The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-16
ROSA made A CONFESSION
He Told the Story of His Crime to
His Detective Ccll-Mate.
NOW PUT ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE
Ex.Gencral Master Workman POwdcrly
Opened Case for Commonwealth to-
Jury-RcvOlvcr Found Where Rosa
Told His Ccll.matc lie Hid tt.

Leonard Rosa of Dunmore, was put
on trial In the main court room before
Judge Edwards yesterday for the muir
der Of Vito Lauisso on Willow street,
Dunmore. on the morning of Feb. q.
The accused is a heavy built, swarthy
Italian. &c years of age. His cheek
bones are high, giving the cheeks a
sunken appearance, and his large
mouth Is partially shaded by a small,
light brown moustache, the ends of
which he occupies himself almost con-
stantly in twisting. Black hair that
falls over the low forehead covers his
head, and his attire corresponds to the
careless condition in which he wears
his hair.
EX-General Master Workman r.. V.
Powderly made his first appearance in
court as a trial lawyer, assisting Dis
trict Attorney John r. Jones in present.
ing the case to the jury for the COM
monwealth. Mr.. Powderly made the
opening address to the jury for the
prosecution. The defendant is repre-
sented by ex-Judge Ward, Attorney
John G. McAskie and James j. II. Ham
ilton.
A AJury Secured.
At 10 O'clock the task of securing
jury was taken up and at 8 o'clock
In the afternoon the necessary twelve
good men and true had been secured
to pass upon the law and the evidence
in the case. The jurors are: James p.
Sampson, agent, Jermyn: J. T.. Nc
Williams, clerk Scranton; C. NJ. Cook,
farmer, Benton; William Buntz, cigar
maker, Scranton: Ira c. Atherton,
farmer, Taylor; C. M. Coon, farmer,
North Abingdon; Elias Davis, miner,
Scranton; w. w. Snyder, Carpenter,
Carbondale; John Berry, superintend
ent, Scranton; William =. Coons, clerk,
South Abingdon; David E. Hughes,
clerk, Scranton; Harrison Finch, yeo-
man, Roaring Brook.
While endeavoring to secure a jury
forty-one Jurors We're called, nine of
whom We're stood aside by the COM
monwealth, ten were challenged for
cause, and twelve We're sworn. After
the jury had been secured Attorney
Hamilton asked that the witnesses be
excluded from the court room during
the progress of the trial that they
might have no opportunity of fixing up
their stories from what they heard in
with.
Opening for the Prose cution.
Mr.. Powderly then opened the case
for the commonwealth and reviewed
the facts leading up to the killing. He
said that the prosecution would be able
to show that on the night of the mur-
der Lauisso was called from his board
ing house at a late hour to join in a
revel. When last seen alive he was in
company with Rosa, whom the mur-
dered man owed $40. A few hours
later the body of Lauisso was found ly-
ing in the street with bullet holes in it,
The district attorney, continued Mr..
Powderly, secured the services of a de-
tective, who obtained from the defend
ant confession that he killed Lauisso
and then hid the revolver, with which
the crime had been committed on the
top of the cellar wall in the house in
which he boarded. The county detec-
tive and chief Of police of Dunmore
went to the place directed and found
the revolver with particles of dirt cling
ing to the muzzle where it had dried
into the blood Of the murdered man
which covered the end of the revolver
barrel when the weapon was placed In
its hiding place.
Would COrroboratc this Confession.
The commonwealth, the speaker said,
would be able to put witnesses on the
stand whose testimony will be in line
with this confession. This testimony
the jurors would be asked to pass upon
fairly and impartially and return a
verdict strictly in accordance with the
facts Mr.. Powderlys opening address
was plain, forceful presentation of
the facts in the case from the common
wealth's point of view without any at
tempt at oratorical establishment 1t
was listened to by a large number of
attorneys who were present to hear
Mr.. Powderly's maiden effort befor a
jury.
Constantine Morosini was sworn as
interpreter for the commonwealth and
Joseph Fabiano was then called as the
first witness for the prosecution, He
said that on the night of February 26,
in company with Leonardo Rosa, Pas
quala Bilvilaqua and Salvatore Germ
ernia, he was dressed in a masquerade
costume, in accordance with a custom
in their country Of holding a carnival,
preceding the beginning of lent. They
went to BARLEY Carbo's house, then to
Rofelo's and from there to Leopold
Nicotora's, arriving there about 8
o'clock.
They Gained an Entrance.
Nicotora's family had gone to bed
thnU n n ic hnr httt hnt