Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-09
5 STRONG
GARD IS PLAYED
Chemist Kinney as Medical Ex-
pert Placed on the Stand in
Pratt Murder Case
HIS TESTIMONY IMPORTANT
Relied Upon by the State to Prove
That Pratt Actually Died of Arsenic
Poison-No Decrease in the Interest
Taken in the case-coroner Norton
on the Stand Today.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Rockwell City, Jan 9.-The state
played one of its strongest cards in
the trial of Mrs. Jennie Pratt for the
murder Of her husband today, when 1t
placed on the stand State Chemist
Kinney, who testified to having found
man. There is no diminution in the
interest taken in the case and the court
room was crowded to capacity when
taking of testimony was resumed this
morning. DR.. Speaker was the first
witness and testified to leaving tablets
for Pratt containing one-thousandth
of grain of arsenic in forty-eight
tablets. He also told of other treat
ment given the patient, but nothing of
great Importance was developed by his
testimony.
Coroner Norton when on the stand
this morning told of the autopsy COLI
Quoted and of taking the stomach, in
testines and kidneys and sealing these
organs in a glass jar and shipping
them to State Chemist Kinney. He
told of sealing and shipping a bottle
of medicine dug up in the yard by the
sheriff. He said in a conversation with
Mrs Pratt she claimed the arsenic not
used for mice was burned.
E. E. Johnston, another witness this
morning, told of Mrs. Pratt's statement
before the justice. She said she had
not seen an attorney because there
was nothing against her. She also said
they had big hold on her on ac-
count of her purchasing arsenic. She
said they might find poison in the body
icn account of water from fly paper be-
ing spilled over the tablets. This af-
ternoon State Chemist Kinney was
placed on the stand. His evidence will
be important, as it will be depended
upon to prove the fact that Josiah
Pratt actually died of arsenic poison
ing.
In order to secure conviction it will
he necessary for the prosecution to
the effects of arsenical poisoning and
medical experts will be placed on the
stand during the coming week to
show that this was the case. In the
report of State Chemist c. N. Kinney
it was stated that the stomach was
found highly congested, corroxed and
lacerated. The report continues:
I'm many places We're dark brown
patches and sears indicating the action
of strong corrosive in the stomach
before death. The stomach lining in
many places was entirely eaten thru.
A thorough chemical analysis of the
contents of the stomach, of its walls
and of the spleen and kidneys was
made. The amount Of arsenic found in
the contents of the stomach was 1883
grains, and 5.67 grains were found in
the walls. The poison was also found
in the spleen and kidneys. The fly
paper submitted to Mr.. Kinney for ex-
animation was found to contain 2.36
grains to the sheet
Authoritative works on toxicology
state that the effect of arsenical pois-
oning on dead and living tissues is tho
same Experiments have been made
by giving arsenic to live dog and in
jecting into the dead body of dog.
The action OH the different tissues
could not be distinguished, the condi-
ton being the same in both instances.
On this fact will be based the strong
est argument of the defense. The
states evidence introduced during the
past week was mostly for the purpose
of showing the relations which existed
between Will Persing and the accused
woman. Many witnesses, neighbors,
of the Pratt family, went on the stand
and told of the familiarity INDUCED in
by the hired man toward his employ
er's wife and their actions at the
death-bed of Pratt-how they stood by
with ill-concealed n1irth while the man
was in his death agony, Persing biting
his lips to suppress his smiles and the
woman averting her face. 1t is un-
derstood that the defense will make no
effort to refute these facts in
the main but will offer evidence to
show that the so-called loverlike car
esses between Persng We're only by
play which it had been the custom tn
indulge in ever since Persing came to
live in the family.
The principal issue before the jury is
whether Josiah Pratt died of arsenical
If the state can prove this
it will be comparatively easy to show
in the familiar actions of the accused
and Will Persing the motive for the
crime.
The defense will make the contention
that Pratt died of gastritis. DR.. Speak
er. the fourth and last physician who
was called during Pratt's illness. made
such a diagnosis of the case, giving as
his reason therefor the terrible burn
ing in the stomach and throat and the
thirst which tolmented the
sick man. The defense will undertake
to prove that the corrision and burns
found in the stomach after death We're
of a nature that they could have been
produced only by the ravages of gas
tritis and not by arsenic.
George Jones. the undertaken who
the body of Pratt for burial.
stated on the stand Friday, when Mr.