The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-07-29
THE PRATT
MURDER Case.

Z West Chester, July 2S.- A storm OF
scandal broke out over this place as soon
az the doors of tho Chester County jail
closed on William H. Pratt. While he is
scion of one Of the mot respected faini'
lies In Chester county he is looked upon
"a The black sheep. Ono story. however.
was told by nearly everybody, and II 1t Is
trve IL furnishes a motive for the crime.
Iii. the old story OF another woman in
the case Some months ago Albert Farra,
a machinist OF this place. died suddenly
after having partaken Of canned goods
his wife had purchased.
An investigation was made by Inc
medical authorities and they decided that
Fra had come to his death through pto'
maine poisoning. Before MS aes1n Ine
rolatIops that existed between Pratt
ana MS. Farra had been the town talk,
bu, after that ovent they became even
more notorious. The couple went driving
tcQetbor and she accompanied MIN TO
places of amusement. The conduct OF her
husband nnd Mrs. Farra became known
to Mrs. Pratt, 1t is said. and caused mueh
trouble Husband aud wife had quar-
rel over the matter. IL Is reported. Dut u
did not prevent hiw from ma'h'n,hihs
his friendship for tho widow. People
who beieve him guilty Of wife murder,
and there arc iew people In West Chester
who do not, say that his passion for Mrs
Fnrra furnishes the motive Tor the crime
Neither district Attorney Baldwin nor
Chief Of Police Jetfers will admit that hs
has accepted tho theory, but the ehiet OF
poloe acknowledged to the fhlsauelphl"
Times correspondent that he 10 lh'os'!-
eating 1t. ,, .a,,, ,,I,
afternoon concerned an alleged S5oOo IN
suranre Dolicy on Mrs. Pratl's life. Ihe
man who is said to have written the pol
inv /; David Watson. who represents
baltimore prudential insurance company
Watson denied Int such was the case
Ho said that ho mad known both Irai 8
since they wcra children and di1 not be
ljeve any such policy had been taken out
Indeed, he said, the pratts mad only
inst succeeded in ra,ing the last lnstai
ment of tho pu; chase money for their
home. and had to strain very hard to do
this The farm is IN Mrs. Pratt's name.
NIr. Watson was asked II he knew any
thing about FRA to relations with Mrs .
Enrrn and snid that 1t was common
scandal, 4 have myself seen him at ths
circus wi h a woman who certainly was
not his vito add who answers 70 the oe
scriptcn of Mrs tFarra. 20,
For some ipio, Prhtt has used an old
sui. of clothes in .wh ch TO work. He ware
| this suit on the morning OF the Tragedy.
| INIT according to his sons story, NE had
! ch.npel them before the death or Mrs.
! patti. Tho aui horities however. think
that tho boy ia mistaken, because or the
| facS that when the house was searched Dy
! ,hem no trace Of this suit wa. discoveieu'
| Chief of Police Jeffer- admitted mat he
was searching for these clothes, but the
| bplief is general that his search is over
| and thnt when Pratt l. given hearing
on Wednesday morning tho garments
F! will be produce and that they Will DO
convincing proof against him, ....--
since Pra't's Incarceration the nerve
which he displayed before his arrest has
completely left him, and he has almost
| collapsed.
| on s!ders are not allowed to SEQ him, but
stories arc old to the eifecttha' the police
are afraid that he will attempt to 'a9e ms
own life and that he Is bang cafoluhy
watched night and day. r -,
He bas secured rs his counsel L, w.
Pierce, IA prominent attorney here. The
Commonwealth will be represented by
the Dis rict Attorney Joseph A. Baldwin.
MIR, Baldwin will bo assisted by A. T.
Reid as consulting counsel. Ex District
Attorney Macelrees. who was foreman or
the Coroner's ury which SOUND mat FRAU
was the cause OF his wito's death was mp,
pronchcd by relatives OF the prisoner ana
asked to accept II retaining 100 or S.ou 10
| ,nst>tute habeas corpus proceedings in his
| behalf.
Air. Macolrees declined tho retainer. be-
| cause be felt that he would stulti1y
| him s)lf and the jury By practically re'
| putllating his own belief asa Jurymhn'
| shortly after this District Attorney
| Baldwin requested him to asst him IN
the prosecution but hi; oftor he also ue
clinod, on the girouhd, thas' as 10 haa
already expressed his belief in PRATT .
| guilt, Le could not act as impnrtially as
| ho should In acting for the Common
| wealth.
| There Is no doubt that unless Ptatt col
lapse, md corfe'ses his guilt that the
case will be fought to the bitter end. Tho
| family il one of the oldast. best known
| and mcst 70 spected in Chester county.
| The family have plenty of the world $
goods and are Friends. Although wa.
| liam II. Pratt has been looked Ion as
tho black sheep they will not allow such
a stigma as bis conviction for murder to
bo nut upon The name If thoy can prevent
1t. In add tiou the religious society, OF
which they ure membors docs not believe
in capital punishment Pratt's aun's
have taken possession of his son, Wilbur
and arc carefully guarding him. No one
ia allowed to gee him nor will either
of the ladies permit any one to ,nlx to
| them on the subject of the murder
L. looked today us II every man in Chez
ter county who own, n horse ard wagon,
had taken advantage Of that fact to drive
to West Chester 10 look nt tho little four
acre farm and iwo story building which
has bean the home OF the Pratts Although
tho house was carefully locked and guard
ca. the place was crowded all day by
Chester and delaware county farmers
many of whom have known William
Pratt and his dead wife from infancy.
I Tho uauaI coneervartiSm IN for which thay
are no ed, many of ihem declined to tak
about the verdict of the Coroners Jury,
but those who did wore almost unanimous
in their opinion that murder had been
committed and that the husband was the
| murderer.