The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-27
BEzEK's LIFE Is Spared
Board Of Pardoas Has Acted Payor-
ably In His Case.
MILL GO TO PRISON FOR LIFE
Beck Heard the News with Pleasure
and Declared That God Was Good.
Tho Crimo for Which ilo Vas
sentenced TO Ne Hanged.

HlOTIiiuS, Oct. " lcS4, Will uot yiSIu Wy
his life IN the gallows. The board OF
pardons in executive session last night
at Harrisburg recommended that his
sentence be committed to Imprisonment
for life. --
Governor Hastings will undoubtedly
ratify the recommendation. The only
other case Of local interest where the
Dennis O'Donnell. of Wayne county,
who Is serving q sentence in the East
ern ~penitentiary on the charge Of horse
stealing and Jail breaking.
Beck was the first one convicted Of
murder of the first degree in this u
ty, and the verdict of the jury was
received with almost unanimous APP
prevail.
The reprieved murderer had been
only three days in this country when
he stained his hands with the blood
Of the young woman who had accom-
panied him across the water. The
story as.it came out In the trial was
that Beck and Mary Kerzic had been
lovers from childhood: that his father,
a little better off than her parents.
frowned upon their betrothal and that
they resolved to emigrate from Austria
to the land Of the free and get mar
ried.
Miss kcrzic Jiltod Beck.
Mrs. Josephine Kramer. Of Olyphant.
was a sister Of the murdered girl: An
ton B~ourschnack boarded with Mrs.
Kramer and lent her enough of money
to transmit to Mary to bring herself
and Beck to America. The couple ar
rived here on Saturday. Oct. 6. They
went to Mrs. Kramer's house and on
the next day, Sunday. Beck went to
Mayfeld to see his uncle, Joseph Petro-
chius. After an absence of three hours
he returned and was received with the
information that Mary had transferred
her affection to Bourschnack. Mrs.
Kramer was the ambassador that
created the change in her sisters re-
gard for Beck.
This news had a very depressing ef-
fact on him; he begged and entreated
Mary to reconsider her determination,
but Mrs. Kramer was %inexorable and
would not consent to her sisters mar
riage with Beck. After thinking the
matter over Sunday night and Monday
he purchased a large bulldog revolver
at Lally Bros hardware store, Oily
plant. Monday evening, and Tuesday
morning killed his sweetheart. He fired
five shots at her, all that were in the
revolver. Three bullets entered her
body and the other two missed their
mark. One went through her brain,
the third fired, and she. fell dead in
stantly. There were two eye witnesses
Of the murder. Mrs. Kramer was one
n q young man named Rosenfelt the
other. Beck attempted to escape, but
was captured in the Lackawanna river
near the ELEPHANT bridge.
Wos Tried Last December.
He was tried at the December session
Of oyer and terminer court, 1894, before
Judge Edwards. John p. Kelley, then
district attorney, represented the com
monwealth, and the court assigned
Attorneys A. j. COlborn, jr., and George
NJ. Watson to defend the prisoner. The
case was ably tried and 1t required ter
days to finish 1t. After being out forty
two hours the jury came In with a yer.
dict of murder of the first degree. the
first one recorded in Lackawanna coun-
ty. An appeal for a new trial was re-
fused by the three Judges.
County Surveyor-elect Edmund A
Bartl interested himself in Bezek's be.
half and was mainly instrumental ir
raising funds 10 carry the case higher
Attorney George s. Horn was employed
to assist In the matter. An appeal t
the Supreme court was argued at thu
February session and three month.
afterward an opinion was handed dowr
sustaining the decision Of the lowel
court and ordered that the record be re
mitted for the purpose Of carrying thu
sentence into execution.
Then the case vas taken before tn
board Of pardons. In the meantime
Governor Hastings appointed Aug.
as the date on which the prisoner wa,
to die. A respite was granted unit
Nov. 6. The argument was made be
fore the board of pardons on Wednes
day, Oct. 16, and on that date the boart
recommended that a further respite b.
granted from Nov. 6 for thirty days
The governor made 1t sixty days ant
set the date as Jan. g., 1895. The rec
ommendation of the board last nigh
IL the elimination Of a successful
movement to save the murderer from
the gallows.
How lie Received the News.
Beck was sound asleep in his cell a
1915 o'clock this morning when Wardel
n-i-- --no-r-alol he, Cf,or1ou II m m
q, keeper, opened the heavy outer oakel
door leading to the cell and ratified OF
the heavy bars on the inner door. TIL
officials had not long to wait before tn
large figure on the cot raised its head
and, seeing the officials. swung himsel
to q sitting posture. He was wide awak
and appeared to realize that the visit a
such an unusual hour meant eithe
death or a more favorable consideration
of his case by the board Of pardons.
Beck leaned forward, peering int
the warden's face for some sign.
Come here, Bezek," kindly said tn
warden.
The condemned man only partially re
sponded by stepping within three fee
Of the cell door.
I'VE have good news for you; tn
board of pardOns says you shall no
hang-that you are to go to prison TO
life"
God IL good" was the reply, an
while saying II Beck smiled and cas-
his eyes on the floor. The warden at
terward said Bezek's wa
much the same as might be that Of
child who had been given q sweet mo
sci; he gave no other immediate sig
Of pleasure, but asked II the decision
was the last judicial action possible 4
his case. When the officials left him h
was still smiling and leaning carelessl
against the cell wall.
GOODWIN IN AMBITION.
Ec Received an'Ovation st the Aesdem
M0pto Last Nteht.