The Indianapolis times., 1930-12-11
STATE BRANDS
PRYOR BRUTAL
Wife SLAYER
MartinsviIIe Man Painted
Cold -BIooded Killer
in Argument.
DEFENSE SLAPS STORY
Courtroom Is Jammed as
Death Trial Gets
Under Way.

Fate's intervention in what was
termed a carefully brooded plot of
Ernest Pryor, 32-year-old Martins
Vile paramour, to slay his child
wife" and climax an Illicit love
affair, was described today by
prosecutors in opening arguments
as the criminal court jury trial got
under way.
After three days of exhaustive
examination Of prospective jurors,
the state and defense agreed, and
the jury was sworn by Judge James
A. Collins shortly after 10 a. m.
Spectators crammed every corner
of the large courtroom to hear the
opening statements of William
Bray, Morgan county prosecutor.
The pathetic story of a family's
life in a little white home in Mar
tinsville where Pryor allegedly
Matched his scheme to poison his
wife and marry her cousin, was told
by Gray as the background of the
states case, which Bray said de-
manded the death penalty for the
yillage "ne'er do WE'LL
Alleged Scheme Outlined
pryor's alleged scheme to collect
Insurance blood money" to slay
his wife and to satisfy romance
with Mrs. Elsie Ham, Brazil, the
wife's cousin, was laid before
jurors In the statement.
Mrs. Thelma Pryor, the 20-year-
old wife whom Pryor married when
she was sixteen, and whose body
twice has been exhumed for exami-
nation, was the victim of a "clever
but crude plot" of Pryor to cast all
suspicion away from himself, Bray
stated.
"A home-loving girl, the mother
of q child, this child-wife suffered
every humiliation that man can
imagine. Time and again she wit
messed the damning spectacle of her
husband in another's arms, watched
the affair reach a notorious degree,
heard the neighbors talk, and died
at her husbands hand"
Bray pictured Pryor's starting
the rumor that his wife was i'll.
Pryor told the young mother re-
peatedly that he was afraid she
going to die" Bray said.
Barber's Story Is Told
Bray described events in the home
during the eleven days preceding
her death. Pryor took out $4,000
insurance policy. borrowing the
money to make first payment. Ex-
animation by physicians proved her
to be a perfect insurance risk, Bray
said.
The state will prove, Bray de-
clared, that Ray Tremp, Martins
vile barber, was at the Pryor home
Aug. 10 when Pryor mixed the first
poison draught. Tremp entered the
kitchen where Pryor was mixing
the drink and noticed it was awful
ly white" Pryor had told his wife
he would get her a glass of soda
water" for temporary illness, Bray
stated.
The young mother took first
drink at i'll the afternoon. AT 9
that night she was dead.
Bray stated she begged her huS-
band to help her.
You're Going to Die
My stomach burns, get me
water This is the statement, ac-
cording to Bray, the wife made
numerous times before she died.
Pryor, Bray said, answered the plea
with the statement. "Thelma, I've
done all 1 can, the doctors say
you're going to die and you might
as well prepare for it."
After his arrest, Pryor was quoted
as having said, Prove me guilty if
you can"
Chemical analysis of the corpSe's
vital organs showed enough arsenic
was administered to kill any human
being, Bray said
John Royse, Pryor's attorney, de-
picted Pryor as a home loving,
quiet young man who worked hard
for a living" Royse said he will
prove that neighborhood prejudice
against Pryor was responsible for
the first degree murder charge re-
turned against Pryor by the Nor
san county grand jury.
Pryor Weeps Profusely
Pryor, sitting at the defense ta-
bic. wept profusely as Royse de-
scribed his life in a small town.
Beside Pryor sat his sister, Mrs.
Myrtle Boswell Mrs. Alta Sink Of
Gosport, mother of Pryor's dead
wife, was to be in the courtroom In
the afternoon.
When closing arguments were
completed. William r. Ringer, Mar
ion county deputy prosecutor, said
he viii petition the court to have
commission appointed to examine
Pryor for sanity, answering the de-
fendant's. claim that he was insane
at the time of the alleged crime.
Royse objected to the motion and
Collins was to rule this afternoon.
Jurors impaneled are:
Lewis H. cauble. 1889 North Tibbs ave-
aue: Charles Schafhauser. Candy: Albert
2. Caldwell $40 South Belle vieu place;
Martin o. Young. haywood; Thomas J.
waisner. r. r. T. city: Claude Carpenter
liio North Mount street: William P. Lotz.
3s7i Robson street: Don d. Elliott 2o2
South Riley avenue; Harry A. Rost. zi5i
College avenue: Claude E. Porter. e047
Marion avenue. and Albert v. Elliott.
3s5s Keystone avenue. and J. Brook Cos
ssrt. i77i Park avenue.
Bridge Contract Awarded
r. McCaIman- Inc Danville. III.