Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1919-05-16
STATES PRISON
FOR ASHFORD MAN
Henry Pray Pleads Guilty to
Breaking Game Laws
Pays $50 Fine.

After a trial of the case in the SUI
perior court at Willimantic, Thurs
day, Willard Wells of Ashford plead
ed guilty to incest and was sentenced
to not less than one nor more than
two years in states prison.
The accused was defended by At
torney Charles L. Torrey. States At
torney Searls was assisted in prose
cutting the case by Attorney S. B.
Harvey of Willimantic. Wells plead
ed not guilty to the charge, The first
witness was Cloie Lila Wells, whose
testimony in brief was that her ia
Their. the accused, had assaulted her
on two different occasions; that she
had told her mother about it and that
later both she and her mother had
told others in Ashford of the assaults,
but that no action had ever been tax
en- by the authorities in the town.
Witness further testified that she
gave birth to aSchild April 18th of
this year in Ashford and was attend
ed by DIR. W. E. Cram of Mansfield.
The witness held the child in her
arms while on the stand. On a cross
examination by Attorney Torrey,
witness did not change her testimony
materially.
Mrs. Wells, wife of the accused, the
next witness, eorroborated the testi-
mony of the previous witness and
testified that her husband denied all
knowledge of the affair when ques-
toned in regard to it by witness. On
being cross-examined by Attorney
Torrey, witness said she had lived at
her husbands home up to April 18th
last but had not lived there since
that the accused had used insulting
language to her daughter for some
time past; that she made no further
complaint to the authorities because
no action was taken on her first COM
plant. A short redirect examination
followed.
DR.. w E. Cram of Mansfield testi-
fed that he attended Lila Wells dur
ing her confinement and that the
child was born in Ashford.
Mrs. Wells was recalled to the stand
and questioned further by Attorney
Torrey. The defense called Theron
Austin Wells to the witness stand.
After some questioning, an attempt
was made to have the witness admit
that he was responsible for his sisters
condition. The witness refused to
answer, saying that he did not want
to say anything about it. The ae-
cused. Willard G. Wells, was then
called to the stand and through his
attorney entered a general denial OF
the accusations made against him by
previous witnesses.
On being cross-examined by States
Attorney Searls the witness testified
that up to the time of his trouble his
relations with his home and family
had always been agreeable and con-
genial and stated on further question
ing that he knew of no reason why
the mother and daughter should
bring such a charge against him 9TH
er than that he had whipped the latter
for not going to school, which had
made both the daughter and mother
angry. Several witnesses were intro
duced by the defense as to his good
reputation.
A recess was ordered. At 4.30
when court was resumed, States At
torney Searls stated to the court that
the accused desired to change his
plea of not guilty to guilty. He was
told to stand up and on being put to
plea by Clerk of the Court Edgar M.
Warner, the accused pleaded guilty.
Judge Greene, after making few
comments on the case, sentenced
Wells to not less than one nor more
than two years in states prison.
Henry Pray of Killingly, who was
found guilty Of setting snares both in
the Putnam city court and the Daniel
son borough court and took appeals,
pleaded guilty to both counts and was