The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-06
MissOula Woman Accused Of
Procuring Girl for I'M
moral Purposes.
LUTTE PRUYN TELLS
JURY OF RELATIONS
On Grounds Of Prejudice
Case Transferred to Lewis
and Clark Court.

Helena, Nov. 4. - Special - "And
Mrs. Thompson told me to go ahead
and do anything Mr. Hall wanted me
10 do. and 10 get an tho money could
from him. And l did it, And she
took most Of the money"
With these words. little Lutte"
Pruyn. 14-year-old victim of Former
City Treasurer Frank G. Hall of Mis-
sonia. today told the basis for the
charges which the State of Montana
has brought against Nan Thompson.
wife of Harry Thompson. Missoula
railroad man.
The childish girl, looking vastly i'm
proved as to physique ana morale from
the few months she has been in
charge of Mrs. Thomas Wade of the
bureau Of child and animal protec-
tion. spoke from the witness stand in
the district court before Judge Poor
man and a jury of II citizens of Lewis
and Clark county. The case was
called here this morning in accord
ance with change of venue brought
by the defense on grounds of preju-
dice when the information was filed
against Mrs. THOMPSON in the Fourth
district. with headquarters at Mis-
snula.
Objections Are Overruled.
The specific charge against Mrs.
Thompson is that she received val
nahle consideration for procuring and
placing n female in the custody of an
other for immoral purposes" Mrs.
Thompson has as her representatives
in the court. Attorney w. l.. Murphy
and Attorney James Brown, both of
Missoula. Mr.. Murphy imposed con-
stant objections to the story OF the
girl and finally wound up with n gen.
cral objection which. with the under
standing of the state and the court. is
understood to cover practically all OF
the child's testimony.
objection after objection. thrown as
stumbling blocks in the way of the at
tcmpts of the Missoula attorneys 70,
the prosecution to bring to brook this
accused woman. We're overruled by
Judge Poorman. The defense tried
to prevent the girl from telling of hel
relations with Hail. relations which
when he was tried for rape because OF
them, sent him TO the state peniten-
tiary for term of from IA to 20 years
last March.
Young in Years Only.
Little I.ntic's account is not much
different from the one which packed
to snffocation with idle citizenry thu
courtroom in Missoula when Hall wa.
tried and convicted. 1t is the stor!
of the weak father. the designing
woman. the childish victim, who's
loathing for the life she was leadn.
eliminated finally in a bitter outburs
TO county officials of what she ha'
been made the victim.
Despite her youth and her still
childish manner of thought AM
speech. the little girl is by no mean
as young as her years would suggest
She gave her answers with the wis
dom and understanding of evil Of on
many times her senior. What tn
life has done for her is seen in he
understanding of 1t. her complet
sophistication--and.b by the way in he
hatred for those who brought he
down to where she was.
Sorry for the Past.
For Lutte now is thoroughly re
pentant. She makes no hesitation |
blaming her father-her mother die
when she was II months, old-for tn
thing which she had become. Sh
would live a normal life, such as ha
been hers under the fostering care {
Mrs. Wade. and she wants to thinl
as Mrs. Wade expressed it today, ths
the past two years have been "onl
II horrible dream"
Lutte was not the first witness o
the stand today. She was .precede
by that OF her parent. and the i'm
rressian he gave on the stand was tn:
of a man who was not impressed Il:
all with tragedy, even when it ha
placed its iron stamp on childhood ar
that the child was his only flesh ar
blood. He was not sure of dates.
was not positive as to when he ha
placed Lutte in the charge of Mr.
Thompson. who. according to Lutte
story. acted the vampire without Il
rover Of attraction Of her own. b,
through her control of the child.
Attended by Husband.
Through 1t all. the defendant ST