The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-16
V|SHNIS&I MURDER Case
Getting the Evidence on the Part
Of the Commonwealth.
STORY or DEFENDANTS SISTER
Was Given with Much Reluctance and
District Attorney Jones says 1t
Differs from the Story Told
at the Inquest.

murder of Felix Davidzak on the South
Washington avenue flats. Fep. y last'
which Is now on in the main court room
is bringing an assemblage To the cou.'
auditorium that keeps the upstalIs
busy maintaining order. Quite num-
ber of gushing young girls find their
way we'll to the front to catch a glance
at the handsome defendant
Alex Jankowski and his wife. VINO Is
a sister of Vishniski. sat beside the de-
fendant all day. He demeaned himseit
very much as though he does not reaiiIe
the ominous situation wherein ne Is
placed Joseph Terresnevitz, VINO was
on the witness stand when court ao-
iourr,ed Monday afternoon, was cross
examined yesterday. There was
sopo,ific haze enveloping his memory.
John Davidzak. a brother Of the muir
dered man. was the next witness. He
described the shooting, said he saw the
defendant point the revolver and tMr
into Felix's left breast. He ident!'ed
the vest which Felix wore that night;
there was bullet hole in 1t. The gar
merit was offered in evidence. Thomas
pavidzak was one of those who mlght
throw some light on the tragedy. the
commonwealth suspects that he mas
been spirited away to avoid telling any
thing derogatory to the defendant.
N'CO0fNirStS NitVcSs'
Teiesco Pudeavitch Is not much old
er than the defendant. He is Polan-
der. but speaks English well. He testi-
fed on first story that he arrived at
the scene of the murder few minutes
after It happened. and he went on and
described what he saw. pavidzak was
dead. there was no doubt of that. The
witness answered the district attorney
that he was not far away when the
shot was fired. that he was standing cn
the porch where he lived. Attorney
McGinley, by deXtarous cross-exarina-
ton. got the witness to make exceed
ingly contradictory statements. wnich
went far to nullify his testimony in
chief. Purdeavitch unhesitatingly ad-
m:tted that he bears no love for Nish-
rtski and would be delighted to see him
hanged.
Theodore Swantac was sworn. He
was an eyewitness OF the shooting.
He was with John Davidzak and the
murdered man when 1t happened. There
was little or no provocation. according
to his story. when Vishniski drew the
pistol and sent a human soul to etern-
ity. The witness on cross-examination
said that Chief OF Police Simpson is
raying his beard now; has promised
to ray him for his services.
through whose instrumenta.ity the de-
fendant was captured. was put upon
the witress stand after dinrar, When
he arres ted V!shriski and told hin, that
1t was for numbering a man in Scran-
ton, the prisoner answered that he
knew it.
Defendants Sister on the Stand.
Mrs Alexander Jankowski. sister of
the defndant. was called to the stand
by the commonwealth. She was sit
ting with her husband at the defend
ants table alongside her brother, and
when District Attorney Jones called OUT
her name she cast wtstful gaze upon
him and seemed reluctant to go upon
the witness stand. Her answers were
given with reluctance.
She was asked about the movements
of her brother the night of the mur-
der, before 1t happened and afterward.
Vishniski boarded with her. He came
in about O'Clock. went to his rooom.
and left in a few minutes with her
husband. They walked lelsurely out of
the house. Her brother was the first
to come back; she doesn't remember
what time her husband returned. She
denied that she charged him with shoot
ing Felix DavidZak. The district at
torney had the stenograrhic notes Of
eae testimony takeh az tHe Gor2hci >
lhquest. Ie iltuii' Ia ~,
swo'n d. lne '.uu, ,,, ''at La.is
ner prothei ns
DasiuHak' M sne ushIea St. a,a ,na. "a. she h soid
advise him to hide under the bed, away
from the police officers, but she admit
ted that she gave him some money to
go away. Attorney Mckinley objected
to- the manner in which she was ex
aiii,leu anu asheu ts,e ~, Nv, 80, 49,. icy
10 iet heI go vi. anu telI 'iIe a,y' az
.oiu!nS ~ tie 80 "a ~. Y Ill
MI; McuihIey o'iaiseu vi. ou.es 1875. VIZ.
VI ,;.S ~, y. . -, .. ~
ASKING iist vi ca'eni ques'io''a'
story on Cross Examination.
The story told on cross-examination
was that her husband came home from
work that afternoon between 6 and 6 20
o'clock. They retired to bed about s. 30.
A few minutes thereafter John. the
defendant, came to the bedroom door
and persuaded Yankowski, her hus-
band. to get up and 60 out. John was
the first to return. She heard no shots
while they were gone. and when John
returned to the house. he came in
through the back door. She was stand
ing in the kitchen. His face was COW
cred with blood and he had n revol-
YER in his hands. She took the revolver
from him. went out to the closet and
threw the weapon In the vault. Her
brother was in his bedroom when she
came hack. The police arrested her
husband and took him to Jail: Her
brother was in the house while the
officers were searching for the murder
er, but they did not take him. She
gave him $40. with which to get away.
| She advised him TO go away, because
her husband had been arrested. and she
| thought that her brother might be ar
rested. too.
In redirect examination District At
| torney Jones made an offer and pro
posed to prove that the witness had
| been tampered with. That she sworo