The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-14

| to tea without feeling ashamed. NJ
money to pay expenses and no time
to properly Gu ltivatc the farm obring
in more money. But money enough
to buy diamond ring for Ncttie
Ferra money enough to supply her
with beer and ice cream money
cnough to take her to the circus while
his own wife and child remained at
lhome.' -
| That was the talk that struck home
with these farmer folk. 1t hewed
iclose to the realism of their lives.
| When it came to the actual theory
of the murder here is Mr. Baidwin's S
idea of how it was done: "Thc man
who fired that shot meant it to do Its
work. He thought he had killed his
wife and went out Of the house. Her
cries alarmed him, as they alarmed
!! his little son. and convinced him she
was not dead. lie ran back and when
he met her at the head of the stairs
be was convinced that something
desperate must be done. She was up
struggling at the head Of the stairs,
stairs and he met her. He forced
her back into the room and there cut
the left side of her throat. She strug-
gled to prevent him. When she seiz.
ed the knife she cut her fingers to the
bone. She fell on the floor and bled.
Then it was then that the little boy
came in and was told by his father tc
go out. Now he was detected. The
case was complicated. He must get
her out of there SO he carried her
down stairs and again cut her throat
on the right side. When the woman
was dead there was no knife in her
hand, SO he put one there. Then
after long delay, he htchcd up the
horse and went to call on the neigh
bOrS. "
Attorney Hayes, in his opening adj
dress 'or the defense, presented the
reverse side of the picture. lie said
that If Pratt had meant murder he
had three cartridges left in his pistol
after the first shot to make sure of
his work. There was no necessity
for his going TO look for knife and
leaving the revolver on the bed. He
could not have cut herthroat without
a desperate struggle, and he could
not have carried her downstairs with
out covering himself with blood.
But, while doing all in his power
to show suicide instead of homicide
from the medical testimony, Mr..
Hayes did not attempt to defend
Pratt for his relations with the Fnrra
woman and his neglect Of his home.
In fact his denunciation of such con-
duct was fully as strong as Mr.. Bald
wins. Pratt sLuddered under it and
held his little boy closer in his arms.
"We offer nothing in excuse of this
mans conduct with another woman,
while his wife was i'll and possibly
dying at home" said Mr.. Hayes. "lf
he were in court on trial for any
otfense like that. neither Mr. Pierce
nor myself would he here to defend
him; not for one moment
According to Mr.. Hayes it was bad
iS"itii uilu uc ucpltootu Spllllo tllIt itu
Mrs. Pratt to take her life. Pratt
had no motive for murder. He could
go on with Mrs. Farra just as he had
been doing. All the benefit that
could he obtained from a reasonable
doubt (Which he said had been estab.
lished) Mr.. Hayes claimed for Pratt.
lie reviewed the medical expert tcs-
timony grain by grain and scruple by
1t was evident that he considered that
the most important part Of Pratt's
case.
lti is the opinion of all who have
watched the proceedings so far that
almost everything wi depend upon
Judge Buffers charge to the jury. /
II is for him to sifl the wheat from
the chaif inthe testimony of the !
doctors, and it is largely uDon the
manner in which he does il that tie
verdict rests.