Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-02-02

The dead body of George w. Davis of
Portland was found on Tuesday under
the barn of Mrs. Lucy Pratt on Hill
Street, South Paris, where 1t had been
lying for some months.
Prescott Pratt of South Paris, son of
Mrs.. Lucy Pratt, "a years OF age, is in
Jail charged with murder, the hearing
being continued till Feb. 4. Hiram
Cummings, also "a years Of age, Is held
In jail as material witness.
For the past few weeks Mrs. Lucy
Pratt and her youngest son have been
working in Auburn. As housekeeper of
late Prescott Pratt has had Mrs. Clara
Cutting, daughter of Joseph Leonard,
and wife of Irving Cutting, with whom
she had not been living for some months.
Hiram Cummings has been a boarder
there. Pratt and Cummings arc labor
ers, working off and on at various jobs.
Cummings is the son of Morvenette
Cummings, who has lived in South Paris
for the past few years.
Tuesday forenoon Mrs. Cutting in
formed the officers that she had discov-
cred the body of man under the barn
at the Pratt place. Sheriff Rockingham
and Deputy Sheriff Titus Immediately
began work on the case, and Pratt and
Cummings were taken to Jail. Pratt
was driving team for j. A. Kenney &
Co. when arrested, and Cummings was
at the Pratt house without work.
Coroner VIM. j. Wheeler was sum-
moned, but bad gone to Bryant's Pond
on the train. He came home by team,
and arrived here about O'Clock In the
afternoon. Meanwhile . guard was kept
at the Pratt place, and nothing was dis
turbed.
On Mr.. Wheeler's arrival he empanel-
ed jury consisting of Fred N. Wright,
George F. Eastman, Byron w. futile,
Nelson G. Elder, Fred B. Wiggin and l..
L. Russell, and they proceeded to the
Pratt place.
The Pratt house is small and somewhat
dilapidated in appearance, two doors
from the brick building used until
about year ago as the hall OF Paris
Grange The barn, little farther back
from the road, is also small building,
quite dilapidated. The front and the
uortherly side of the barn are about
even with the ground. On the other two
sides the slope of the ground brings the
stills three or four feet from the ground,
and the building stands on posts. A
short distance on the southerly side is
boarded, but the rest below the stills is
open space.
Up near the sill in the northwest cor
nsr was lying the body Of the dead man,
pitched down in an irregular face-down
fashion, one side of the face being on the
ground. Some blankets were covered
over it, making it simply sort of shape
less mass. This was all the conceal
ment that was attempted. A small trap
door in the barn floor was nearly over
the body, showing that after the body
was dropped through the trap it had
been moved over to the side only three
or four feet. ANY one taking up the
trap could hardly help seeing the heap,
and it was in plain sight to any one
crossing the garden or field back of the
house.
On the floor of the barn, between the
door and the trap, were distinct dark
stains which have all the appear.
ance of blood stains, and blood stained
coat was found hanging in the house.
1t took some time TO remove the body,
as IL was frozen INTO Tue SuUW auu i0o'
The flesh was considerably decomposed,
the face being practically unrecogniz-
able. After IL was secured, the body
was taken to Miss Thsyer's undertaking
rooms, where it was thawed so as to be
available for autopsy the next day.
Papers found in the pockets established
the identity of the man, which was not
at first known.
The clothes on the body were of good
quality, with kid gloves on the hands,
and rubber heeled shoes without rub
bers on the feet. There was no money,
watch or jewslry anywhere about the
body.
Wednesday forenoon the autopsy was
performed by DR.. 81. l.. Bartlett, the
county physician. Two bullet wounds
were found in the right side OF the head
above the ear, either of which was prob
ably sufficient to cause death. At the
inquest Wednesday afternoon the hear
ing was very short, and the jury return
ed verdict that the deceased came to
his death from two bullet wounds inflict-
ed by some person to the jurors un
known.
The two arrested men were arraigned
-, Al Mnpiciyal Conrf Wa6paa-