New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-23
FIRES IN THE KOHUTS' ROOM.
WHAT TWO WITNESSES SAW IN A WINDOW.
MRS. KoaUT NOT TO BE TRIED-wHAT THE PROSE-
CUTIoN MEAN TO PROVE

MRS. KoaUT NOT TO BE TRIED-wHAT THE PROSE-
CUTToN MEAN TO PROVE.
The nersonal appearance OF Henry Edward and
Josefia Konut, the Bohemians VINO are acGuso ~ y.
murder IN the first degree III causing death by com
hitting arsOn III the hrst degree. was greaiy NE
proved yesterday ben they appeared Tor tiie sec
ond day OF their trial III the Court OF tbe
sions. riey were more neatly dressed than on tne
previous day and had apparently passed , ,t
the unusual experience OF Washing Inc ed ,n
were filled with Bahemans many OF who'a ii'G I
The bio tenement houses at Nos. 4Oi and 4Oo East
Sixty-fourth-st and viii be called as witnesses.
Distrct-Attorney MARITIME ard Assistant Dls,'ic.
Attorney FITZGERALD appeared 1or the proSecutioi
aud George NJ Curtis, The prisoners counsei. CON
tnued for two hoars the work OF getting q lniy
which had been partly accomplished Oh
Four places in the jury, toX We're 'a eSia5
when the court opened They were hdeo
by the acceptance as Jurors OF Jonl
DeMeyer of rhlrd-ave. and Nineteentb-st, Albert
A ton of No. 74S SiXth-ave.. and Thomas GOidlng;
of No 15S West ThIrty-sixth-st. MI. FllIger'ld
then asked that the indictment be dismissed as
against the woman, Josefa kohnt. lie sad that
there was some evi@ence against her. but IL was
net strong and it appeared evident that waat sne
had done was the result OF her husbands influence
or coercion. The molten was grantee, ana tEe
charge against Mrs. Kohut was dismissed, bur she
continued 10 SIT beside her husband ana Droihel-
Jn-law throughout the day. .,.
MIR. Fitzgerald told the jury what he expected to
move Hc said that Kohut lived in the rear on the
a fire occurred On the night OF November ~ a Mrs
Tialko aud her children, who lived on the top floor
over the Kohuts, were suhocatea oy s arnnd
nd been deliberately caused by Henry and Ed i
ward Kohut Henry had 5000 Insurance anu r1o-
ward $500 Insurance n the eriinpe n ihcir small
room when an inventory showed was n9t woILn
more than $780, Mr. Fitzgerald also tGid Oh 1io
discovery OF the fire in the way whlch INC wiz
ncssas aferward described Midi. ,,.ou,ar,s
Ernest f. Applegate. of the Distrlct:Altoruey 3
Office presented diagram OF the premises W. ire
In. IRE started Ex-Judge Curtis objected 10 itS
admission on the ground that its correctness was
not verified. Recorder Smyth quickly remented
that defect by swearing Mr. Appeigae as ~ addad
that in the eleven years lii when Mr.. RppclS?.o
had furnished diagrams, none had been 1ound H.
correct .o,, ,-oo offored 10 a
Rohemian Interpreter, and said that he had been
;n this country for four years, and understoou anu
smoke both English and Bohemian. E1-Juugee CuI
tie questioned the Young man closely. but dd not
succeed in betraylng him into errors. ,
William Boil. who spoke German ana ahI no'n
was ths first witness. He said that he llVed on th
second floor of No. AUG East Sixty,fourth-st' ana M
sthe nsxt room to that occupied oy h9nu., hao
arose for drink OF water at 1 a. m on November ,
% and a few minutes later heard the report OF an
eX2ioslou aud smet smoke. He got out on the hre-
escape and walked to the next window; whlcn was
in The Kohuts room He looked in and saw flames
in three places in front of the stove on the taple
and the mantel The fire on tae ma.e s.O"e ~
the room of Anton Steltz and aroused MN no
helped to take ont of the building his own VIE VIE
and children. EX-Judgc CuIlls CIOss-cAuhii'Ou 'uN
witness sharply, but did not shake the main facts
OF his story. ,; ood
Engish. was next examined. He was janitor OF the
tenement for two years until about month before
The fire. He sand that he was awakened
On the nirht of the fir by rapping on ms WIN
dow and found William Boil outside ne he went went
ont on the ire-escape. and looking INTO tie Ipoli
accounted BIS the Kohuts saw il on fire In three
UIsces He called for water, and by using FIVE
pills of water put out the fire, He saw llght
whining in over the door 10 the hail. and opening IL
somd that the stars were on fire. He shut the
door on the flames He saw. demljohn on the
floor that smeIled as il 1t had contained benzlDe;
Uc also saw in another room two trunks, one Oh
xrbich contained empty cars. A can lay on the
floor The witness said that he KEY Mrs. d ria AKA
WHO lived the top floor and had seen Ier aiin w
sose oneStions about the children and some OF
then were answered, although Mr.. Cures oo'
The case will go on on Monday.