The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-06
WIN. PRATT'S
TRIAL.

| w. NS"ssSy O"S v
the defense that Mrs. Pratt killed
herself. while Pratt's counsel, b,
clever cross.examination, tried t
show that the wounds that ended hel
life could have been sclf-inhcted.
Mrs. Nettie Farra "the woman in
the case. has been In daily attend
ance In Court, occupying conspic'
uolls seat among the score Of witness.
es is yet to be heard, and while she Is
the eynosure OF all eyes from the
moment Court convenes until ad-
journment in the evening, she ap-
pears to undergo the ordeal with en-.
joyment. Every body awaits her ap-
pearance on the stand in keen anxi-
ETY., as 1t is expected that her EVIL
denee will play very important
part 10 the prosecution 3 case.
PRATT A PICTURE OF DESPAIR.
! There Is no doubt that Pratt is
daily growing more agitated as the
terrible story OF the death Of his
wife 10 wrung from the lips Of the
witnesses, and 1t would surprise no
one II he should eventually give way
under the mental strain. He Is the
very picture Of despair as he sits on
the bench. facing the Judges and
jury, with his chin almost resting on
his breast, and to-day, while the
physicians who made the post.mor-
TEN examination told the horrible
story OF the butchery and declared
death by suicide an impossibility,
bis countenonce was pjt'able in the
extreme, Thus far the prisoner has
been utterly avoided by the members
OF his family. While he has q mother
and brother and sister, and also a
little son, not q single one has yet
appeared In the Court room to take
him by the hand.
THE WOUNDS ON TIE HAND.
The proceedings began this morn
Ing with DR.. Patrick still on the
stand. lie stated that the dead wo-
mans hand had upon it three cuts,
which In his Judgment had not been
self.inflicted lie described the other
wounds upon her body, and said that
after the severlng OF the windpiEe it
would have been impossible for Mrs.
Pratt tOmakc an cutlery, and that she
could not have remained standing
more than half minute after the |
larger wound upon her neck had been
Inflicted
An artificial scalp cOveredwit hair !
was then produced. DR.. Patrick tcS-
titled that he had fired at it u mum
Der Of times with the pistol found ON
Mrs. pratt's bed
Every discharge made at distance
OF from one half inch to six inches
had scorched the hair, driven powder
INTO the hole made and discolOred the
skin within a radius of six inches.
Tests on white paper up to a dis
lance of - inches had produced dis
Coloration and left unburnt powder
imbcdded in the surface.
He stated that in his judgement a
pistol held at distance of six inches
would have made a wound similar to
that ON Mrs. Pratt's head. In his
Judgment no one could have held the
pistol found at that distance from
his or her own head and inhict the
wound described.
lie had repeatedly tried to hold
the pistol in the necessary position
and pull the trigger with his finger
or thumb and had failed. A num-
Der OF other person, male and fe.
male, had also failed in his pres. 6
.nce.
DR.. Patrick stated 10 concluding s
1is testimony in chief that seemed
hat several OF the wounds on Mrs.
rats throat could not have been ,
made by the knife found beside her
body. Neither could she bv her I
'wn exertion have gotten down to :
lie place where she was found
10 the second floor. Some Of the
uts must have been made ia the ,
PIPER story. as the quantity OF
'lood found there could not pos 81. :,
NY come IRON the bullet wound in j.
he head. The cross-examina tion !,
eveIopcd the fact that, ia the
alignment OF the physician. the car. y
lid artery mast have been sever n
Il at the foot oil the stairs.