The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-15
Prichard Says He Die
tated Famous Letter
in Pittsburgh.
DEFENSE GETS HIM
AS STA r WITNESS
Relates His Part in Advising
Mrs. Walker When Asked for
Statement by The Times
Dispatch-Goes on Stand
To-Day, After Which Ar
gument Will Begin.

{. Il. Prchard. former assistant dis
/ trict attorney of Pittsburgh. will go on
the stand in the Law and Equity Court
to-day and testify that he dictated the
letter mailed from Pittsburgh by Airs
Thomas Grant Walker 70 her husband
! on June 10. in which she returned the
money he had sent for her passage to
Richmond. and in which she practically
told him that their romance had ended.
Mr.. Prichard is due here at 1850
! O'Clock this morning. 1t Is claimed
! that mis- evidence will be OF value to the
! defense in the $4,000 alienation suit
! instituted by Walker against the Rat
cliife family in view OF the Importance
attached by counsel for the plaintifr
to the repeated charge in court that the
! letter was written here by John l..
I Ratcliffe and mailed TO his sister to be
signed and forwa rded to the husband
she had renounccd.
The defense Will introduce another
! witness to-day to substantiate evil
denco already adduced. after which the
argument to the jury will begin. IT is
probable that "A verdict will be render
( ed late this afternoon or tonight.
Interviewed on s-rsdny.
While testitying on Friday Mrs
, Walker swore that the letter about
! which a storm has ragged was dictated
! by Mr.. prchard. at the home of the
! Wadsworths. in Pittsburgh. SO far as
the public was able to learn. Mr. Prich-
ard had not then been summoned as n
/ witness. and on 'ricay The Times
/ Dispatch tclegraphcd it's Pittsburgh
correspondent TO see him and secure
statement on the disputed point.
The statement from him, which APP
pears herewith, was received by this
newspaper on Friday night, but it was
not printed out of courtesy to the court
and the litigants. because publication
would unQuestionably put it before the
jury when it was not Il part OF the
record.
Inasmuch. however. as Mr.. Prichard
will speak for himself under oath to-
day. there is no impropriety now in
printing what he said.
Prichnrd's Statement.
The special dispatch received by The
Times Dispatch from Pittsburgh on
Friday night follows:
Pittsburgh, PA. December I2.-For-
mer Assistant District Attorney &. B.
Prichnrd today vigorously denied the
statement OF attorneys for Grant Walk
or TINT tho letter received by Walker
from his wife, who wnS formerly Betty
Rntclinc, was written in Richmond and
sent to this city for the signature OF
Mrs. Walker. In explaining his part
I'm the ease, Mr.. Prichnrd snid:
..FollOWinG the clopcmcnt Of Miss
RatciiTe and Walker, the young bride
went tO the home of her mother. The
mother hnd received news of the mar
riaEc md bccnme very I'll. when she
saw the condition her mother was in
| following the murrinGc, Mrs. Walker
repentcd her action and decided that
she had made mistake. Both the
Walker families and the RntcliHc fam
ilics arc wcIl-tO-dO, but their soclni
standings nre different.
v,x L.
Wndsworth family, because 1 had done
some work for them previously. Nrs.
walker showed me letter which she
had received from her husband, which
evidently Ind been dictated by Walk
er,s attorneys. In which charge was
mudc that the RutcliTe family had
cnuscd the wife tO remain away from
the husband.
..rhe letter was written In such
manner TINT II demanded an answer,
bcrnusc IL answer was not mHde' IL
could lie used to good advantage by
walker then dictated letter to
/ Walker, which was In such manner
that IL would not he detrimental to
either side.
.Nirs. Walker. who is IL stenoErnpher.
took the dictntiOD down. The charge
of Walkers attorneys that the letter
WINS written In Richmond and mailed
10 this city for s.gnaturc il not true.
II they can prove il, why do they NOT
make charge Of conspiracy against
mc!"
Long Wrnngie Over Question.
In s,,unort of the contention that
the letter was written ny john l.. Rat
/ clifre. counsel for Walker introduced
ON Saturday two typewriting experts
for the purpose OF showing. II possible
that 4 Was written on the machine in
Ratclines office. The Pittsburgh
4 tvpcwriter, II was stated. had been
. - an cOlllu
be produced In court. Moreover the
plainriu brought forward Assistant
Postmaster Southwark. who proved by
/ the official papers on file in the post
Office that two special delivery letters
we're mailed to Mrs. Walker on the
evening of June il. Mrs. Walker said
she did not remember receiving them
|. O. Wendenburg counsel for Walker
very broadly intimated that tho letter
to Walker. which he claims was writ
ten by Ratcline. was mailed here by
special delivery on June IL.
/ Mrs. RntrliGc's Letter.
This is the letter which Mr.. Prich-
ard will testify he dictated in Pitts
burSh:
pittsburgh. Pa
June 10. 1913.
"Mr Walker:
"I wish to say to YOU that your
statement or intimation in your letter
to me dated June II. 1912, that Inhu-
ence is being used by Frank, John.
Allie and mother 10 keep me away from
you is absolutely wrong, the fact be-
ing that whatever | have done. am do
ing or shall do is entirely on my own
responsibility, and as "A result of my
own VIII, utterly uninfiunnced by them
or any OF them. The statements in
your letter OF June IL. rejecting upoH
the motives OF any person OF persons