The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-08
A Pathetic Glimpse.

had no effect whatever on her mind
OF a child.
A Pathetic Glimpse.
In her testimony there was. Of
course, d terrible sobhistication; a
Eruesome familiarity with unnitigated
viciousness. Yet this was, apparently.
more uncomprehending gltbness.
Fundamentally Lutte Pruyn's Is a
childs outlook: there was infinite
pathos in her simple statement that
Halrs first Vile advances were made
when she had gone to the store for
some chocolate and you know, those
little niger babies
Outwardly her experience has af-
fected the girl little. She looked sur
prisingly sweet and clean and child
like on the stand. Indeed. her APP
bearance drew from the defense flu
tile attempt to secure an admission
that she had been instructed to dress
for her "part."s
spectators in Mobs.
luc tIldl dttIuSNCu
crowd Of spectators. Every inch OF
space In the courtroom was taken.
Men AMI women leaned on the jury
box. crowded against and inside the
railing. stood in the window frames
and on the backs of seats. They
stood packed in like sardines, listening
avidly to the minutae of the child's
ugly experience, leering or showing for
hungry peeps at the girl. Even in
the corridors outside men showed and
scrambled to get in earshot of some
| saiacious fftorsel. 1t was all like a
super sort aof Pullman smoking car
with the clothing drummer telling his
best It indicated a marvelously general
appetite for smut and a distressing
lack Of useful employment for n large
portion Of the almost human race.
Squabble Marks Opening.
A squabble among counsel over thu
right of Mrs Priscilla Miles, deput,
|sheriff. and the Pruyn girl to remain
lin the courtroom during County At
torney Angevine's opening statement
but were allowed to return immediate
ly after.
The clerk Of the court provided ;
grim overture when he called twice
while summonine witnesses for tn
OATH for Mrs. John Mattison!" Mrs
. Mattison, charged by the girl witt
connivance In her ruin, committee
suicide the day after the county attor
iney confronted her with Lutte
Pruyn's story.
The Pruyn girl was the first witnes.
The substance OF her testimony ha
already been given. Few of the de
tails need be added. The examina
, ton covered the slightest points in tn
5 story, even to the intimacics of tn
child's experiences with Hall.
Offense Frequent.
The child said that Hall committe
,, the crime with which he is charged o
, many occasions. the first a meeting q
THE Mattison home when the oldt
woman carefully got out of the wa
after advising the child to submit
Hall. other occasions were a camI
ing expedition to Lelo, a stroll {
:. night out to the fairgrounds. an auto
|, mobile ride to Frenchtown, anotht
ride to GreenOugh park. visit to
, ranch at Nine Mile and many meeting
lat the Madison or Thompson homes.
Seen Near Frsnehtown.
The most important OF these, sine
lit seems the most susceptible to col
roborat ton. is the Frenchtown cpisod
lin June of 1915. the girl said. she an
1 Hall and Mrs. Madison went riding
I Halls car. They stopped nei
;. lFrenchtown, and got out. Mrs. MAJ
e tison. she said, began reading viii
]. Hall. impoftunate as ever. took II
n girl to one side. He was interrurte
by a hail from the road and the tw
were barely able to take seemly att
ltudes before William Furnish came 7
10 them and asked Hall II he need'
help with his car.
THE county attorney in his openir
! statement said he would show tn
8 Furnish SUSPECTED the truth and tn
K later he warned Half and. was SEQ
: lfingiy repulsed. 80 Wy. N H'r
4 soc teo4s Plays Part.
Booze played an important part
the girls story. Hall was usual
drunk. she said, and always brouE
n beer with him when he came to .
: her. Moreover, she told OF visits
n the Grand Pacific cafe with Hall al
81 Henderson and Mrs. Thompson, VIII
e .whiskey and beer and cocktails al
e Ihighbails'' were served. ''They
drank" she said, ''and wanted me
But didn't drink much"
Jealousy. too, was characteristic
Hall. The girl told of a visit pa
+ her by a Jap boy, whom Mrs. Thorn
;. SON sometimes employed and som
v times helped, which was interrupt
n by Hall with vicious abuse. Hall, 9
/. said, often struck her. Once. VIII
! he had accused her Of intimacy Y
<ra~Sn..Ss. x fatal "a hik' hnr Will n