The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-05
YARDUM brothers { Co., wyomiaa asa Avenue

| and Mrs. Josephine Kramer, the dead
girls sister, was put upon the stand.
She Is handsome woman of bright
| ruddy complexion, and has light hair.
| She converses in the Croatian dialect of
the Hungarian language and her testi-
mony had to be taken through two in
| terpreters. One who could understand
| English, asked the questions in German
| Of another interpreter who could speak
to Mrs. Kramer in her language but
could not talk English.
Story of lad Girls Sister.
Mrs. Kramer said that she first knew
that her sister and Beck were coming
to this country through a letter that
came from the old country after both
had set sail. She has known Beck
| from childhood. She also has known
Anton Bourshnach since childhood. Be-
! EEK and Marie landed in New York Sat
urday before the murder and Boursch-
mach went to New York ITO meet them
The next day, Sunday, Beck slept at
her house and Maria, too, slept there.
Beck asked Maria to marry him and
she refused saying that she was about
to wed Bourschnach. Beck slept there
| Monday night also. He arose early
| Tuesday morning, had breakfast, and
went out, He came back about O'Clock
and had a revolver with him. Maria
was scrubbing the dining room floorand
she was cleaning a corner of it. Beck
sat down at the table and again asked
Maria to marry him.
Mrs. Kramer left the room but Maria
called her back, as Beck had a re-
volver. He appeared to be cool and not
excited He waited a few minutes and
| then arose from the chair, pointed the
weapon at Maria and fired He fired
| two other shots and then ran out of the
house. Her sister died instantly She
indicated in the witness box how far
Beck stood from Maria when he fired
| by measuring the distance between her
self and one of the interpreters. The
distance was not more than an arms
| length. On cross examination she testi-
fled substantially the same as on direct
| examination. She denied that Beck
| had said he would end his own life and
also that he paid her sisters passage.
1t was Bourschnach who paid for the
| ticket.
Squire Cummings Testimony.
| Justice of the Peace NJ. W. Cummings
was the next witness. He went to the
premises where the murder was COM
mitted and saw the body lying on the
bedroom floor with the head few feet
| from the door The floor was bare and
there were blood stains on it. He went
there to inquire if there were any wit
nesses to the shooting. That was about
$50 in the morning. The hearing in his
office was at 10 o'clock and he said there
was some difficulty in getting a state
ment from the murderer, as it was
necessary to get some person who could
understand him. Two interpreters had
to be obtained; the one who conversed
with Beck could not speak English
and he had to be interpreted by one
who could talk German.
The witness remembered what the
murderer said through these interpret
ers but Attorney Colborn objected be-
cause the witness could only tell what
he heard others say and not what the
murderer said. The objection was sus-
tained and the rest of Mr.. Cumming S
testimony was in identifying the re-
volver, which was given to him by
Adams, who found 1t In the river where
Bezek had dropped it,
County Detective John j. Shea was
put upon the stand and identified the
revolver.
Beck Bought Revolver.
James Lally, who conducts a hard
ware store in Olyphant, said Bezel.
came to his place of business on
Monday evening, Oct. s, and pointed to
a revolver in the show case. He said
How much?" and witness said, $3.50"
TOO much." Beck said, and walked
out. He came into the store again the
next morning shortly after o'clock and
pointed to the same weapon. Witness
showed 1t to him and he purchased It,
He also bought ten cartridges Mr.
Lally identified the revolver with which
the murder was committed as the same
one that he sold to Beck that morning
The accused did not seem at all excited
The next time the witness saw Beck
was at the county Jail and he identified
him as the man who had purchased the
revolver from him. He also recognized
him sitting at the defendants table.
Il. Rosenfeldt. who owns the house
that the murder was committed dn, saw
Beck running toward the river The
murdered waded into the river and wit.
ness with others stood on the bank and
threw stones at him. The water was
up almost to Bezek's neck. He pointed
the revolver at the people on the bank
twice and then voluntarily came out
Witness caught hold of him and with
William Mason brought him to the
lookup Court at this point adjourned
and Judge Edwards ordered the trial tC
be resumed at Z p, m.
When court convened after supper
Rosenfeldt was subjected to cross-ex.
animation by Attorney Colborn. His
direct testimony was not shaken. Will
lam Mason was the next witness. He
corroborated the previous witness
Philip Williams, a deputy constable OF
Olyphant gave unlmportant testimony
c. /. Berger an insurance solicitor, o
Olyphant was at the hearing which
took place at Justice of the Peace Cum
mings' office and acted as an interpre
ter. Beck told the witness that h,
killed Maria because he loved her fol
three years in the old country and sh,
had refused to- marry him. She was
about to marry Bourschnach and tha'
made him almost crazy; he therefore
determined to kill her and then end his
own existence. He thought that the
proceedings In the squires Office wer,
final and asked for priest before they
should hang him.
Anton Bourschnach, the other lover