Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-05
LIVELY DAY IN PRATT CASE
General Gown Confines Gresham.
nation Of Plaintiff.
CURIOUS WOMEN CROWD COURT
WrnnsIe Berween Attorneys
Feafure Of the A-fternoen See
uton. win .-Cnn Down
NJ gudEe

Nurbia and curious men end women
crowded into the little equity court room Of
Judge Kennedy yesterday afternoon 20 Get
q glimpse OF the principals ~ the Pratt
divorce case and n hear the testimony, IN
such numbers that al times the noise inter
fered with the proceedings. During the
greater part Of the afternoon young women
stood On the benches IN the back part Of
the room ana c-unso their nscks 10 hear
what was said
Ov1-E 10 the luncheon given at the Coun-
try clzb by Dr.. George L Mine TO Lien
tenant William Gown, son Of General
Gown. the afternoon session did not start
until 3 O'Clock and 10 make up for lost time
1t ran until s.
One q the features OF the afternoon ses-
sion was 8 wranEls between the attorneys.
In which Mrs. Pratt took a minor part
Judge Kennedy was appealed 10 ana he
called down" General Gown Tor injecting
remarks that were uncaned for and General
Gown responded ny declaring the witness
was evRsive and Indirect in her answers.
Judge Kennedy also Rdmunished the witness
to make direct answers and not to make
comments after she had answered the CUES
tons.
concerninn IntozIcatinE LfquOrs-
General Gown led off By asking about
Colonel Pratt's habits as 10 the use Of
liquor,
did you ever use Intoxicating hquorg"
ne asked the witness
i have drank liquor that was intoxi-
eating" she answered. q
What kind Of liquor did you drink"
i don't know what kinds they were.
They were not Intoxicating when / drank
them, because ] nut water enough in 10
dilute them"
General Gown caused = laugh by asking
Colonel MaEee the name Of a drink ne had
Forgotten II was the high ball
'Did you ever drink a hiEhhaIl?" he
asked.
We'll ] had ginger ale and ! put in
toxicating liquor into H. ] don't know
Whist It was"
Was n brandy"
Il don't what it is. It was
~hstr~er yen PVT in ginger ale"
"who did you drink WITH"
with my friends.
when the colonel WAS away
Yes. certainly"
General Gown read from a bill listing
beer. whisky and wines. mostly by the
case, ana caused q laugh ny ending, and
coffee Is cents"
Il reply 10 his question, Mrs. Pratt ad-
mitted these liquors were bought after she
had separated from Colonel Pratt
After you got these goods did you expect
Colonel Pratt TO return and live with you
again" the lEwVer asked.
Il did not know whether x expect II OF
not"
Mira. Pratt Gets Mad.
The first angry spat Of the afternoon
came when General Gown asked the uues-
ton:
when aid you prepare TO go to Boston
10 liver"
when you began 10 vituperste me In the
newspapers" Mrs. Pratt replied hotly.
General Gown resented the inference and
she explained the remark by saying threats
had been made by the defendants counsel
: 10 give her unpleasant noturiety. When
General Gown demanded an anEwer 10 his
D question she replied she reached Boston on
April G.
General Gown then took up q large
number Of bills which had been contracted
after she had sent Judge Vinsonhaler 10
San Antonio TO see Colonel Pratt and after
General Gown insisted she had practically
decided TO secure 3 divorce. He declared
these bills for what he called luxuries
amounted TO about 1850 a month. One Of
them was for $3.50 from Marshall Field &
CO. Others included such items as: Coat,
sz50. one coat, So: another, x75; q shirt
waist, Se5; suit, sH, and other articles Of
wearing apparel.
The s,spAt" near the close Of the session
came when she was asked If she owned
the barn on the premises Colonel Pratt
gave hsr.
Naturally" abe answered.
- wruu nNfla uhfarftwr N Thfe nvru-ar
that the language was used which called
q reproof from the court for both the at
tcrney and the witness
Mrs. Pratt was allowed q short respite
Thursday morning from the severe uross-
examination she had been undergoing on
the witness stand. Several witnesses were
present who wanted to leave The oourt
room and the attorneys examined Them
before Mrs. Pratt resumed the stand. The
evidence for the greater part was tame
and uninteresting, though il was sufficient
10 hold a large crowd IN the court room
throughout the forenoon session
MrR. Augusta Moner was the first wit
ness. She testified 10 seeing Colonel Pratt
visit The home OF a woman IN Benson sew
orsl times curing August and September
1885. II was the same woman whose name
has figured in the case before. Henry
Boekmsn also said he had seen Colonel
Frarf go there q number OF times.
How did he SO the first time you sew
him." asked General Gown OF erOss-ex-
animation
In one Of them carriages Ike the fancy
people have around town" was the an
sWer.
Pratt Pays far Her Honse.
John Luker testified he built the house
ocoupied by the Benson woman and Colonel
Pratt paid for il. Waiter EmmE related a
conversation IN October. 1875, in which
Colonel Pratt told nm he stayed al the
house a good deal He said ne had seen
the colonel coming away from there.
ON cross-sxEminhtion EmmE admitted he
mad had trouble with Colonel Pratt some
time Ago. when he rented a farm from
the colonel
-Didnf you Try 10 kn one uf qOOlonsl
PrEtt'E men out there one dHy?" he asked.
ma" he replied i ordered him of the
placs because he had no right there"
Emms denied making any threats against
Colonel Pratt and also that ne had bitter
feelings toward him
- "a