Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-08-01

PRAT'I'S DAY IN JAZZ.
Vast Chester's Alleged Wife Muir
derer Preserves Indifference.
MRS. FARRsR TELLS OF VISITS

Little Willie Wise Says He Heard a
Woman Crying, and That There Was
Blood on Pratt's Forehead and Ills
Finger Nails.
West Chester Pa. July 29.-William
H. Pratt, charged with having muir
dered his wife, spent yesterday in
jail. His air of stolid Indifference is
still maintained. In contrast to his
outward calm was the stormy mood
of the "other woman" Mrs Nettie
Farrer She is filed with wrath at
William H. Pratt. and she expressed
her mind with vigor as she sat in her
brothers parlor in West Market street
"A man who will tell the lies Pratt
told me ought to be in jail " declared
Mrs. Farrer, with decision He has
been coming to see me since lasl Aprl.
Oh, no; he did not call on me while
my husband was living. 1t is since |
have been widow that | received his
attentions ! never would have let
him come had he not assured me his
wife was going to die You see.
come, that bel true. He would soon
be a widowei ywsy.
Il never Y to see his face aga II.
Ii he killed( wife | certainly hope
he will get h ust deserts. He ought
to be killed I ictly the same way he
killed her, if he did it. He always
seemed to want me to think he was
kind to his wife, but he certainly did
convince me that she was about to
die
Another figure that will occupy a
large place in the Pratt case is that
of tow-headed little Willie " ise one
of the berry pickers on The farm at
the time Mrs. Pratt was killed. Here
is his story:
Me and George McGrogan-hes
years old--went to Mr. Pratt after
dinner to see if he didn't want some
berries picked Him and Wilbur were
in the yard by the barn when we
found him. He told us to go to work.
and we went into the corn field and
picked alsng the fence. sihenswe heard
SOMEBODY'S nss ~ Pi,stts, and we
stopped picking and listened.
There must be somebody hurt up
there, | said to George.
Then we started to the house. We
could still hear the crying as il some
one was hurting. We could hear oh,
papa, papa! Oh! Oh! OH. 1t sounded
like Mrs. Pratt
Then Mr., Pratt came out of the
house and said: Put the berries on
the bench, boys, and come back to.
morrow, and I'll pay you He said
Mrs. Pratt was sick and he was going
for the doctor.
He came to the pump and washed
his hands and face. There was blood
on his forehead. just over the nose.
There was blood all around his finger
nails. He washed the spots off
He had on his dirty clothes when
he sent us to pick berries. When we
came back he had on a better suit
When we first saw him he wore gray
pants and a dirty white shirt When
we came in with the berries he wore
black pants and a black coat huttoned
tightly. | could not see his shirt.
When we went to pick berries the
horse was not harnessed. When We
came back from the field it was stand
ing, harnessed. He Just hltehed up
and went away"
George came home wildly excited"
said Mrs. McGrogan. He was too lit
tie to know what had happened but
he had an incoherent story about Mrs.
Pratts screams and declared the dogs
were killing her, We had had trouble
with dogs, and George associated them
with trouble of any sort
s. P. Reid, one of the leading attor-
neys will assist the commonwealth.