Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-13
MRS. PRA|I TELLS
RERS|ORY N COURT
Defendant in the Noted Murder
Case on Stand In Her
Own Behalf
she MAKES A GOOD WITNESS
straightforward Story Told on Direct
Examination-He Two Children Al
80 On the stand-Defense Makes
Point in Expert Evidence-Testi-
mony May Be Completed Today.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican,.
Rockwell City, Jan. 13-The climax
of interest in the Pratt murder trial
was reached this morning when Mrs.
Jennie Pratt, the defendant, was placed
upon the stand in her own behalf.
When court adjourned at noon the
cross-examination had not been COM
menced, but the general opinion was
herself and that the prosecution would
hardly be able to shake her testimony.
The defense will probably close its evil
dence this afternoon and the rebuttal
for the state may also be closed. 1t
now looks as If the case might go to
the jury early in the week. The W.T.
nesses for the defense were finally ex-
cused and the states witnesses were
held for possible use in rebuttal.
Mrs. Pratt was calm and collected
while on the stand and answered all
questions in a straightforward man
ner. She denied all the testimony as to
the intimacy between herself and Will
Persing and declared Persing never
hugged or kissed her. She testified
that she never gave Pratt arsenic in
any form and never used it for any
thing but to poison mice. She never
took but five drives with Persing and
then only when necessary. She said
Persing had been friend of the family
and was on good terms with both her
self and Mr.. Pratt as we'll as the chill
dren. He had been of great assistance
during her husbands illness and she
! had FELT grateful for that. but there
never had been been anything more
than friendship between. them. The
cross-examination will be conducted
this afternoon, but the general impress
sion about the court room was that
Mrs. Pratt would meet the ordeal calm
" and that the state would not sue
ceed In obtaining amy damaging ad-
missions.
The two children Of the Pratt's were
also on the stand this morning and
they made good witnesses for their
mother. 1t now looks as if the testi-
mony would be completed before adj
5ournment at 4 o'clock.
The Experts Close.
The defense scored a point in the
testimony of DR.. r. H. Hews who was
on the stand late yesterday afternoon.
He made the positive assertion on the
witness stand that In his opinion Pratt
did not die of arsenical poisoning adj
ministered by Mrs. Pratt or anyone
Nlse, but that his death was due to a
complication of diseases. "F'rom the
symptoms described" said DR.. Hews,
II should say it was case of chronic
gastritis, with dilation, other organs
being involved; and that death was
due to hemorrhages within the stom-
ach."
you think it would not he due to
arsenical poisoning?"
'I think it would not"
But upon cross-examination DR..
Hews failed to name any other disease
having symptoms similar to those of
arsenical poisoning. Hews attended
Pratt prior to his death and his tes-
timony will undoubtedly have much
weight with the jury.
Or. Cottam.
DR.. G. G. Gotham, of Rock Rapids,
one OF the medical experts called by
the defense said he was graduate OF
the University of st. Louis in 1893, and
had practiced one year in ST Louis and
the time since then in Rock
Rapids, Iowa; had assisted in or con-
Quoted about 250 post mortems. DR..
Cottam described the conditions caus-
ing dilated stomach, and causing null
tiple neuritis. He said the latter might
be caused by defective operation of
some of the processes Of the body.
Attorney Parsons then propounded
to DR.. Cottam long hypothetical
question describing the symptoms and
circumstances of the illness Of the
late Josiah M. Pratt. This was the
same question used by the state in the
examination of its witnesses, except
that Mr.. Parsons made some additions.
TO the question in the form it was
used by the state, each Of the states
experts answered "I think this man
died from arsenical poisoning." To this
form of the question the defendants
attorney added that the man had suf-
fered from stomach trouble a year or
more, that the physicians called had
given him at different times bismuth,
bicarbonate of soda, aloes, belladona,
strychnine. Dobelrs solution for cat
arrh, compound cathartic pills, calla-
lactose, pepsin elixir. etc; that he had
walked across the floor in the latter
part Of his Illness; that the stomach
ruptured when taken from the body.
After propounding the question as
amended lir. Parsons said: II ask you
your opinion and of what. did he dieo
"My opinion, :" replied the witness,
'sbased on the symptoms given in the
interrogatory. is that this was case
OF chronic gastritis of long standing.
complicated by dilation of the stomach.
and nephtritis. or disease Of
the kidneys: and that death came from
intermitter,t hen1orrhages from ulcera-
f,~- 50
I.atsr-Afrs. Pratt was not cross-ex-