The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-06-26
THE ITALIANS ACQUITTED /!
Declared Not Guilty of Having Murdered
Joe ZukufSki.
THE MISSING ITALIANS BLAMED.
Sequel to the Bloody Lithuanian and
Italian Riot on Coal Street in Which
Three Men and Woman
Were Shot.
Special TO EVENING HERALD.

Petro Meco charged with the murder of a
Lithuanian named Joseph Zukufski at Shen-
andoah in April last, terminated at 9:45
o'clock last night by the jury handing in a
verdict to Judge Albright finding the accused
not guilty. The verdict was a surprise.
AIagone and Meco were not strongly i'm
plicat0d in the affair by the evidence,
but Minella was caught red handed
and a verdict of murder in the first
degree was expected against him. NJ.
p. Mclaughlin and Mr.. Bashore represented
the Commonwealth, while NJ. NJ. Burke,
Esq, of Shenandoah, and II. o. Bechtel,
Esq, of Pottsville, conducted the case for the
Italians.
ZukofsIi was killed during general fight
between Italians and Lithuanians on West
Coal street. He was not murdered on the
spot but lived for several days, finally sue
cumbing to pistol shot wound which the
Commonwealth alleged was inflicted by
Minella. Two of the Italians who were en-
gagged in the fracas escaped and have not
since been captured. 1t was claimed by
the defense that it was one Of the two miss
ing Italians that killed Joe Zukufski. The
evidence clearly showed that one of them
shot Zukufski's mother.
During the trial the Commonwealth
lawyers had referred to the fracas as a race
war. In summing up attorneys for the
defense argued that it was not a race war,
but case of the biters having been bitten.
1t was claimed that Joe Zukufski was a
vicious and quarrelsome fellow and in trying
to get the best Of the Italians had brought on
the affray which ultimately resulted in his
own death. 1t was further argued that Zu-
kufski was one of the class that crowd
/ fl,n 1n,,l nf fapY,
of the criminal court in this county
and that had the Italians not been
mOlested there would have been no trouble
at all. As to the facts of the case the de-
Tense claimed that it was an impossibility for
either of the defendants to have shot Zu-
kufski that the testimony showed the bull
let had entered Zukutski's back and all the
testimony agreed that the three Italians were
in front of Zukufski during the fight.
In summing up for the Commonwealth Mr.
Mclaughlin pointed out the fact that Minela
was not only seen at the aflray with knife
and revolver in hand but also caught while
running back to the place with a Winchester
rifle in his hand. At this point the Deputy
District Attorney paid tribute to Detective
Richard Amour, saying that at great risk of
life the officer wrestled and disarmed Minella
| before the rifle could be used and it was little
less than miracle that the jury was not
trying some of the Italians for the murder Of
tho detective.
The jury evidently believed the claim of
the defense that the accused did not fight be-
hind Minella's back and cause the fatal wound
and that the murder was committed by one
of the two Italians that cannot be found,
Minella, Magone and Meco are now being
held on a charge of having committed an
assault with intent to kill on Mrs. Zukufsd,
the mother of the murdered man
TWO LIBEL SUITS.
The excitement of two murder trials being
conducted at one and the same time having
passed off the unusual large crowds which
attended these trials have disappeared and the
court rooms have again taken on their
sombre appearance.
Two libel suits have taken the place Of the
murder cases. The one before Judge Savidge
in No 1 room is the suit of r, o. Jones,
Superintendent of the Vulcan Iron Works, Of
Tamaqua, VS.. the Tamaqua Courier the
other that of Prof. Cooper VS.. G. ID, Arters
and Livingston Seltzer.
In the former suit George ] Wadlinger and
II. F. Graef represent the defense, and j..
o. Ulrich is counsel for the plaintiff. This is
the same suit in which Mr., Wadlinger had
tho Indictment quashed last term and tried
unsuccessfully to do the same when the case
was opened yesterday, Immediately after the
jury in the Eisenhower murder case retired.
w. II. Boyd was the first witness called this
morning. He was followed by Mrs Sophia
NJ. Harris, widow Of Robert Harris, de-
ceased She stated that at the death of her
husband she became the administrators Of
his estate and part of the estate was the
That she hired reporters and that her son
was business manager. She did not know
what articles were printed in the paper They
were never shown to her Harry Walters, a
reporter for the paper, and John Harris, the
business manager, followed her. Robert II.
Hirsch, of the Tamaqua Recorder, was then
called and was asked to identify a copy OF
the Recorder of the 2lst Of April last. The
paper was then offered in evidence by the
defense but was objected to by the prosecu-
ton and ruled out.
At this point the defense rested and George
J. Wadlinger began his address to the jury,
as the prosecution had no rebuttal evidence.
A number Of Tamaqua residents were in at
tendance and occupied seats within the rail
ing
The suit is brought for the publication OF
an article in the Courier attacking the
methods and character of one who had been
writing articles in the Tamaqua Recorder
under the name of "CYnic," the author Of
which is said to be.the prosecutor in the case.
The other libel suit is that of Prof, J, W,
Cooper, principal Of the Shenandoah High
school, against Prof. c. d. Arters, principal
of the Cressona schools, and Prof Livingston
setzer, of Palo Alto, in which the two latter
gentlemen are charged with writing aud cir
culating a libelous circular against Prof.
Cooper during his canvass for the County
Superntendency w. j. Whitehouse and c.
A. Snyder, Esqs., are counsel for the de-
PENDANTS, while ex-Judge Ryon represents
! Prof. Cooper. The greater part of the morn