in such quick
that the family in the dining
room were not certain whether they had
heard one or two reports. The rushed ont
to the porch and found the door blockad-
ed by the PROSTATE body of Pratt Ida
was standing in the yard crying wildly:
I'm shot! Tin shot, and the coward
has Killed himself" Pratt was still
breathing. although the bullet had
struck him squarely in the forehead.
Close by his side lay 44-caliber bulldog
revolver. with which the shooting had
been done. His hat was burning near
him, having caught fire from the dis
charge. The bleeding body was pushed
aside from the door and the young wo-
man, who was more frightened than
hurt, was carried to her room and put to
bed. A hole the size Of mans hand
had been burned in her dress and the
flesh over the stomaoh was blackened
and powder burned. The corset busk
which had saved her life by turning the
course of the bullet was bent where the
ball had struck it. The fact that the
girl was not killed was due to the re-
volver being held SO close to her so that
the bullet had not gained the velocity
which it would have done II held few
feet away.
The two shots. followed BY cries. soonl