Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-06
GOOD PROGRESS
IN PRATT CASE
State Has Examined Large Num-
Der of Witnesses and Is
Making Strong Fight
VICTIMS MOTHER ON THE STAND
Declared Mrs. Pratt Said Her Husband
Would Never Get Well, Even When
He Seemed to be Improving = De-
fense Makes Point in cross-Exam-
ination of Family Physician.
Special to Times-Republican.


Rockwell City, Jan. 6.-That Mrs.
Sarah Pratt, on trial for the murder of
her husband, made the statement That
he would never get well in the face of
the fact that he appeared to be i'm
proving is one Of the points brought
out In the testimony for the state. The
statement was made to the mother of
the alleged victim, whose testimony In
court was sensa tional.
The state is making rapid progress
with its case SO far the evidence has
been mistaken, except that in cross
examining Of the family physician Of
the Pratt family the defense elected the
information that Pratt was In the habit
of doctoring himself with patent medi-
cines. 1t is inferred from this that the
defense hopes to be able to create the
suspicion that the poison which killed
Pratt might have been contained in
these medicines.
The evidence this morning was con-
tinued along the same line as that Of
fendant.
In her testimony Mrs Pratt, mother
of Josiah Pratt, told of the sufferings
of her son in his last illness and how
he "clawed broken" ice from saucer
and ate it eagerly. saying his throat
was burning clear down to his stom-
ach She related how he spit blood.
He will never get WELL" Jennie told
her. when she expressed the opinion
he was better. She told how Persing
drove Mrs. Pratt to Yettei, Thursday
evening, June %, against the protest
!, ct tlle witness. That after they re-
turned about sun down Jennie fixed up
some milk for the sick man to drink.
That Jennie said nothing to her about
having purchased poison for mice.
At this mornings session five wit
nesses were examined. Mrs. William
Buttolph, a neighbor corroborated 9TH
er testimony as to familiarity between
Persing and Mrs. Pratt and that Mrs.
Pratt did not resent his actions. Sher-
iff Riseley testified as to conversa-
tfon with Mrs. Pratt prior to the in
quest in which she stated first that no
poison had been where Pratt could get
at 1t, but afterward stated that she had
bought arsenic and placed it in bread
for the mice. She denied that Persing
had knowledge of the poison, but
Riseley testified that Persing was with
her on one occasion when poison was
purchased.
the death bed scene and stated that
when he announced that Pratt was
dead Mrs. Pratt said, "Oh!" or some
thing like that and leaned her head on
Will Persing's shoulder. Then she
went out of the room and later was
followed by Persing.
Witness said: After a while, when
we were taking care of the body, we
wanted a sheet, and 1 swent into the
smaller bed room and asked Mrs. Pratt
for one. The room was dark and her
voice in answering seemed to come
from the back part of the south bed
as tho she was lying down there.
Persing rose up from the front part of
the same bed, where he was lying, and
got the sheet. I stumbled over the
youngest girl, Pearl, lying asleep on
the floor when I went in and picked
Another Love Scene.
Witness Brown also told of a scene
that occurred some days before, when
he observed Persing and Mrs. Pratt
seated on log in the yard the former
trying playfully to push his employers
wife off the log by pressing his body
up against hers.
Attorney Parsons cross-e examined
witness Brown sharply but did not
succeed in confusing him or shaking
his testimony.
The next witness was Pearlie Pratt,
aged eighteen years, a brother OF j.
M. Pratt. He testified that he was
present at the hour of Pratt's death.
Saw Brown. Derby and others in the
room. Persing and Mrs. Pratt stood
by the bed. After ST. died she put
her head on Persing's breast. Did
not see whether they had hold of hands
or not. Did not see her shed any tears.
After the death l heard the little girl.
Tressie CRYING and went into the west
bed room where she was. There were
two beds in the room. Mrs. Pratt came
in and lay down on the south bed with
Tressie Everett Pratt, my cousin,
was lying on the south bed. Mrs
Pratt called me and / went over to the
south bed, crawled over the foot and
Law down next the wall. Tressie lay
between me and Mrs. Pratt and on my
arm. Persing came in about half
hour later and Law down on front OF
bed beside Mrs. Pratt. No one was
between them. Persing and Mrs: Pratt
Law there and whispered until Bill
Prown came into the room and called
for a sheet Persing got up to get 1t.
and afterward came back and lay down
in the same place. beside Mrs. Pratt.
He was still there when ] left at a.
m. I crawled over the foot of the bed
to get out and 1t was then light enough
to see both Persing and Mrs. Pratt ~
ing there full length side by side. Ihey