The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-17
PRYOR WEEPS
IN DENIAL OF
KILLING Wife
Alleged Slayer Goes on
Stand in Own Defense at
Murder Trial.
TELLS STORY OF LIFE
Didn't Give Mate Poison, He
Says; Relations With
Woman Admitted.

Sweeping denial of the states
charge that he poisoned his young
wife to consummate an Illicit love
was made from the witness stand
today by Ernest Pryor, 80, of Mar
tinSville, in his criminal court jury
trial for first degree murder.
The trial this morning apparently
was nearing an end as the defense
began its drive to refute damaging
testimony aired from the stand for
four days by almost two scores of
states witnesses.
Pryor denied essentials of the
states charge that he gave his wife
Ihelma, 20, three draughts of ar
senlc poison after carefully spread
ing runlor that his wife had only
a short time to live.
Pryor Weeps on Stand
On the stand Pryor wept several
times, choking as he answered oues-
tlonS asked by John Royse, his at
torney. His eyes were downcast as
he gave his answers.
He told of his birth on a farm
IN Morgan county and how he was
forced to leave school while in
the fourth grade. He did "odd iobs'
about Martinsville while a vouth
and when he came Of age moved to
GoSport, where he met the girl he
later married and still later is al
legged to have poisoned.
For several months preceding the
Wltes death, she complained of ill
ness, Pryor testified. The defen-
dant sobbbed as he narrated events
IN the Pryor home on the night of
Aug. 10 when Mrs. Pryor died.
Denies Giving Wife Poison
II did not give her poison" Pryor
sobbed hoarsely, adding, It don't
know anything about that"
The states accusation that Pryor
carried on an illicit affair with Miss
Elsie Ham Of Brazil, dietitian in a
Martinsville sanitarium where Pryor
worked, was admitted partially by
the defendant.
Pryor admitted he interceded in
getting Miss Ham her position with
the Home Lawn sanitarium. She
roomed at the Pryor home while
working there, PryGr stated.
Attempting to refute states evil
dence that Pryor was seen with
Miss Ham in large icebox at the
Home Lawn sanitarium, Royse asked
Pryor if that was true.
Visited Woman's Home
ct is not true and, anyway, you
can't see the inside the box if
you're standing outside.
What if I was seen with her.
Pryor asked, I've been in there
with almost every woman in the
sanitarium lots of times" Pryor
stated.
The defendant admitted further
that he spent five days in Miss
Hams Brazil home less than a week
after his wife was buried.
Grilling of the defendant by
Prosecutors William r. Ringer
(Marion county, and William Bray
Morgan county, was to begin in
the afternoon.
Testify for Defense
Mrs. Lillian Underwood, first of
the defense witnesses and step-aunt
of Mrs. Pryor, told jurors that
Pryor was Frustrated with grief
when his wife died.
Through another witness, Mrs.
Edith Leach, the defense attempt
ed to show that Mrs. Pryor had
made the statement she would mot
be alive in another year"
The defense placed on the stand
Mrs. Hattie Rost, superintendent OF
the Morgan County Memorial hos
pital, in an effort to show that SIS
Pryor borrowed before his wife died
was used to pay for minor opera
ton on himself. The state charged
Pryor borrowed the money to buy
a $4,000 insurance policy on his
wife before he allegedly killed her.