St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-11
VARIAN MURDER TRIAL.
The Case Now on Trial Before
Judge Smith.

Judge Smith.
The trial of Vastly Varian, charged
with the murder of Joe POdane at 1907
Fifth street northeast, Nov. 10, was
continued Yesterday in the criminal
branch of the district court. Prosecut-
ing Attorney Nye, in his opening re-
marks took the history of the case, aud
would try to prove the murder was the
outcome at a quarrel among the Poles.
Judge Quinn. who appears tor Narian.
stated that his client would admit the
blow with the knife. The first witness
called TO the stand was kathrina Taktz,
the woman of the house where the MUIR
der took place.
Mrs. Taktz said that after the beer
had been purchased and drunk Podane
had taken some of the beer and started
forhis home, when NaTian started after
him. POdane went out, closed the door,
but opened il again Just as Narian
reached the door, and struck him with
the pail on the head, blood following
the blow. Later POdane came back
and attacked Yarian again, striking him
with his fist. whereat VaIian struck his
assailaut one blow with the knife. See
iug blood follow the blow, Narian be-
came frightened and ran away, POdane
staggering into the room where he aft
erwards died.
The witness appeared very frank, but
got quite mixed at times on crosS-eXam-
inatiOn, due to her inability to get the
questions of counsel we'll III mind. She
Identified the pail with which POdane
had struck Narian, and which looked as
though it had been struck by aacyclOne.
The witness finished her testimony at
noon.
Frank TaktZ was called in the after
noon and corroborated the testimony
given by Mrs. TaktZ.
Shortly after o'clock Varian himself
was placed ON the stand by the defense
TO tell his own story. The defendant is
A little man. and when he took the stand
Judge Quinn asked him to tell the jury
lust how it happened. He then turned
10 the Jury, and in his broken English
told them practically the same thing THE
others had told. He said that he had
ALWAYS Known that Podane was bad.
duarrelsome man, fighting whenever he
got a chance. He had asked Podan6
why he took the beer away, but could
wot remember that he had called POdane
INV vile names. The witness had been
afraid of Podane, who was bigger MAI
ahan ne.
when Podane came back the second
time" said the witness, latter throw
ing the pal at ME, he grabbed me by
the neck with his left hand and struck
me in the head with his right. He then
tried to pull me out of the door. was
afraid he wanted to hurt me. | took
the knife then and hit him. I didn't
mean to kill him. l thought may be he
would let CO."
The witness seemed quite anxious
while telling his story, and spoke with
much emphasis, claiming to have been
innocent of any intention of hurting
Podane. and merely acted to save him-
self from injury which he had expected
at Pedane'S hand,
In reply to other questions. Varian
claimed that as soon as he knew what
he had done he had run to his Cousins.
and stayed there till morning. His
cousin had given him a shirt to replace
the one Podane had torn from him IN
| the first melee. He had then given
himself up. Cross-questioning did not
alter his testimony, and Varian insisted