Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-28

South Paril Ne. Jan. 27-The iden-
tincation q the body of the man
found dead sbeueath the Pratt barn
Monday, az George A. Davis Of PORT,
land, taxicas driver, and the arrest
Of Prescott Pratt on the charge Of
murder. folbved In quick succession
here this norning. A rumor that a
confession respected insthe case. ad Is
to the excitsmsnt.
When aTnisned on the charge Of
murder Wednesday, morning, Pratt
pleaded notaguilty and q continu-
ance was grantet until Feb. 1. at the
request OF the county attorney. .
Hold Cummings az Witness
Hiram Cummings, neighbor.
who was charged with concealing the
body, becaase OF his failure to notify
the onicera that he had discovered 1t
recently. pleaded not guilty. The
charge was dropped, but he was held
as a material witness against Pratt
and placed In the care Of the jailor.
The autopsy performed by DR.. d.
NJ. Stewart Of South Paris and DR..
Herman BARTLETT Of Norway, Wed
needay, rfsealed two bullet holes, one
Just below and behind and the other
just below and IN front Of the ear,
eVldentlys made by a 80 caliber revolt
yer, though the bullet was somewhat
flattened. The man evidently was
standing side to- his assailant, when
shot. .
Papers on Body
Papers bearing the name Of George
w. Davis Of Portland were found on
the mans body. One was the license
Tor Ford automobile which the man
is supposed to- have owned. Others
were automobile insurance policies
and miscellaneous papers and letters.
No effort had been made to destroy
the papers
The body it is understood was
identified from papers found in the
mans pockets
The police eteiephoned Tuesday to
Lewiston, Portland and Boston, ask
Ing II any one were missing, . and
learned that Davis was missing from
Portland.
The Identification is practically Ger
tain.
The body was removed from be-
meath the old barn late Tuesday after
noon. The5remoyal was greatly delay
ed on account, of the absence of the
coroner who did not arrive until 4 p.
M. The @body1was directly under a
trap door innthe barn floor in a
hunched up position, as if thrown in,
| hit or miss zsiE
The face was half buried in the froz-
en- ground. one arm being directly be-
| meath the body and frozen to it. The
other arm wasf1etretched by the side.
One leg was bent under the body,
while the other was straight.
The whole appearance was as if the
man had been Thrown into the hole
| and then rolled over to his position
against the stone foundation wall.
Decomposition had reached such a
state that Identification through the
features is'out Of the question.
A crowd Of teams and hundreds of
people collected at the Pratt place
No examinationrof the body was pos
sible until the body and been thawed
out.
Indications Of foul play seemed
abundant Clots1of blood were on the
barn floor ndo1coats believed to be.
long toiPrescott Pratt were stained
| with blood andGa dirty shirt all cover
ed with what seemed to be clotted
blood, was found tucked away in an
| automobile. asl.{t
The body was taken up through the
trap floor in the barn and placed In
Thayers ambulance and taken al
once to his undertaking rooms.
The house is a. tumble-down looking
structure Of one story and at first
glance 1t looks deserted. There are nc
shades at the windows, and in many
places the glass is missing. It evi.
| IDENTIFY was once painted a dark vel.
| low. The barn where the body was
found is weathered to a dull gray. The
| interior of the house Is described az
unbelievably filthy.
Deputy Libby is the officer II
charge Of the premises.
South Paris people who viewed thu
room. could hardly believe theil
sense that such things could exis
anywhere in town. The search Of thu
officers in the house revealed neither
knives nor firearms. Some 80 calibel
bullets were found in chest.
| Mrs. Clara Cutting has left tn
Pratt house and has returned to he
parents home a short distance away
She was permitted to remove he
trunk to her home When interviewe,
she showed evident reluctance to talk
and kept re-iteratink that she ha,
been told to keep still. She alread.
has told 10 conflicting stories, tn
authorities ay.': <sts.s.
The first Yfethese was that she ha
first disceVeredsthe body beneath tn
barn and when she asked Prescott
Pratt about it, that he threatened t
kill her IL she. tuld. It is claimed tina
she quarreled with him Monda
morning and Immediately told tn
authorities about the body beneath tn
barn.
In a later story she claims the bod
WIS discovered by Hiram Cummings
who told hers about it. She did no
deny, On flrst examination, of havin
known for some time Of the presenc
Of the body but later. said she ha
been told about It by Cummings Mon
day morning. yzcs
| In ar interview with her, to ever,
question. she replied. they have or
dereds me. to- say nothing. I think T.,