#smith's falls

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Smith's Falls, Ontario, Canada

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"Girl Fined For Having Booze," The Ontario (Belleville). November 1, 1917. Page 14. --- Had a Suit Case Full of it at Broad Street Station, Ottawa --- Ottawa, Oct. 26. Nellie Sharper of Kingston yesterday was fined $200 and costs and Richard Johnston of Montague, Welland County, Ont., was sentenced to serve three months in jail in default of the fine for having liquor in a public place. They were arrested at Broad street station each with a suit case filled with bottled liquor. The girl was bound for Kingston and the man for Smith's Falls.

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"FOUND NO TRACE BURNED BEDDING OFFICER SWEARS," Toronto Star. April 16, 1934. Page 1. ---- No Cigarette Butts in Dr. Pratt's Home After Fire, He Adds ---- WITNESS IS BARRED ---- Red Cushions Brought From Anglican Church for Use by Jurymen ---- Special to The Star Perth, April 16. The brown metal bed on which Eva McLean was fatally burned on the early morning of Dec. 31 in Dr. Wilton Phatt's bedroom at Smith's Falls was set up in the court-room here to-day in front of the jury hearing the charge of murder laid against the 71-year old physician.

The crown produced Provincial Constable Wannell of Perth to swear that none the bed clothes-full of burns, apparently from cigarettes, and submitted earlier by the defence -had been on any couch or bed in Dr. Pratt's house on Jan. 2.

Neither had he found any trace of cigarette butts or containers in the whole house when he searched that day. It was only in March last he discovered a container with cigarette butts on a book-case in the upstairs hall near the spot where the dead woman had slept.

Sheriff Ebbs had the jurymen examined last night by the jail physician. The long trial has begun to tell on their nerves, it was claimed, and a couple of them had not been sleeping. The sheriff requisitioned some of the red cushions from the church.

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Smith's Falls in Ontario, Canada

Canadian vintage postcard

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"Freed of Murder, Dr. Pratt Gets 5 Years On Other Charges," Ottawa Citizen. April 20, 1934. Page 13. ---- Smiths Falls Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegal Operations ---- Jury Renders Not Guilty Verdict on Charge of Murdering Miss Eva McLean, Housekeeper, After Three Hours and Fifteen Minutes Deliberation. Then Half An Hour Later The Aged Physician, Arraigned On Lesser Counts, Admits Guilt, And Is Sentenced At Once. ---- (By Staff Reporter.) PERTH, Ont… April 19 - Dr. Wilton Pratt, 71-year-old physician of Smiths Falls, late this afternoon pleaded guilty to ten charges of illegal operations at the Lanark County Assizes here and was sentenced to five years in Kingston penitentiary on each indictment by Mr. Justice P. J. Kerwin. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Just half an hour before the illegal operation charges were proceeded with. Dr. Pratt was acquit-

ted on a charge of murder. It is Just a week ago today that the murder trial of the doctor started.

The few words of Mr. Justice Kerwin's sentence of Dr. Pratt were a warning against irregularities amongst practitioners of medicine.

The doctor was charged with the murder of his 60-year-old house- keeper, Miss Eva Elizabeth McLean. who lost her life in a mysterious fire in the doctor's residence on Daniel street, Smiths Falls, early on the morning of December 31 last. The illegal operations on which the doctor was charged ranged from the year 1931 to 1933 inclusive.

Jury Out Three Hours. It took the jury three hours and fifteen minutes to render the verdict on the murder charge. They left the courtroom at 12.55 o'clock this noon and returned at 4.10 this afternoon with the verdict.

There was a delay of ten minutes after the jury returned to the court-room until the accused was brought before the bar. Peter Smiley of Perth, foreman of the jury, was asked if they had agreed upon a verdict.

"Yes, we have," he replied.

The courtroom was silent. The prisoner appeared nervous. He twisted his hands about a handkerchief.

J. S. L. McNeely, clerk of the court, then read aloud the findings of the jury, "Not Guilty." There as a slight outburst of applause from the spectators as the clerk read the verdict but this was immediately checked by Sheriff J. H. Ebbs.

Relief Manifest. Dr. Pratt showed his relief. He looked in the direction of his counsel with an expression of satisfaction.

His daughter and sister who had been constant attendants in court since the opening looked at one another. A big burden was off their minds. During the long ordeal on the capital charge, Dr. Pratt bore up well. Near the closing chapter of one of the most celebrated trials in this part of the country, the doctor seemed to brighten. He took more interest in proceedings than he did when first arraigned. He looked much brighter and his general condition was announced by the jail physician, Dr. W. A. Meighen, to be improved.

Jury Dismissed Immediately the verdict was rendered on the murder charge. Mr. Justice Kerwin discharged the doctor on the capital charge but announced that he was still held in custody on the illegal operation charges. The jury was than thanked by His Lordship and dismissed.

Before proceeding with the hearing of the illegal operation charges. Mr. Justice Kerwin said there would be a fifteen-minute recess in order to give defence counsel time to consider how they were going to plead. He said the other charges would be commenced when court resumed.

With the prisoner facing ten charges of performing illegal operations, court once again resumed. The doctor was in the prisoner's box as the judge took his place. The accused rose and the clerk of the court read out the first illegal operation charge. "Guilty" replied the doctor's counsel. The next one was proceeded with and in each of the remaining indictments counsel

for the physician repeated the one word "guilty." There was a hush over the crowded courtroom while the in- dictments were being read. Not a person moved. The prisoner hung his head. When guilt was admit- ted on each of the ten illegal oper- ation charges, Mr. Justice Kerwin passed sentence,

Judge's Remarks. In passing sentence, Mr. Justice J. P. Kerwin, who presided over the assizes, said: 'Prisoner, you have pleaded guilty to ten indictments in each of which it was charged that you committed the offence of abortion. It appears from the indictments that these occurrences range from the year 1931 to 1933 inclusive and that one individual went to you on three different occasions. This indicates that when the public is aware that a medical practitioner is ready and willing to do this sort of thing which is a serious offence against the law, it soon becomes known and the number of indictments indicates the extent of the knowledge so far as you are concerned."

Warning to All "While I take into consideration your age, I cannot overlook the gravity of each offence and that coupled with the number of offences to which you have pleaded guilty renders it necessary that the sentence I impose be one that will give notice to all and particularly to the members of the medical profession that this may not be done with impunity.

"The sentence of the court is that you be imprisoned in the penitentiary for five years on each indictment, the sentences to run concurrently."

All eyes in the courtroom were focussed on the prisoner as he was led out and down the front stairs of the court house. He was immediately taken to the jail where he will await his removal to the penitentiary.

It was announced tonight by John Oates, governor of the jail, that Dr. Pratt would be removed to the penitentiary as soon as arrangements can be made. It will be either tomorrow or the next day.

Not Nervous The governor also said that Dr. Pratt was not showing any outward signs of distress over the sentence. "He did not appear nervous," he said, "and when taken his supper ate it in the usual way."

"I thought I would get a longer term," said Dr. Pratt to J. Palmer. jailer, as he was being taken back to his cell following the sentence.

Following the dismissal of the jury after their verdict on the murder charge, the foreman, Mr. Smiley, forwarded the following note of appreciation to J. H. Ebbs, sheriff of Lanark county. "We the gentlemen of the jury of the Dr. Pratt murder trial wish to convey to you and your staff our appreciation for the care you have given to us during our term of office as jurymen. Our every want and comfort has been attended to. Thanking you again. Signed on behalf of the jury."

The murder trial, the first in this county in the past quarter of a century, has attracted widespread interest from the start. Every day the small courtroom was filled with spectators and many were unable to gain admittance.

The assizes opened on Tuesday last week. The charges against Dr. Pratt were the only ones to come before the court. There were no civil actions. The grand jury retired a week ago Tuesday afternoon at 2.15 o'clock to consider the murder and ten illegal operation indictments. They were considering the murder indictment until Thursday last week near noon when they brought in a true bill. The trial was commenced that afternoon and the grand jury once more retired this time to consider the other indictments. Late that afternoon true bills on all the indictments were returned.

Court sat for seven days hearing evidence on the murder charge. There was one night session. Twenty-seven witnesses were called by the Crown and ten by defence including Dr. Pratt, who yesterday afternoon took the stand in his own defence. Forty-two exhibits were filed by the Crown and none by the defence. The exhibits ranged in size from a large bedstead all the way down to a tiny hypodermic needle.

C. W. Bell, K.C., M.P., of Hamilton conducted the prosecution, assisted by J. Dulmage, Crown prosecutor for Lanark county, Donald C. Smith of Smiths Falls was chief defence lawyer assisted by W. W. Pollock of Carleton Place.

Arrangements for the trial were looked after in an efficient manner by Sheriff J. H. Ebbs and Dan Lee court crier.

[AL: Pratt was 70, no criminal record, a doctor, and convict #3427. Remarkably, he did his whole term, and was released by expiration in January 1938.]

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"Dr. Wilton Pratt In Penitentiary," Ottawa Journal. April 25, 1934. Page 1. --- Expected to Be Assigned to Work Under Prison Surgeon. ---- Canadian Press by Direct Wire. KINGSTON, Ont., April 25. - Dr. Wilton Pratt, aged Smiths Falls physician, who pleaded guilty to 10 charges of performing illegal operations, today was behind the walls of Kingston Penitentiary, facing a five-year term imposed by Mr. Justice Patrick Kerwin.

It was expected he would be assigned to work under the prison surgeon, Dr. Garfield Platt, during his term in the penitentiary.

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"RETURNED TO PRISON FOR VIOLATING PAROLE," North Bay Nugget. April 25, 1934. Page 3. --- Carleton Place Man Failed to Report His Whereabouts Monthly ---- Archie York, 26, Carleton Place, wouldn't take the trouble to report in writing to the Ontario Parole Board once a month. Now he has to spend the next two years of his life in Kingston Penitentiary.

This was the sentence imposed upon him by Magistrate Weegar in police court Thursday morning. E. J. Etherington, Toronto, assistant parole officer for Ontario, prosecuted.

York and his brother were convicted of theft in North Bay last week and were sentenced to 30 days in the district jail.

Convicted of robbery with violence at Smiths Falls on April 30, 1929, York was sentenced to 18 months determinate and 18 months Indeterminate in the Guelph Reformatory. He was released Nov. 19, 1930 and given employment on a farm. He made but one report to the Parole Board and quit his job after two months.

[York was from Almonte, Ontario, was 26, single, and a labourer. At Kingston Penitentiary, he was convict #3436 and worked on the farm. He was transferred June 1935 to Collin's Bay Penitentiary, becoming inmate #871, and was released October 1935.]

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"DR. PRATT ARRESTED ON MURDER CHARGE," Toronto Star. March 7, 1934. Page 1. --- Smith's Falls Physician Faces Further Count Following Death of Housekeeper --- Special to The Star Smith's Falls, March 7. - A formal charge of murder was laid here to- day against Dr. Wilton Pratt in connection with the death of Eva Elizabeth McLean, his housekeeper. Dr. Pratt will appear in police court here to-morrow morning.

Housekeeper for Dr. Pratt for 25 years, Miss McLean died in the Pratt house during a fire on the morning of Dec. 31.

A coroner's jury on Feb. 9 found that: "Miss McLean died on Dec. 31, 1933, from burns and shock received in a bed which caught fire from some unknown cause in Dr. Wilton Pratt's residence in the early morning of Dec. 31, while in an unconscious condition. We are doubtful, however, that the deceased was able, without assistance, to get from the bed to where she was found at the head of the front stairs."

Dr. Pratt is 70 years of age and Miss McLean was 60 years of age.

Provincial Police Inspector Hammond at the inquest said: "I am of the opinion that the deceased was given a blow on the head, and that fearing a fractured skull and possible investigation, she was placed on the bed and fire applied to coven the deed, the fire being assisted by some accelerating substance to hurry it along."