The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-25
FRANK SHAFFER'S STORY.
He Tells 1t on Examination In Court be-
fore Judge Lynch.

The colored men accused of blowing
up the Hungarian shanty in the noun
tain cutoff last October. who were re-
Gently arrested after.a long pursuit by
Detective O'Brien and 4. +. Quigley,
were brought into court yesterday and
given Il hearing on a writ of habeas
corpus. Frank Shafier, the man who
confessed. Is light colored. unintell!-
gent looking negro, and before he was
put on the stand he was told of his
rights by Judge Lynch. ard informed
that whatever he said would be used
against him at the trial. GaaIfer said
he knew this but had made up his mind
to tell the truth and take the chances.
The examination was conducted by
District Attorney Fell for the common
wealth. and by Attorneys Shea and Me-
Govern for the defense. The first wit
ness was Michael Bolavitch. u resident
of NOXen. He lived ~ Laurel Run
when the shanty was blown up and
ebout 3 o'clock in the mor3!ng heard
the explosion. ana ran to the shanty.
where he saw lot OF people. The
shanty was wreck, and he saw the
men build fire and cover themselves
with blankets. Among the killed were
John Selagakellas and Frank Norsap.
and another one died in the hospital.
Witness was sent To Farview for a
doctor. Seven men were wounded and
three killed out of the sixty in the house
at the time. After the explosion wit
ness saw some trunks scattered around
and saw some dynamite cartridges
wrapped up in paper also a battery.
The darkies helped carry away the dead
and wounded. He found lot of unex-
ploded cartridges stuck in the ground.
The cross-eXamination of this witness
by Mr.. McGovern revealed nothing new
and Contractor Sayre, of the firm OF
Sayre & Mcdonald, was next sworn and
testified TO the location of the batteries
and wires used to explode the charge.
Frank Shaffer, the negro who con-
fessed. made his statement as follows
On Oct. IS, 1894. was on the Valley cut
off with Nelson Miller, Jim Miller.
George Bird. Hester Brace and Sarah
Miller. who are sitting on the prisoners
bench. on the evening before the ex-
plosion they were in the car. and John
Bird and Frank Holt were with them.
Jim Miller and I went 10 Quigleys store
the night OF the explosion and returned
home about l. o'clock. Went to bed,
laid down about 9 o'clock and Nels
Miller went up to Abbo;'s cut ald got
battery and wires. He returned and
placed the wires and then came back.
Long before this he frequently tried to
persuade me to blow up the shanty.
When came back from Miners Mil
was full. Nelse Miller. Jim Miller,
Sarah Miller, Hester Brice and me were
together. 1t was about $40 in the morn
Ing. Nelse Miller told me TO pull the
battery. and ! pulled it. The shanty
went up and Nelse Miller said, there
she goes" Then We went UP and got
what We could and liz out. jim Miller
and Nelse Miller were with me when I
pulled the battery, Sarah and Hester
We're on the railroad track standing
guard, when we went up after the ex-
plosion. I found a trunk and kicked it
open. Nelse Miller took out a pocket
book and put it In the inside pocket OF
his coat, and we all went back to our
shahty. Then Nelse counted the money
and divided 1t. got slO George Jor-
dan Sc. and John Bird Sc Nelse, Jim,
Hester and Sarah divided the remain
der. Then l went to bed and got up at
9 o'clock and went to work. We got
the dynamite from the box, and Nelse
said he got some gnore from the Boston
mine. We took the women along be-
cause they wanted to go.
On cross-examination he said he was
19 or 20 years Of age. he didn't know
which, and came from WestA Virginia,
where he knew the others. On the day
OF the murder he went to Miners Mills
and got some whisky, and got home to
the box car about 10 o'clock at night.
The others had fixed the wires and
asked him to pull the battery, which he
did. He knew what he was doing at
the time. and pulled the battery de-
l!berately. He said he knew the testi-
mony could be used against him, but
would take the chances.
Mr.. McGovern here asked that the de-
PENDANTS be discharged for lack of cor
roborative testimony. Judge Lynch
would not listen to his proposition. and
held. all FIVE for court without bail.