The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-08

Murder i'm the first degree" was the
finding of the jury in the Van Horn
case.
At $50 yesterday morning word came
from the jurors that they were ready
to render a verdict Judge Archibald,
who was sitting in No. 3, came into
the main court room and directed that
the prisoner Ice brought down. Half
an hour later Van Horn, with man
acled hands, was brought in by Keeper
II. +. Ferber and placed in the prs-
Oners dock.
The court house bell at 1O.OS tolled
the announcement that the verdict was
about to he rendered and about ten
minutes later the jury filed i'm and the
foreman handed a paper to Deputy
Clerk of the Courts Daniels. Judge
Archibald opened it, read it over showed
it to Judge Edwards, who was sitting
at his side, and then returned it to
Clerk Daniels.
\ deathlike silence prevailed when
the clerk said, in trcmulous tones:
"Gentlemen of the jury, hcarken to
your verdict as the court hath record
ed it. In the case of the common
wealth against George *. Van Horn
you say you find the defendant guilty
of murder in the first degree. So say
you all The jurors nodded assent
f.. w. Thayer, one of Van Horns
attorneys asked that the jury be pOlled.
Judge Archibald directed this to be
done and each juror, as his name was
called, stood UP and in firm voice
answered: Guilty of murder in the
first degree"
T1lpa Archibald "a Inn fp,
its patient services and discharged
them, without commenting on the YER
dict.
Van Horn leaned lazily against a
window-sill in the prisoners pen dur
ing the proceedings, listening attent-
lively, but with no apparent anxiety to
what was going on. When it was all
over he turned to Warden Simpson and
casually inquired: When will have
to come down again."
Sentence will be imposed Saturday.
Van Horns counsel will ask for a new
trial.
THE ABBATE MURDER.
AS fOreshadowed in yesterdays Tr-
hune, SeNario Abbate, the slayer of
Vito RaimOndi, did not have to face
jury. He plead guilty to the general
charge of murder and after hearing the
evidence of the commonwealth and the
accused mans own statement Judge
Edwards fixed the grade of the crime
as murder of the second degree.
Abbate was arraigned during the
early morning, just before the Van
Horn verdict was taken. At the de-
fendants table with him We're his at
torneys John f. SCragg and John NJ
Harris, and John Caggiano, a law stu
dent, who has been looking after the
interests of his accused fellow -coun-
tryman. Abbatc'S three brothers, his
young wife and little child were also
present, and among the prominent Ital-
ians who sat within the bar enclosure
was NJ. Tiscar, the Italian consul to
the Scranton district,
At the prosecutors table with Dis
trict Attorney Jones, sat Chief of
Police RObling, the prosecutor, and the
14-year-old son of the victim, John Raj
mOndi. Frank Russa, VINO was shot
and almost killed by Abbate during his
flight, was present as a witness for the
defense. He was not allowed to tes-
tify, however, as court held his expert
ence had no immediate connection with
the matter i'm hand-the fixing of the
grade of crime.
nv DlllCllldl NlllltNSCS Ntlt III. AL
bert Kolh, Dr. $. T.. Longstreet, who
testified as to the nature of the wounds;
George ROsar, Henry Engle and Miss
Mary Rosar, eye-w!tnesses of the af-
fair, who told in substance that the
four men, Raimondi Sparocem and
the two Abbates, came along Birch
street, talking loudly and gesticulating
as if quarreing. Raimondi was about
four feet in the rear Of the others.
They all stopped suddenly and ABB
bate, drawing a revolver. fired down
wards, the bullet striking Raimondi in
the leg, below the knee. Raimondi
threw up his hands and started to flee
when. two more shots laid him low
one bullet took effect in the shoulder
and the other in the breast, just above
the heart.
STORY OF ABBATE.
Abbate was put ON the stand and
through the aid of Interpreter Constant
Morisini told his story. Raimondi, he
said, approached him in a threatening
manner with his hand reaching to-
wards his hip pocket. Thinking he
was about to draw a revolver, Abbate
whipped out his own and fired at the
ground, hoping To frighten off Raj.
mondi. Then, as Abbate himself said;
81 got all excited and did not know
what ] was doing"
Mr.. Harris called the attention oi
court to the friendly relations that had
existed between the deceased and Alb,
bate, the former having been sponsor
for two of Abbate's children. Mr.
SCragg spoke of the evident absence
of intent TO kill. The two men hat
been together nearly all day, drinkinl
and having a good time. They became
engaged in a quarrel and during the
heat OF the excitement the shooting oc