The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-27
WILKES-BARRE.
FISHER TEsTIFIES.
No Was When Barney Reick Wa
Killed.

opened, Harry NJ. Posten. the livery
man, was the first witness called. He
was In charge of the ambulance which
conveyed Reick from the Delaware and
hudson yards to his home. SOlOman
Miller was recalled and said he entered
into a business partnership with Bar
ney Reick in 1890. Mrs. Reick. he said,
was Mabel Hefferan, and went to live
with Reick in 1891.
Mrs. Reick vas called, and said she
remembered perfectly Nov. II, 1898.
Jones and some other officers came in,
n asked Barney who had done this
and Barney said: II think it was
Fisher" The officers then said that
they had Fisher locked UP. Barney
said that they could let Fisher and
Knelly go, a S neither of them did 1t,
but he thought Fisher led him away. I
did not tell Fred Miller that I thought
1t was Ben Gunton because Gunton sold
Barney some goods u short time before,
and he always knew where Barney kept
his money. / had not said that 1 was
not sure 1t was Fisher
The commonwealth then rested and
Mr.. McGovern and Mr.. Lenahan had a
brisk tilt as to the whereabouts of Ray
Boyer. The defense had not SUBJ
poenaed her, as they were sure the
commonwealth would call her and were
much disappointed when the district
attorney did not DO so. Mr.. McGovern
could not see why such an important
witness as Ray Boyer had been sent
away just at this time. The court then
said: Ray Boyer was placed in the
custody of the Barring & McSweeney
agency for the purpose of being pres
emit at these trials and I would ask
that she be kept by the agency for the
purpose of giving testimony no matter
what the cost to the county may be.
If she Is not produced, the court will
see that James Fishers rights are pro-
tected.
Mr.. McGovern her opened for. the
defense. and made a strong speech. He
claimed that the commonwealth had
not proved beyond a reasonable doub
that Fisher was the man who led Reick
away. from home. Reick, himself, was
very uncertain as to Fisher being the
man and plainly hesitated to identify
him as such. Reick was suspicious
when called upon to come out. and
looked carefully at the man who came
after him. He said plainly. while be-
ing carried home that he did not be-
lieve 1t was Fisher. We will show that
Fisher, on that day. was In Nanticoke
and Plymouth, selling produce, and we
will trace his whereabouts in a man.
nsr tina will leave no room to think
that he was the guilty man..
James Fisher was put on the Stand
at II O'Clock and by Mr.. Lenahan's re-
quest, all other witnesses We're exciud-
ed from the court room. Judge Lynch
said in addition that any witness not
obeying would be guilty of contempt OF
court and would be punished accord
ingly.
Fisher then went on the stand and
said he was % years Of age and was
born in Philadelphia. / am a single
man with five brothers and n sister.
Worked in Scranton and Barre,
ALWAYS around fruit and oyster houses.
Knew Barney Reick well and had
never any business dealings with him..
Knew Mrs. Reick by sight.
On the day of the murder. F1sner
said, when he got IN, he met Charles
Gossard. by appointment, at the corner
of East Market INC Square at 8 O'CLOCK
with a wagon load Of fruit. Got on the
wagon, drove out West Market street
to Kingston and stopped at Tim Days
Company's store n other places be-
tween Kingston and E~dwardsville. In
E,dwardsyille stopped at Ashton's: left
Jones the undertaken, on the Plymouth
road at 70 o'clock. Then went to Ply
mouth, stopped at FINS grocery store
on Main street: several other stores;
don't know prODrietors' Mr..
Jones' grocery and dry goods store
Thsn went to Shonk & Co.'S, an italian
frn;t stand, Davis. Jones and Cham
berlain and some other stores and then
went to the Ely House: made a sale
there: to the Frantz House for dinner.
The Frantz House register was here
offered in evidence and Fisher identi-
fed his signature. Left there at 1.30.
FINISHED up in Plymouth about 2
o'clock and went to Avondale. Sold to
one store and then went to West Nam
ticoke. Went into the Company store
and went down a mile over Harvey's
Creek to the oostoffice and sold Mr..
Kulp. Me Fred B~ittenbender about q
o'clock. He is now dead. Saw him
at his store. Sold him bananas and
took them to his home near the Polish
Catholic church., and left the fruit with
Mrs. Bittenbender. A constable.
slightly, disfigured, then accosted us,
Gossard and I, and I ran into Evans
Hotel about 4.30. Constable followed
us in and asked for our license. !
told him we had had a oor day and
would fix 1t some other time. We had
a glass of beer and Evans interceded
and the constable said 1t was all right
We then went to %Shaopert's store, n
to a store across the street, Jackson's.
and then to Main street. The roads
were muddy. 1t was getting dark,
about 5 o'clock, when we left .Nanti-
ooke and stopped at the Half Way
House and the postofice and did not
stop again until we got to a store or
Academy fifty yards from Main; then
stopped at Spayd Brothers on South
Main street. and Lewis, just below
the corner Of Northampton. I was or
the wagon. I should judge 1t was then
$50. Came to Northampton street;
l-~,,- -,,xa No n1tvnrknr ak,nnks m
up Washington to the livery stable.
Left the wagon in front of Dr.. Kir-
vans and went to Harry Leim's be-
tween $40 and Z o'clock; had supper.
Saw Harry Leim, James Hill, con-
stable; Walter Miller, driver for Rut-
ledge Brothers. Left Leim's at Ill
to go to Music hall. Gossard gave me
81 before I left the wagon. Miller and
I started for Music hall. Miller and ]
parted at Franklin street. where I met
Baldwin, the insurance agent. / talked
to Baldwin ten or fifteen minutes. Left
him and went to Steve Reagan's.
Stayed half an hour talking to Steve
Reagan. Had some PANIED oysters; |
left there at 8 O'Clock: came back to
Square, to Market, to Washington and
to Jacob Leim's, on corner of jackson
and Washington: had a glass of beer.
some time n started home; |
stopped on the pavement and Officer
Zoeller arrested me-: said I was ar
on suspicion. When I got to my |
home we were laughing and joking and |
1 wanted to 60 in, thinking he was
I. was taken to the station,
searched, and they found IS on me
Next morning we were taken to Reick's |
house. We were taken into the house |
one by one: were not in the room to- |
gether. When I came in I stood be-
side the bed. An old man, Jacob
Reick, lifted Barney up. The window
were pulled up. and no one
else except the officer in the room.