The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-10
SECOND TRIAL OF ROSA
Mill Begin Today Before Judge Ed
wards in Criminal Court.
HE MURDERED VITO LORUSSA
Was Convicted Of Murder in the First
Degree ON the First Trial. Reudham
burglars Found Guilty - SEN
teness Imposed on Saturday.

Inc second week OF criminal court
will begin today, and the first case on
the list Is the second trial of Murderer
Leonardo Rosa. who was convicted
once for the foul Staying of Vito Lo-
russa at Dunmore on the morning of
Feb. 2S, 1895. The defendant was grant
ed new trial upon the fact brought out
at the argument that Detective Frank
Aglt admitted he had not told every
thing Rosa confessed to him in the jail
The trial beginning today will be before
Judge Edwards.
Agli was put in the same cell with the
prisoner before the trial and secured a
confession from him which was the
principal evidence upon which con-
viction was obtained. Agli's deposition,
read at the argument for a new trial,
set forth that he had not stated on the
witness stand that Lorussa had a scis-
sors in his p, session and attacked Rosa
with II. This, Rosa confessed. was what
caused the murder: that he shot Lo-
russa in self defense.
The commonwealth hopes to be able
to make out stronger case against the
defendant this time. When Lorussa's
body was found the morning of the mur-
der, the scissors was stuck up the
sleeve of the dead mans coat. This
would go toward dispelling the assump-
tion that the murder was in self-de-
fense; on the contrary, 1t would show,
II Is contended, that Rosa took the
scissors out of Lorussa's pocket after
the killing and placed II where 1t was
found as preteXv that an attack had
been made and that the murder was
simply repelling that attack. At the
first trial District Attorney John r.
Jones and his law partner. Attorney T.
V. Powderly. represented the common
wealth, and Attorneys George s. Horn,
James j. II. Hamilton and John G.. Nc
Askie appeared for the defendant.
Van Dyke and Others Found Guilty.
w. j. Van Dyke. John Moran and
Elias Thomas were found guilty Of
burglarizing the Methodist Episcopal
parsonage at Rendham on the morning
of Aug. 81 last, and binding the pastor,
Rev. w. r. Cochrane. and his wife with
rope, after which the burglars ran
sacked the house. John and Anthony
Gins. two young fellows. who were
charged with being implicated In the
outrage. We're returned not guilty at the
first trial upon the instruction of the
court. At that trial tho jury could not
agree on the guilt of the other defend
ants and the case had to be tried a Sec
Ond time. Attorneys |. II. Burns, Nj. j.
Donahoe and A. A. Chase. who repre-.
sented the defendants, will apply to
the fOurt fer a new trial on the ground
that the evidence did not warrant a
conviction Moran's father-in-law and
three sisters told straightforward stories
in testifying that he was at home on
the night Of the burglary.
Edward Lynn was convicted OF as
cault and battery on his wife and the
court sentenced him to spend six months
in the county jail. He IL the man whose
child was burned I'm the fire at their
home on the South Side few months
ago. James Golden was acquitted OF
assault and battery on Edward Jones.
of Providence and the costs were equal
ly divided. The defendant struck Jones
because the latter said Mrs. Golden
deyiated from the truth. Michael Ku-
ritski was found not guilty OF assault
and battery OH Sammy Miller, of Scran-
ton street, and the jury direced the
prosecutor to pay the costs.
Some Sentences Imposed.
William Lynch. of the South Side, was
sentenced to thirty days in the county
Jail for assault and battery on John
Jacob Schmidt. William Thornton will
spend a month In Jail fro breaking six
panes of glass on Jan. i'm the saloon
of John r. Gibbons. of Taylor borough.
ThOrntons 4-year-Old stepsOn was
burned so fearfully month ago that
ne uleQ u Oay OF 80 aIterWafu. Inc llt-
tie fellow was playing near a fire In
field near his home and his clothes
caught from the flames.
John Richards, Michael Hiland, John
Brown and James Geutz plead guilty
to stealing from the Lackawanna Iron
and Steel company, and In consideration
of their previous good character. the
court suspended sentence for six months.
At the end of that time. II they will have
behaved, sentence will be suspended,
but II they show any disposition to get
into any more mischief, the court will
call them up and deal severely with
them.
A number of surety cases were dis
posed of. Patrick Barrett. for threat
ening to kill Mrs Catharine Ruane, was
put under 5000 bail as a guarantee that
ne will not put the threat into eXecu-
tion. Mark Connors gave the same
amount of bail for saying he would
make widOwer OF himself. John Haw-
ley and Daniel Burns were required to
give bond to keep the peace with Eliza
beth Keegan; and William Palmer gave
bail In the sum of 5000 that he would
not kill f. s. Palmer.