The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-04
CZOCH COMMITTED,
Details of the Crime Re.
hearsed Before Justice
Douglass Last
Evening.
MtRDERER'S ACCOUNT OF THE TRAGEDY
Jealousy Assigned as the Cause
Grand Jury Will Take Up .
the Case Promptly.

Police Justice Douglass at five o'clock
yesterday afternoon held an examination
In the case of John Czoch. charged with
the murder of Mary Czoch. his wife. The
examination did not disclose any facts
not published yesterday in "The Jersey
City News except the spelling OF the
murderer's name and the statement ne
made in the afternoon to Chief Murphy.
When Czoch was placed in the prison
pen in the court room on Oakland avenue
he looked worried, and during the entire
proceedings sat with his head bowed
down thoughtfully gazing at the moor.
He paid no attention to the testimony OF
witnesses and acted as if he did not care
what they said. Czoch was not represent
ed by counsel, and there was not a single
person present who had a kind word for
him. The brutal murder was done in such
a cewardly manner that no one sympa-
thized with him and only unkind COM
ments were heard.
Thu first witness called by Justice
Douglas was Magaret Pretzmann of No.
i Howell street. She testified that she
knew Czoch and his wife. They were usu-
ally called Fish john and Fish Mary"
The witness said that Mrs. Czoch went
to her house between eight and half
past eight o'clock yesterday morning,
and that while she was there Fish
john walked up to the outside of the
house. When he learned that his wife
was in the house Czoch went away.
When Mary Czoch left the house to go to
the Third Precinct Police Station Fish
john was not in sight. A few moments
after the woman was gone, Mrs. Pretz-
man heard three pistol shots. When she
next saw Fish Mary the woman was
lying dead on the ground near the fence.
and blood was flowing from a wound in
the breast. Mrs. Pretzmann was positive
that Fish John" was not in her house
yesterday. She said she never saw a
pistol in the possession of Czoch.
MURDERER'S STATEMENT.
Chief Murphy testified that when he
was notified of the murder he ordered
out the reserves in the Third, Fourth and
Sixth precincts to search for the murder
er. at half-past one o'clock in the pres
enee of Captain Newton, Sergeant Bat
tersby and Policeman Mcclure, Czoch,
after the customary warning. made a
statement as follows
my name is John Czoch. I am sixty
years old and was married to Mary in
1881. We have one child. My wife left
my house yesterday morning saying h
was going to the store. / told her not
to stay too long. She did not return at
all yesterday. I remained home until
four O'Clock yesterday afternoon and the
went to Charles Gardner's house. From
there I returned home and got up at
four o'clock this morning. My wife was
not nome. / went in search of her n
was told by Mrs. Matchuski that my
wife was in Conrad Pretzmann's house,
No. 3 Howell street. Pretzmannss sson
fWillie) pointed out my wife in the
room. I then went back of the fence on
Charlotte street and waited for my wife
to come out. When she came out l
asked her # she would come home n
she said no. When she said that / shot
her in the neck or throat. I shot three
times. I shot her because she would
not stay home. I have had the revolver
l.shot my wife with three or four years"
Czech signed this statement after it
was read to him by the chief.
Mrs. Frances Matchuski testified that
she knew the murderer and Fish Mary
and that yesterday morning Czoeh asked
her where Mary was and she said she
did not know. Czoch muttered in reply
TO this as he showed her a revolver
."She win be at rest for ever when I
catch her"
COMMITTED FOR THE GRAND JURY.
A Polish woman who ives near Charles
Gardeners house testified that she saw
1zoch and Charles Gardner talking to-
gether. Czoch left Gardner and was gone
about ten minutes. When he returned
he almost walked against the witness:
He nae a revolver in his hand, and
growIed, "Yo had better look out. or I
will give you one" This. witness
thought, was after Fish Mary had
been shot. Czoch went to Gardner
house.
Sergeant Battersby, Otto Pretzmann
end other witnesses testified to the same
facts printed in THE News. yesterday,
John, to the County Jail to await the
Grand Jury's action.
DIR. Converse yesterday directed Cor
Brer Volk to hold an inquest, and a
constable was busy yesterday afternoon
securing a jury. Prosecutor Winfield said
yesterday that he would not wait for
The action of the Coroner. hut would
submit the case to the Grand Jury when
It meets again. The Grand Jury was in
session yesterday. and if the examfnation
had been completed in time. the papers
khen.
Friends of Fish john say that his
wife was a notorious woman and just
as bad as he has been. They charge
her with being a beer tinker say
she would get. drunk whenever the
opportunity afforded. 1t is also said that
her morality was of a very low order
ard that Fish John" had repeatedly
hist cause for being jealous of Fish