The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-05
IT looks DARK FOR Beck
Damaging Testimony Against Him BY
-. Commonwealth Witnesses.
STORY OF HARDNAREN ENAN LALLY
Beck Very Deliberately Dargaincd for
the Revolver with Which lie Did the
Shooting and Did Not Seem at
All Excited Then.
STORY OF HARDNARENANLALLY

Frank Bezeks life is now trembling
in the balance. The trial which is to de-
eide whether or not he must hang for
the murder committed by his hands was
begun yesterday morning and contin-
ued with Interruptions for adjourn
ment until o'clock last night
From the special venire of twenty
four talesmen, which Judge Edwards
directed Sheriff Fahey to draw, three
jurors We're selected and that COM
pleted the twelve. The three jurors
are: C. w. kirkpatrick, insurance
agent, Scranton NJ. II. Higgins, travel
ing salesman, Scranton; and Michael
Devne, agent, South Side.
When the jury box had been filled
Judge Edwards delivered instructions
TO the jurymen He cautioned them
not to separate from one another, nor
to speak among themselves concern
ing the case until they retired to de-
liberate upon a verdict. AT the in
stance of District Attorney Kelly,
Judge Edwards laid special stress upon
forbidding them to read any news
papers
District Attorney Kelly opened the
case for the commonwealth and eX-
planned to the jury that although man.
slaughter was count in the indictment
no evidence at all would be offered to
sustain q verdict on that count. The
evidence would be the direct testimony
eye-witnesses to the shooting and the
accessories leading UP to the murder.
Coroner J. A. Kelley was the first wit
ness called to the stand. In his official
capacity as coroner Of Lackawanna
county, he said he was notified of the
death of Maria Kerzic. He went to
Olyphant on the afternoon of Oct.
and empaneled a jury. He made an
examination of the bullet wounds on
the body of the murdered girl. Above
the left ear was "a bullet hole. He
made an opening in the skull and four"
a hole through the brain; the bull
which had taken a slight downWa "a
course, was found lodged in the right
lobe Of the cerebellum. He produced
the bullet that he found in the muir
dered girls brain. He found another
wound on the right side of the head
and on her face were powder marks.
DR.. Kelley was cross-eXamined and
asked as to his opinion of the position
of the girl when the shots took effect
in her head.
Rosenfeld Heard Screams.
Edward Rosenfeld, of Olyphant, was
the next witness to testify. He lives
few doors from the house where the
murder was done. Oct. was a reli-
gious holiday and he was on his way
to church. He heard screams in the
house occupied by Mrs. Kramer, the
dead girls sister, and, looking in, saw
Maria Kerzic standing few feet from
Beck, who held a revolver in his hand.
Mrs. Kramer was there also and she
held baby in her arms. The witness
saw Beck fire one shot and that scared
him: he ran away toward his fathers
house and told his father of what he
had seen. Just then Beck ran out of
the house and toward the river
George Adams, one of the men who
arrested Beck, was called to the stand.
He Is proprietor of saloon on Race
street, Olyphant, not far from the house
where the murder was committed. He
heard shots on that morning and saw
Beck running out of Kramer's house
and smoking revolver in his hand.
Beck ran toward the river and the
witness followed him. A large crowd
gathered around. Beck waded into the
middle of the Lackawanna river little
above the Olyphant bridge and crowds
gathered on both banks. Stones were
thrown at the murderer, who pointed
the revolver and threatened to shoot
Finally he threw the revolver in the
water and walked out toward the bank
and was taken in custody by the wit
ness and man named Rosenfeldt. Az
ter taking the prisoner to the lookup
Adams went back to the river and
fished the revolver out of the stream
He turned the weapon over to Justice
of the Peace NJ. w. Cummings, of Oily
phant. There We're two cartridges in