The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-12
Death Scene
Described i'm
Pryor Trial
Dramatic Story of Alleged
Wife, Poisoning Plot
Told to jury.

The dramatic story of how science
unraveled Ernest Pryor'S alleged plot
to slay his wife and marry another
woman was told today from the wit
ness stand in criminal court.
In one of the most sensational
murder trials in years, the jury to-
day heard the fundamentals Of the
states charge that Pryor, 31-year-
old Martinsville defendant. deserves
the electric chair for killing his
child wife" four months ago.
The jury heard DR.. R. N. Harger,
toxicologist and instructor at the
Indiana university school of med
icine, declare that each of the vital
organs of the deceased woman con-
tanned arsenic, as charged by the
state.
With every available corner of
the large courtroom packed with
spectators, prosecutors this morning
put forth facts by which they will
attempt to prove the small town
'ne'er- do-well' killed his wife to
eliminate an illicit love that al
legedly existed in a tiny white cot
tage that the Pryor'S called home.
Wept in Courtroom
The central figure in the court
room, Pryor appeared this morning
faggard and worn. Wearing a dirty
white shirt and runpled tie, he
wept silently on several occasions,
his head resting on his left hand,
while his injured right hand hung
limp over his chair.
Called by prosecutors the "odd
jobs man about Martinsville, Pryor
has attempted to establish the de-
Tense that he was insane at the
time of the alleged offense.
The most important figure in the
case, Miss Elsie Ham of Brazil,
cousin of Pryor's wife, and Pryor's
supposed mistress, never has ap-
peared in the courtroom. It. was
this woman, the state charges, who
lived under the Pryor roof and who
allegedly caused Pryor to give his
wife poison draught on the after
noon of Aug. 10.
Attorneys AdmoniShed
Prosecutors encountered Difficult
ties during the forenoon session in
many legal tits with the defense
attorney, and at the Woodworking
recess William r. Ringer, Marion
county deputy prosecutor, replaced
William Bray, Morgan county pros
ecutor, for questioning of witnesses
Judge James A. Collins who is on
the bench, admonished attorneys
several times to hald petty quib-
blings" and to stop making 'side"
remarks.
On another occasion, Collins an
grily reprimanded the large audi
ence for laughing. He threatened
to exclude spectators from the
courtroom.
The states chief eyewitness to
the deathbed scene in the Pryor
home appeared on the witness
stand among five states witnesses
called. She was Mrs. Lota Worth
ington, a neighbor to the Pryors,
who nursed the 20-year-old mother
until she died.
DR.. Hargar Witness
"On the evening she died I was
at her side almost every minute, -
Mrs. Worthington testified. "She
suffered awfully. She kept asking
for water. She was burning up in
side, she told me. She kept both
hands on her stomach, doubling up
many times in agony.
She kept asking for water and I
brought her many drinks. In the
end, when brought the last glass
of water, she couldn't swallow it. I
had lifted her in my arms. She
suddenly stiffened and looked up at
me. Her eyes was bloodshot. She
didn't say a word, and she was
dead" Mrs. Worthington testified.
Pryor was in the house at the
time and tainted shortly after his
wife died, it was testified.
DR.. Harger was one Of three med
lCdl experts calleQ TO the stand.
He said that parts OF organs ex-
amined by him at the Indianapolis
laboratory contained a total of 2.18
grains of arsenic. He estimated the
young mother died Of a dose of
about four grains, or almost a tea
spoonful of arsenic. This is enough
to kill any human being, he said.
Other witnesses include DR..
George R. Wilmann, technician in
charge of the univerSity's medical
laboratory; Jesse N. Cure, a Mar
tinsville undertaken, and Garrett
Richard, deputy sheriff from Nor
gan county.
Secretary Is Reappointed