Doc Pratt was the owner and operator of a beer garden/tavern located in front of the family home on Route 92 in Newburg, WV and he was there, closing up the business for the night, when the first shot rang out. Even if Doc had heard the shot, he didn't realize it had been aimed at his house but he learned all about it from his 15-year-old daughter. Less than 30 minutes later, just as he was about to settle down and read the newspaper, a second bullet came crashing through the glass, embedding itself in the wall opposite the window.
Doc grabbed his shotgun, ran outside on the porch to investigate and perhaps return fire, if necessary. Right behind Doc was his wife and daughter. Maybe he should have taken a moment to turn off the porch light. All three were well illuminated and easy prey.
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| Daily News, 12-23-1945 |
A third shot struck Darla in the chest and she dropped. Doc carried his daughter back in the house and immediately went into town for assistance. The Pratts had seen the getaway car, a small sedan, but hadn't seen the driver. Nothing could be done to save Darla, she had died immediately.
Police wondered who could have had a problem with Doc. Maybe an angry drunk who had been ejected from the tavern? Mr. and Mrs. Pratt could think of only one person - William Turner. He had threatened their daughter that afternoon. There was no way this was a coincidence.
It seems Darla Dean Pratt didn't think William Turner was the right man for her friend Betty because he "was too old."
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| Daily News, 11-13-1945 |
Never mind "too old," although at 29-years-old he certainly shouldn't be dating a 15-year-old, more worrying was the fact that William Turner had been released from prison two months prior after serving time for having kidnapped a young girl.
The police wanted to have a word with William Turner. Unable to locate their suspect, police took Turner's parents and sister Jesse into custody, charging them with aiding a fugitive because they'd given William money, food, clothing . Turner was somewhere in the woods hiding out.
Police also arrested but didn't charge an unnamed 17-year-old local as an accessory. He admitted he and Turner were in the car that was seen driving away from the Pratt home on July 31st but he claimed to have no knowledge of the crime, denying he'd seen a rifle or heard shots.
An intensive manhunt involving state troopers, local police and bloodhounds, began. It was six days later that Turner was discovered, sleeping in an abandoned schoolhouse a mere 2 miles from the scene of the crime. Newspapers report he was half-starved and feeling the effects of sleeping rough for 5 nights.
The rifle found in Turner's possession at the time of his arrest and the bullets found at the crime scene were sent to the police lab in Charleston for comparison. It was a match. Turner also had a three knives, a shotgun and ample ammunition for both weapons.
On August 7, 1945, William Turner admitted to shooting Darla Dean Pratt but insisted he had only meant to scare her and was shooting at her feet. Hardly likely since Turner had been squirrel hunting with a .22 rifle most of his life. He apparently resented Darla's interfering with his romantic pursuit of Betty and held a grudge.
The trial began on October 29, 1945. Turner never took the stand but his mother testified to a history of mental illness within her own family.
Two days later, on October 31st, Turner was found guilty. There was no recommendation for mercy from the jury which automatically qualified Turner for the death penalty. However, sentencing was delayed so the team of defense lawyers could file the appropriate motions to have the verdict set aside.
On November 4, 1945, Judge Charles P. Wilhelm, the same judge who presided over the trial, rejected the defense motions and imposed sentence. William Turner was ordered to hang from the Moundsville gallows on December 28, 1945. Turner was to stay in the Preston County Jail until his transfer to the Moundsville State Penitentiary on November 14th.
At 8 AM the morning of November 14th, Sheriff Hobart Spindler and Deputy Sheriff J.H. Benson found Turner's cell empty. During the night, Turner and his cellmate Paul Henry Hahn had escaped using keys made from their metal food trays. A hacksaw enabled them to get through the bullpen bars and their homemade keys allowed them to open 4 door locks and exit the building. No word on how they got their hands on the hacksaw although the Chicago Tribune reported it had been smuggled in to them. The men broke in to the jail's garage, stole the sheriff's car and drove away.
Hahn, 21 years old, was also scheduled to be transferred to Moundsville that morning to serve out his sentence of 1 to 15 years for burglary.
An alert went out. It was believed the men had a 4 hour head start.
The car was eventually found, abandoned, two miles east of Clarksburg, WV. Why Clarksburg? William Turner's sister Myrtle was living in Clarksburg but she was not home when the two men came calling at 9 AM that morning.
A heavily armed posse of state and county officers converged on the scene. Back were the bloodhounds and the authorities even used a low flying airplane to try to spot the fugitives. Radio stations broadcast the news of the jail break.
Turner and Hahn had been seen about midnight by three state troopers on Buckhannon-Clarksburg Road, 10 miles outside of Clarksburg, near a roadhouse called the Chicken Inn, but they dashed into the woods and separated after being shot at by the posse.
At noon on November 15th, a tip came in from school children who had seen Turner. Later that afternoon, Turner emerged from a clump of bushes and surrendered to State Trooper William Boyles. Hands held high, he said "I've had enough. I don't care what happens to me now." The rain, hunger and cold were too much for him. He'd been on the loose for 35 hours.
Paul Hahn was found later that day at the Tunnelton, WV home of his sister Mrs. Louise Rose and he too surrendered without resistance. He was exhausted and badly bruised from tumbling over a cliff.
William Turner was contained at the Harrison County Jail and, after managing to slip out of his leg shackles, was handcuffed to the bars of his cell to prevent further escape. On November 16, 1945, Turner was transferred to the Moundsville Penitentiary to await his execution.
Governor Clarence Meadows refused to halt the execution, pointing out in his prepared statement that the psychiatrists who examined the prisoner found him to be sane, that the killing of Darla Dean Pratt had been a cold-blooded, premeditated ambush and he further reminded people that Turner had at least four previous charges for crimes of a sexual nature.
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| Sheriff Hobart Spindler, William Turner, WV State Trooper A.M. Hurst |
On December 28, 1945, wearing a new suit, Turner walked the 13 steps to the hangman's noose without assistance. When asked if he had any last words, Turner said "My Father, my time has come. Good Bye and good luck, and thank you to all you officials." He spent 3 minutes praying before the hood was placed over his head.
Thirty-five persons had been granted permission to witness the hanging but only 25, including a few state policemen, were present. No one from either the Turner of Pratt families were present.
If you're interested in this kind of thing - Turner's last meal was oysters, cole slaw, tomatoes, celery, french-fried potatoes, coffee and ice cream but he apparently ate very little of the requested food.
No further info on Paul Henry Hahn. I assume he served out his sentence with maybe a few years tacked on for the jail break.
I should acknowledge that, although the newspapers and the victim's death certificate spell her name "Darla," the headstone reads "Dorla."
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| Find-a-Grave photo, uploaded by Nathan Plum |
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