The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-14
LIVELY day FOR VEN|SON
Prosecutor in Two Cases and Defend
ant in as Many More.
ASSAULTED HIS OWN FATHER
Such Was the Testimony Given in Court
Yesterday, but Jonathan Declared
That lie Was Very GentIe-Meglin
Guilty of Selling on Sunday.

1T was rather unlntereStlnS yesterday
forenoon in court. A tedious case was
tried in No. g and the time in the main
court was taken up with short cases
of trivial Importance. William Peck,
chorged with assault and battery by
Joseph T. Kirkbride, plead guilty ana
was sentenced to a fine of 81, the costs
of prosecution and one month in the
county jail. A verdict of guilty was
returned against John and Bridget
Simon for malicious mischief and they
were called before Judge Albright for
sentence, which was fine of $40 and 80
respectively. Mrs. Anna Goodwin,
charged by her neighbor with disorder
illness and breaking the peace, was put
under bail in the sum of $500. Her son,
John, qualified before Judge Edwards
as her bondsman. Judge Edwards I'M
posed sentence of costs on Jacob Boes,
in each of two cases; John Mucknock,
in each of two cases; John Schweder,
convicted in his case of one-half the
| costs.
Verdict of not guilty were taken In
| the cases of the commonwealth against
John Malloy, assault and battery
| charged; the commonwealth against
| James Dennigan, same charge, and
commonwealth against Mariana De
Memo and Frank Marisko, same
charge. Judge Albright imposed SEN
| tences of costs on John and Sarah
| Evans, David and Margaret Jenkins.
Wallmin Not Guilty.
| Philip Wallmin was put on trial on
the charge of carrying away fruit, a
penalty for which is provided under
special act of assembly. Daniel Shea,
who owns the premises was the prose-
cutor. This case grew out of the one
against John and Bridget Simon by
Wallmin. The jury found a verdict
of not guilty and put the costs on the
| prosecutor. In the case of the COM
monwealth against John Hardensky
and Annie Coslosky charging adultery,
fornicatiOn and assault and battery,
verdicts of not guilty were rendered
and the costs put upon the defendants
John Meglin, Polish saloon keeper,
doing business at the Ridge" was put
on trial to answer for the offense of vio-
lating the excise law by selling intoXi-
cants on Sunday, Aug. II. Jonathan
Venison, the constable of the First
ward of Archibald borough, was the
prosecutor. Attorney Joseph OBrien
represented the defense, and District
Attorney Kelly the commonwealth.
The constable testified that he tould
not gain admittance to Meglin's bal
room on that Sunday because the dooi
was locked burt he looked in over the
blinds and saw three men drinking al
the bar, but he could not swear whether
what was in the glasses was whiskey
or beer or any intoXicant. Louis Nor
isini, small boy living fifty yards
away from Meglin's hotel, swore thai
he was engaged by man named Jack
Walsh to rush the growler' and thai
he purchased 10 cents worth of beel
on five different occasions at the hote
of John Meglin. Another witness, 6
German with an unpronounceablt
name, swore that he drank a glass OF
beer in Meglin's saloon on Sunday, but
1t was because he was SICK and ther
the wife of Meglin, who waited on him
did not take any pay for the drink.
Mcglin Denie the Charge.
The defense offered only the testi
mony of Megln he denied absolutely
the stories of the witnesses of the com
monwealth and with that the cast
rested and was given to the jury with
out argument. Judge Edwards, in his
charge, read the act of assembly anC
reviewed the evidence of both sides
Th jury, he said, is the judge of the
credibilty of the witnesses. The judge
took occasion to digress somewhat
from the case and he quoted the law
bearing on supplying intoXicants tC
minors, either to drink on the premises
or to fetch home to their parents
1T would be WELL" said the court
"that hotel keepers understand thai
they violate the law in that respect as
much as if they sold liquor on Sunday
That jury went out and another ont
filed into the box to hear the evidence
in a case similar to the one just fin
ished in which the indictment wa!
against John Meglin, the same defend
ant, but the prosecutor was Johr
Walsh, who was not to be found. Dis
trct Attoreny Kelly suggested that thu
defaulting prosecutor be imposed will
the costs and upon the charge of tn,
court such verdict was rendered.
The next case was a most depraveC
one. The constable who figured in tn,
preceding case was called upon to an
swer the charge of assault and batter!
preferred by his father, a feeble ole
man, 65 years of age. District Attorne!
Kelly conducted the case for the com
monwealth and the defendant had NJ
had $50 saved and laid away from tn
grasp Of burglars, beneath the plank
, in the floor of the stable. On March 2
last he went to the stable to look at tn
money, but alas, 1t was gone! Th
theft was charged up to Jonathan's ac
count and when the old man upbraidet
him with it he caught him by the throa
and severely choked him.
Jonathan Says lie Was Gentle.
, Jonathan said his father charged hin
with the theft, which he denied, and tn
old man took hold of fiat iron to brail
him with it. In that case he acted il
self defense and only laid his fathe
= down gently on the floor. Judge Ed
wards told the jury that they heard th
, testimony of both and they had righ
to believe whichever of the two the
: felt was telling the truth. The jury re
, turned later with verdict of guilty a
' charged in the indictment.
Venison was again put on trial 70
4 felonious wounding, but the case di
not proceed further than calling tn
4 jury. The erratic constable shot int
a crowd of Hungarians and wounde
one of them. He has a counter sui
+ against them on the charge of resistin
0 arrest The two cases will be heard to
/ gether and District Attorney Kelly Wi
n champion Venison's case.
In No. 2 court room the case was O
all day of George w. Cramer agains
William G. Miller, whom he charges wit
having cut timber trees from his land /
Blakely township. The defendan
1 -. 81. "a l.. ~