Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-02-02
Murder Done Some Months Ago is Revealed.
BODY OF GEORGE w. DAVIS OF PORTLAND
FOUND UNDER SOUTH PARIS BARN.
Prescott Pratt will Have Hearing Thursday the Charge Murder
Hiram Cummings Is Held Witness n

day forenoon. County Attorney Albert
Beliveau of Rumford, who had arrived
the preceding afternoon, appeared fol
mings, the complaint, which was fol
concealing dead human body, was mol
pressed on Mr.. Beliveau's motion, and
also on bis motion Cummings was held
without bail as material witness In the
case of State vs.. Pratt.
The complaint against Pratt charged
him with the murder of an "adult male
white person" whose name was moi
known. To the complaint Pratt pleaded
not guilty, and on Mr.. Bsliveau's motion
the hearing was continued until Feb. 4
The murder is alleged to have been COM
mitted on Sept. 20, 1914, which was Sun
day following the county fair, and the
fixing of this definite date 80 far back
indicates that the officers were not with.
out some kind of information as to the
circumstances at the time the complaint
was made out.
Not in some years has the town seen
so much of sensation, the nearest ap-
proach to 1t recently having been the
still unsolved Preece murder mystery
and its attendant circumstances, last
November. That a man should have
been murdered, and his half.concealed
body lie for months in an open-cellar
space within hundred feet of village
street, with people living at the build.
ings and daily travelling the blood-stain-
ed plauks overhead, is strange story
to tell. That the body, that of stran-
ger, should have been left with full
means of Identification on it, Is merely
an additional piece of stupidity.
For some years the Pratt place has
had none too savory reputation, but
the discovery of Tuesday was neverthe-
less startling, as the place has been con
sidered as simply in bad odor rather
than menacing to the safety of the COM
munity.
Four automobiles, of various ages and
conditions, are now in the Pratt barn.
During the past fall Prescott Pratt at.
tracted attention by driving a car,
which, while secondhand, was a much
better one than his supposed circum.
stances seemed to justify. When asked
about it he stated that the owners had
put it in his hands to sell. He has also
attracted much attention by having in
possession and seen by various people,
roll of bills estimated at various amounts
up to five hundred dollars, but evidently
of some size.
George w. Davis, the murdered man,
was 81 years of age. He was up to
about eight years ago conductor
on the Grand Trunk Railway and
lived at Island Pond. For the past few
years he has lived in Portland. He was
for while employed as chauffeur by
taxicab company in Portland. Last
spring he purchased new Ford car, and
used it as a taxicab on his own account.
Nothing has been seen of him in Port
land, as far as can be ascertained, since
early fall.
Davis had lodgings in one place and
took Lis meals in another, and as he was
man alone and his business frequently
took him out of the city, his disappear.
ance had excited little comment and
little II any suspicion of foul play.
Mrs. Davis had been divorced, and was
remarked in Lakeport, N. H., on the
18th of this mouth. There were three
sons and three daughters of Mr.. and
Mrs. Davis-Guy W., who Is In the state
of Washington; Earl, who is in Connect
lieut.; Ray W., who was killed on the
railroad at Copperville little more than
year ago; Mrs. Pearl Smith and Mrs.
Hazel McFaden of Island Pond; and
Mrs. Vonie Bachelor of Lakeport, N. Fl.
Mr.. Davis has three brothers, one who
lives in California, and Edward E: and
R. b. of Island Pond. and one sister,
Mrs. Addie Meehan of Portland.
The two brothers from Island Pond
came to South Paris Thursday morning,
and we're able to satisfy themselves that
the body was that of their brother. On
Friday they took it to Island Pond.
According to B. W. Tuttle, proprietor
of Hotel Andrews at South Paris, Pres
colt Pratt drove into the hotel yard on
Sunday, the 9th of September, with
Ford car. He treated the crowd to CT
CARS, saying jokingly that he was mar
ried. In few days after that he ap-
peared with Penn car, and later with