The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-05
B0SCH|NO MURDER TRIAL
The Day Consumed in an Effort to
Secure Twelve Jurors.
TWO VACANT SEATS IN THE BOX
Effort Will BE Made This Morning to Sc
cure the Two Jurors Needed from
Those Stood Asidc-Story of
Murder Of francesca Conforti.


Great crowds of people surged into
the main court room yesterday where
Joseph Boschino is on trial for the mur-
der of Francesca Conforti at Bunker
Hill, Dunmore, on Sunday night, Nov.
II, 1894. The murderer is an Italian, and
among those who haunted the court
house all day We're many Of his coun-
try people. The accused sat at the de-
fendant's table along with his attor-
neys, Ward & Horn, of this city, and
l.. p. Wedeman, of Forest City
He paid close attention to the details
of the work of securing jury but
betrayed no nervousness or dread as to
the outcome Of this trial which may
consign him to the galloWs.
Boschino is a slight built man and
would probably weigh not over 140
pounds. He has clear cut, regular fea-
lures and is of u much lighter COM
plexion than the majority Of his coun-
trymen. He has dark brown hair and
a large moustache of the same color
that covers the cheeks for an inch each
side of the mouth, giving the face a
somewhat fierce expression. His eyes
are large and rather deep set and are
shaded by heavy eyebrows. His fore
head is high and full and he is evil
IDENTIFY a man of considerable intell-
gence. He was attired in plaid pants,
Il black coat and vest and an outing
shirt. An orange and black tie orna-
mented his neck.
Trying to Get Jury.
At 1890 yesterday morning Boschino
was called and formally arraigned be-
fore the court by District Attorney
Jones, who will be assited in prosecut-
private counsel for Nicholas Conforti,
brother of the murdered man. County
Detective Leyshon also occupied seat
at the commonwealth table. After
Boschino had been arraigned the work
of selecting a jury was begun, and
when court adjourned at 4.3O yesterday
afternoon ten men We're secured who
had no conscientious scruples against
capital punishment and who We're will
ing to pass upon the case from the law
and the evidence.
trials and not infrequently conjure up
fierce conscientious scruples against
capital punishment to unfit them from
passing upon case that may deserve
the death penalty. Others form such
| cast iron opinions regarding the merits
of the case simply from reading the
newspapers that they are quite positive
no amount of evidence, however con-
vincing, could sway their minds from
the position in which the newspapers
have anchored them.
Among the jurors examined yester-
| day were several who evidently had
hard work to convince themselves that
| they were not proper persons to pass
| upon the merits Of the case. They SUE
ceeded, however.
Names Of Jurors.
| The names, occupation and residence
of the ten good men and true alreafy
| secured in the order in which they We're
sworn follow:
| Walter Doran, farmer, Covington.
| George Y. Hoffman, clerk, Scranton.
| Lewis Fallott, mill hand, Scranton.
Claude b. Smith, ticket agent, Carbon
| dale.
| Thomas Atkinson, merchant Moosic.
| Lafayette Matthews, barn boss, May
| field.
| c. S. Seamans, merchant, Scranton.
Allen V. Rush, carpenter, Scranton.
| Charles Beckett machinst, Scranton.
| Alexander b. Dryden, miner, Fell.
| Fifty-nine jurors We're called, oi
| whom twenty-five were stood aside
| Twenty-three We're challenged for cause
| and eleven were challenged by the de
| fendant and one by the commonwealth
| He was AN Italian named Nicholas Con
| forti, who disclaimed all relationship
! to the murdered man. About O'Clock
| the panel was exhausted and the jurors
| stood aside were recalled. Six We're eX-
| amined before court adjourned. From
| the remaining sixteen it is probable the
| two jurors needed will be secured anG
| it will not be necessary to issue spe'
| cial venire.
Boschino, the accused, has been II
America about ten years, seven years oi
which was spent at Forest City, where
he was employed as fireman. Abou
three years ago he removed to Dun
more and has since resided there.
History of the Murder.
On the night of the murder, for which
Boschino is now on trial, he was re
turning from Dunmore along with Tony
Imbrina and Francesca Confort. They
got into an argument and Boschino ac
cused Conforti of having made advance:
to Mrs. Boschino. 1t is alleged tina
Boschino drew razor while the party
We're on the bridge spanning the Roar
ing Brook on the road leading to Bunk
er Hill, and threatened to cut Conforti'.
throat and throw him into the stream
At this time Rocco Salvator JOINED
the party. His hand got in the way OF
Boschino's razor and was cut. Boschinc
then started up the path towards Bun
ker Hill, and, after talking a few min
utes, lmbrino started home, and Sal
vator and Conforti walked along tn,
path Boschino had traversed a few
minutes previous. Conforti was som,
n. I,y, 80 l,.., t..