The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-01-19
ESCAPES THE GALLOwS.

Drug Co., 101 Washington Avenue South.
ESCAPES THE GALL0ws.
The Jury in the Case of Vastly varian
Acquits Him of Murder.
Vastly Varian, the man who killed
Joe Podany, is free. Varian was indicted
for murder in the first degree, and on
Wednesday, the 9th inst, was put on
trial for his life, in Labor Temple, before
Judge Smith and jury of his peers.
The trial was IN many respects one OF
the most notable in the criminal annals
Of Minnesota. The defendants attor-
neys, Judge J. B. Quinn and William
Kennedy, admitted the killing of Podany
by Varian on the date, November 9th,
1894, and at the place, 1907 Fifth street
northeast, as specified in the Indictment,
and stated that they were ready to prove
the taking of Podany's life justifable
homicide in self-defense. And with this
understanding the trial Of the case was
begun, the eye witnesses-Katrina Tkach
and George Tkach-being the first to be
examined. The stories told by these two
witnesses conficted in no wise, and were
ais follows: A party OF friends AID &C.
quaintances, including Varian and Pod
any, we're assembled in the kitchen Of
1907 Fifth street Observation-Disclosures
boarding place spending the evening of
RI No, amber 9th, 1894, IN friendly converse.
When che parties Who resided n re re
house were about through eating their
supper, Joe Podany suggested that key
Of beer be purchased and drank there
that night. The parties at the supper
table, including Varian, did not want to
accede to Podany's request, and explained
that as they had planned to pile in
Quantity of wood on the following day
they preferred to defer purchasing the
beer and get it when they had the wood
piled in. But Podany insisted on get
ting the beer at once, and to please him
they each contributed few cents, and
small key of beer was bought. The lady
Of the house took some of this and sent
| it to Podany's wife, and the rest was
drank by those present, and some of them
not being satisfied, second key was
sent for each contributing little money
to pay for it, Joe Podany no more than
anyone else. Only few glasses were
drank from this keg, when everyone in
the party said that he had enough. At
| this juncture, Joe Podany took little
tin dinner pail that was near at hand,
| which Varian used to carry his dinner to
the factory Of Bardwen, Robinson & Co.,
where he worked, and filed it with beer,
! remarking as he did so, that if no one
present wanted to drink any more Of the
beer he would take little of 1T home to
his wife, apparently not knowing that
quantity from the first keg had already
been sent to her. Just as he was pass
ling out through the doorway, Varian,
calling him vile name end advancing
toward him in hostile manner, de-
manded that he return the pail and the
beer forthwith. Podany turned around
Immediately and struck Varian with the
pail, inficting very slight wound on the
left side of his head, no trace of which
was visible at the time of the trial.
varian and Podany then gripped each
other for a moment, when the proprietor
of the house separated them, telling Va
rian to go to bed; and taking Podany out
Of doors, commanded him to go home.
Podany, who was evidently excited over
the unpleasantries of the past few MN
utes, had only proceeded a very short
distance on his way home, when be dis
covered that he was still clinging to the
little dinner pail, which he had never let
60 of, SO feebly was he assaulting varian
in the first se5-to, which the defendants
attorneys made such great edo about
and led the jury to believe would have
resulted in the death of their client, al
little man, but for the timely interference
of the proprietor.
Returning to the house, Podany just
opened the door and threw the pail onto
the table, saying nothing and never COM
ing into the house at all. Varian was
standing only three steps from the door,
when Podany opened it, enraged at hav-
ing his shirt torn off in the first squsbble.
a sharp knife was sticking in the spigot
OF beer key which stood on end on
low shelf close BY the door. The door
leading into another room was open, and
had Varian really been afraid that Pod !
was going to kill him, he could have
easily escaped through this door. But
he never tried to escape. Both the eye
witnesses swore that the moment Podany
any opened the door and threw the little