The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-04

Self-defense is the plea upon which
John Gouse bases his hope of saving his
neck. He admits that he struck his
father, but claims he did it to save
himself; he alleges that he was urged
to flee by Reminsky and leaves it to be
inferred that some one, most likely
Reminisky, dealt his father a third blow
with the last and inflicted the five stab
wounds after the old man lay stretched
unsensibe on the floor. Reminisky's
relations with Mrs. Gouse, his anxiety
for young Gouse's flight, and his subse-
quent laying of the blame on Gouse are
held to be sufficient to indicate that
Reminsky desired the death of the old
man and that he cunningly effected 1t at
a time when the suspicion would readily
fall upon another -
When the trial opened yesterday
morning eX-County Surveyor A. B.
Dunning, jr., went on the stand and
explained the diagram he had made or
the Gouse basement, pointing out the
room from which ScrapDa claims to
have witnessed the murder and showing
that it would have been possible to see
what was going on in front of the door
of old man Gouse's room from posi-
ton in the room where Scrappa slept.
Scrappa was recalled to point out the
exact position he occupied but the map
was unintelligible to him and nothing
definite could be gained from him.
EX-Coroner Kelly was recalled and
reiterated that the stab wounds We're
only superficial that the lung was
not punctured by the fractured ribs
and that in his opinion the blow on the
head caused death.
REMINISKY ON THE STAND.
The previously accused murderer Jo-
seph Reminisky alias Joseph Remichaf-
sky, was next called to the stand. He
said he did not see Gouse strike his
father but Gouse told him that he had,
in a saloon soon after he fled from -he
| scene. He saw Gouse again at the
| Thomas Weiss house early in the morn
| ing. Gouse asked what was the news.
| Witness told him that he had badly i'll
iured his father and that he would get
| all his friends in trouble. Gouse then
| told witness that his father had made
| him mad and that he had given him
something he would remember Wit
| ness was at the Gouse house when the
| father threatened to have the son ar
|
then went for beer When he returned
young Gouse was putting on a clean
shirt and was telling his mother he
would have to flee. At the request of
| Gouse he accompanied him down the
road. This was the first intimation he
| had of what had happened.
Reminisky was subjected to a long
| and severe cross-eXamination by Mr.
| lantinp The a rink ing during tlp
afternoon and early evening was again
described at length. Witness and young
Gouse sat down to supper at o'clock.
| There was nothing for them but cold
| meat GouSe complained of the food
| and scolded his mother for being drunl;
and neglecting her household duties
| Old man GouSe angrily Chidcd the son
| for talking that way to his mother
| and threatened to send for q constable
| and have him arrested. The son defied
| him, saying he was not afraid of the
| constable. Witness went out to get
| some beer later in the night and when
he returned young Gouse was prepar-
| ing to flee after having assaulted his
| father.
The witness admitted that he owed
old man Gouse $53 but denied that he
had any quarrel with him about it, He
denied that he rushed into the room
and stabbed old man Gouse after the
son had felled him with the shoe lrSt
| He went out in saloon with young
| Gouse after the crime and on the way
back Gouse admitted that he had strucl
| his father. Gouse went in and kissed
his fathers hand and then left again.
COMMONWEALTH RESTED.
After offering the iron ast-holder II
| evidence the commonwealth rested
Susannah Weiss was recalled for cross
examination by Mr.. Ballentine ant
stated that she had received a lettel
from young Gouse three weeks after the
murder but denied that Gouse himself
returned.
Mr.. Balentine in his opening for thu
defense said he did not expect the jury
to convict Gouse of murder of eithe
the first or second degree, and that h,
would be surprised if they convicted
him of manslaughter. The defense, III
said, would stand for acquittal on th
ground that the law says when a mal
is assaulted and beaten until he doe
not know which way to turn he has
right to strike down his assailant, ever
though that assailant be his father
|
to say, that he was drunk on the nigh
in question, for he was not, and h
would not deny that he struck hi
father with the iron last-holder be
cause he did strike him twice and will
such a weapon. The old man was owe
. six feet TALL muscular and powerful.
When the son demonstrated with hin
for the drinking and carousing that wa
: | in, "a he N ~
him by the throat. dragged him into tn
bed room, threw him into corner an,
beat him. Reminisky was present al
the time, he said, and it was at hi
urging that Gouse iled The defens
would prove, he said, that Reminisk
and Mrs. Gouse We're criminally init
; mate, that this was subject of FIRE
; uuent contention between father an
son, and consequently it was improb
able that the son would conspire wit
Reministy to kill the ole man.
IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE.
} County Surveyor Bartl, the first wit
ness called, exhibited diagram of tn
; house and swore that it was an impos
sibility for person to see into tn
room where the murder was committe
from any point made from the roOT
where Scrappa slept,
Adolph Klaus testified that whe
Scrappa came out of the bed room tina
night he asked what the trouble wa
saying he had been asleep and did nc
hear anything of the quarrel. Scrapp
again told him, two days after the al
. fair, that he did not see the assault.
Thomas Munley, Jacob Wayne
| Frank Gaughan, Mrs. Gaughan, Adolp