The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-10
The Bodfes Pound by the woman'a
Son In the Cellar at 220 East
Ohio Street.
MANS SECOND DEED OF KIND
1T Is SAID HE KILLED HIS SECOND
WIFE TEN YEARS AGO.
He Had Quarreled with His Last Wife
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of the
Tragedy.

In a dingy cellar, under the three-story
brick building at 200 East Ohio street, the
lifeless bodies of Mr.. and Mrs. Pleasant
Pruitt were found by their fourteen-year-
old son late yesterday afternoon. 1t was
evident that the father had killed the
mother and then killed himself. At what
time the double tragedy took place will
probably never be known. 1t is conjectured
by the and by roomers in the house
that 1t was between IL and 4:30 o'clock
yesterday. When found Mrs. Pruitt was
cold, yet the body of her husband retained
warmth.
From all appearances the murder of Mrs.
Pruitt by her husband was most brutal
one The head was crushed and mangled,
showing that Pruitt had not ceased strik-
ing his wife until life was extinct. In his
own case he was more lenient He shot
himself once, sending bullet through his
left temple, which plowed it's way through
the head and came out under the right
ear. No one connected with the house or
any of the neighbors in the vicinity heard
any shots fired during the day. There were
several people in the house Immediately
over the cellar where the crime was COM
mitted, yet no one heard any screams or
shooting. 1t was at first thought that
Pruitt, in killing his wife. used a hammer
similar to those used by machinists. In
committing suicide he used .3S American
bulldog revolver.
Coroner Brayton made an early investi-
cation and gave it his opinion that Mrs.
Pruitt's death was caused by knife wounds.
There were five knife thrusts under the
left breast and the heart was penetrated.
There were four other knife wounds
other parts of the woman's body. Not
withstanding the fact that a bloody ham,
mer was found in the cellar the coroner
does not believe Ii was the instrument
that caused death.
DOMESTIC RELATIONS.
Various stories are told by the neighbors
concerning the domestic relations of the
couple. One man asserted that it was be-
cause Mrs. Pruitt was a Roman Catholic
and Pruitt a Protestant. Mrs. Pruitt was
a good-looking woman, small of stature
and forty-seven years old. Pruitt was
twenty-five years her senior, although he
looked to be no more than fifty years old
From a statement made by Jesse Berry,
the fourteen-year-old son of Mrs. Pruitt
it appears that the couple had great deal
of trouble since they were married three
years ago. This trouble arose from the
fact that Pruitt would not earn a living
for his wife.
Jesse Berry. the boy who discovered the
dead bodies in the cellar. at first thought
that neither was dead, but that they had
met with an accident He did not get
home from school until 4:30 o'clock He
entered by the front door and walked
through the halls yelling for his mother to
notify her that he had come home as he
had done on many other occasions. Not re-
ceiving any response, the boy went above
stairs. where he continued the search. He
was told upstairs by Nicholas Yeager, one
of the roomers, that Mrs Pruitt was in the
cellar washing some clothes. where she had
been since early in the day. The boy
bounded down stairs and through the main
hall whisting tune. He jumped down
the three steps at the rear OF the house and
reached the top OF the cellar opening. The
door leading into the cellar was closed, vet
the boy cried out again to his mother that
he had come home. Not receiving a reply
open the door. The cellar was very dark