The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-25
tSsALANIS OF E0DI1US
They Were Tried Before Jadse Gun
ster In Court Room No. 2.
ACTED ONLY IN SELF DEFENSE
That Is the Plea Made BY the Defendants.
John DrusdOck Tried for Emulating
Jaek.thc.Rippcr on the
West Side.

April criminal court ended yesterday
afternoon, and considering that a muir
der case and the famous arson case
were tried District Attorney John r.
Jones cleared the list up pretty well
and left only a few minor suits to be
tried next term.
verdict Of guilty was returned In
the case Of Joseph SOwinski, Rose
LOCUS. Francis Kups. Anthony LOCUS,
Joseph Kups and Albert Greth. Of
Priceburg. charged with assault and
battery upon Constable Max Koehler.
Patrick Doudican, indicted on the
charge Of being the father of Sarah
Morgan's child. plead guilty and will
receive his sentence this morning. The
parties live on the West Side.
William Devers, the young man tried
on the charge of trapping an Antwerp
pigeon. was acquitted and the costs
were put on William Snaith, the prose-
cutor.
The feloniOus wOunding against Jo-
seph Mulinskey and Joseph Lahuskey.
OF Park Place, went to the jury at $50
In the afternoon. 1t was begun the day
before In No. court room and was
tried before Judge Gunster.
BROKE FIVE BILLIARD CUES.
The. commonwealth side of the case
was strongly presented and positive
evidence was given to prove that the
two defendants used up five billiard
cues on the head Of John Kaditus. The
remains Of the cues were exhibited to
the jury and they bore marks Of blood
stains In several places. Kaditus and
q fellow cOuntryman who was with
him, and Mrs. Mary Lukan were the
principal witnesses for the prosecution.
kadttus was offered in evidence and
the jury examined the scars on his
head.
The defendants testified that the
trouble was not of their doing They
did not deny that they used the billiard
cues, but they stoutly maintained that
1t was only as a last resort in self de-
Tense when Kaditus and a number of
his friends attacked them, and they
were in danger Of being trampled upon
and beaten almost to death, If they
had not made use Of the weapons that
were at hand. The defendants also al
legged that some among the Kaditus
party had knives and revolvers. The
case went to the jury at $3.50 and at
adjournment a verdict had not been
agreed upon.
In the main court room John Drus-
dack was tried for slashinK Michael
Ruddy with a razor. The latter Is a
Polander not long enough In the coun-
try to he able to talk English. Mar
tin Woyshner interpreted his testi-
mOny.
DREW A RAZOR ON HIM.
The story he told was that while re-
turning with a pail Of beer to his home
at the corner Of Luzerne and Twenty
second streets on the evening of last
election day, he had to cross a field
and q man came uD behind him and
asked him II he knew John Smith.
Ruddy turned around to inquire which
John, and he was met with an open
razor, which passed across his throat
right below the chin.
The blade did not sink deep enough
to weaken Ruddy just then and he
dropped the beer instantly and went
home as fast as his limbs would carry
MIN. His assailant turned his atten-
tlon to the beer and did not give chase.
Ruddy claimed to recognize Drusdack,
ana when he got home he and his
brother, John, went to Drusdack's $
mousse AND found him seated at the
supper table eating. He denied then
that he did the Jack the Ripper act,
as he denied 1t yesterday in court, but
the prosecutor was positive that the
defendant was the man.
Inc jury went out at 3 O'Clock to de-
liberate upon a verdict and had not re-
turned at adjournment. That was the
last case tried and jurors not engaged
on cases We're discharged,