The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-11
MURDER Cases co over
They Nill Not BE Tried at the Pres
ent Term of Court.
A RASH SPECIAL CONSTABLE
lie Used a Shot Gun and Is Now Being
Tried for Felonious Wounding-Two
Petty South Side Cases-Lawson
Enters Plea of Guilty.

Petty south Sldc IaSeS-LuWSoh
Enters Plea of Guilty.
The second week of the December
term of criminal court opened yester-
day morning and the interest of the
public which was aroused in the Beck
murder case was fully as eXpectant, as
the first and second cases on the docket
were those of murder. The first case
to be tried was against Joseph Rumin-
isky, who killed August Gouse at the
Ridge" near Archibald. The murder
er was captured and landed in the
county Jail the next day.
The second case was against John
Rostosky, who beat Joseph Gillette to
death with abaSe ball bat in "a bar room
brawl on the morning Of Sept, 49, An
other man, Joseph Bidds, was plugged
full of holes with a shot gun in the
same case by Rostosky's brother, who
is held prisoner in the Clietic murder
as an accessory. Bidds recovered and
is now well. Both cases We're contin-
ued until the January term OF court 10
give District Attorney Kelly a chance
to clear the list of minor cases, as the
trial of the two murder cases would in
vilye as much time as the Beck case,
just ended.
Judge Edwards was presiding in the
main court room and the first case
called before him was on all day and
not finished at adjournment. Frank
Bruner an italian special constable ol
Throop, is the defendant in three cases
two of felonious wounding and one OF
carrying concealed weapons. In the
first case George Polochick is the prose
cutor, and in the other two Joseph
Truthoe Is. District Attorney Kelly
and Attorney L. C. Newcomb are rep
resenting the commonwealth and All
torneys H. l.. Taylor, W. j. Lewis and
Thomas j. Duggan are for the de-
fendant.
They Assailed Him.
Substantially the case is that the de-
fendant claims to be a special officer
of the borough of Winton and was only
acting as the law permits him to dc
under, such circumstances. He al
ber of others, in fact mob, of which
they were a part assailed him will
stones on the night of Oct. q on one o.
the streets Of the borough, and he sho
at them.
Judge Albright, of Lehigh, held cour
in No. 2, and the first case called before
him was that of Jacob Boes, OF thu
OH
wife, Lena, with humping her in th'
face Attorney John F. Scragg assist
ed Mr.. O'Neill the assistant district at
torney, in the prosecution, and Attor
ney George S. Horn conducted the de
fense. The charge is that on May 2
last Boes assaulted his wife so violent
ly that she fell on the floor from tn
force of his blows. The defense main
tanned that she publicly addressed peo
pie on the street and insulted th
memory of his father, and the prosecu
ton held that no words can justify al
assault. The jury returned a verde
of not guilty and equally divided th'
costs.
The next case before Judge Albrigh
Reed, charge of larceny by bailee. TIL
facts appear to be that the prosecute
last April loaned a bed to the defend
ant, who had just then entered upol
the matrimonial sea. The understand
ing was that Reed should return tn
bed, which was valued at $4 after usini
it month. Up to this day he retain
possession of it. Judge Albright in
structed the jury to find a verdict Il
favor of the defendant, as no eVidenc
was brought out to show fraudulen
intent on the part of the defendant
Any action, therefore, which the prose
cutor could enter against the defendan
should be in common pleas court in
question of damages.
A South Side Case.
Richard Helbring, of the South Side
charged with assault and battery b
Peter Albach, was tried. On July
the prosecutor caught Helbring stea
ing mortar from the new Nineteent
ward school house. He ordered hil
away and Helbring struck him. AL
bach is special officer and attempte
to handcuff the defendant, who brok
away. 1t was trivial case that shoul
not have got into court. The jury foun
the defendant not guilty and placed tn
costs on the prosecutor.
A jury was called in No. and Clar
D. Lawson, the noted bicycle thief, wa
called for trial. Fred c. Hand wa
prosecutor. The defendant was lie
from the prisoners dock by Keepe
Flanaghan and brought into No 2 coul
room. He Is now serving a nine month
sentence in the county Jail, having bee
convicted at the last term of court O
the same charge as the one for whic
he was yesterday called to answer thf
of larceny by bailee. The defendar
had no counsel and Judge Edwards a.
signed B. F. Ackerly to defend hin
After short consultation betwee
Lawson and Attorney Ackerly, the
walked before the bar and entered
plea of guilty. The prosecutor, throug
Assistant District Attorney O'Nei
stated to the court that the defendal
had not stolen the bicycle, simply d
tanned 1t and did not sell it, and |
Iltiu W piOoCNulS' AllOIllt
Ackerly made a plea for mercy, urgir
the respectable position of the defen
ants parents. and that he was a your
man who got away from home and ft
into evil ways. Judge Albright SCI
fenced Lawson to pay fine of IS al
spend fifteen days in the county ia
the sentence to begin at the expiratiC
of the sentence he is now serving.
uOIIVG HAVE CEDAQATEn