The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-15
JOHN GRISMKA COMMITTED.
lie VIII Bc Compelled TO Answer for tho
Murder Of John Mickus.

JOnn 6rlSnka, WHo WAS ar a.
the instance Of the coroners jury for
Iripp's crossing on the night of March
II, was yesterday taken down from the
county Jail and given preliminary
hearing before Alderman Millar. so that
he might be formally charged with the
crime.
County Detective Leyshon represent
ed the commonwealth and c. IL. Soper
appeared for the accused. The evidence
adduced ut the inquest was In part sub
mitted and 1t pointed so strongly TO
Grishi.as' guilt that there was no hcsI.
fancy on the part of the alderman In
committing him to answer at court.
Only three witnesses were heard.
Adam Sch, oeder. of Price street, who
was the murdered mans miner: p. M.
Messett, a street car conductor, and
Coroner $. p. Longstreet. Schroeder
testified that Mickus had told him on
the Monday preceding st. Patrlck's Day
that his wife threatened that her
brother and Grishka would kill him.
Conductor Messett told Of the incident
on the street car, by which the COM
monwealth hopes to prove that the
murdered man and Grishka were to-
gether the night of the murder.
W. >IA~ y S<hANs
About 9.15 o'clock p. m. four men,
either Poles or Hungarlans boarded the
Luzerne street car, of which Messett
was In charge, and on reaching Seventh
street one Of them rendered a $40 bill In
payment for his fare. although he had
q nickel In his hand. The conductor re-
fused to change the bill and a wrangle
ensued, which ended in the man giving
over the nickel. He had caused so much
trouble on the car that when the corner
! Of Main avenue and Jackson street was
reached the conductor called a police
man and had him put off. The other
three rode as far as Wasbburn street,
where they got off and started back to-
wards Jackson street. One Of them an
swered the description Of Mickus, the
murdered man, and the other, Grishka,
tallies in many respects with the man
with whom Conductor Messett had the
| trouble.
County Detective Leyshon had Mic
kus put on his cap and stood him up
before Messett. The witness said the
cap, which is light colOred and Of the
bicycle style, is similar to the cap worn
by the man with whom he had the
trouble. The features he had also seen
before, but he would not say that
Mickus and the passenger in question
were one and the same.
NOT STRUCK BY A TRAIN.
Coroner Longstreet told of how the
body lay when found and showed that
death could not have possibly resulted
| from Mickus being struck by a train.
He then described how his notice was
attracted to Grishka, who was one of
the crowd that gathered on the scene,
and how, after becoming satisfied that
the fellows suspicious actions would
bear investigation, he called him to him
and discovered blood stains on his over
coat. He also stated that he saw Grish-
ka attempt to wash off the stains with
snow after he had been handed over to
the custody Of Patrolman Evans.
Mr.. Soper asked a number Of ques-
tions Of each witness. The law pre-
vented him from making any argument,
but he remarked that his client was not
guilty and that he could not be con-
victed
1t transpired during the hearing that
Mrs. Mickus.wife of the murdered man,
gave birth to child on Easter Satur-
day.
Charles Miller was arrested last eve
ming as being an accessory to the mur-
der of John Mickus. At the time Of
the coroner's inquest Miller was sus-
pected Of being implicated in the crime.
There was not, however, sufficient evil
dence to hold him. County Detective
Leyshon has since that time gathered
further proof and as result Miller was
arrested last night, while he was at
the Lloyd street home Of his sister.
Mrs. John Fickus, wife Of the murdered
man. .-----
Lieutenant Spellman and John Jones,
of Jackson street, assisted in making
the arrest. Miller vas taken to the
West Side police station, where he
spent the night. To a Tribune report
er he denied any knowledge of the mur-
der. He was home at the time of the
discovery. He is a middle-aged man.
One of the chief causes which led to
Millers arrest was the threat made to
Mickus by his wife that her brother,
Miller, and Grishka would kill him,
which threat he repeated to his miner,
Adam Schroeder, on the Monday pre-
ceding the murder.