The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-23

tne woman away, ana MS -FOUR Smali
children stood at his cell door to say
goodbye. Then the unfortunate mans
rage vanished as rapidly as It came.
He kissed each of the children pas
sionately, put his hands on their heads,
fondled their little hands and chubby
faces, while tears coursed down his
hardened cheeks. In parting with his
wife he showed little feeling. He after
wards told the death-watch that his
wife confided to him that she had mar
ried his half-brother since he was
placed in prison.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The murder for which Vasalka was
executed was committed early in the
morning of Jan. IS, 1896 1t was shown
at the trial that the shooting was pre-
medtated. At midnight Wassel was
winding up pay day carousal with a
number of countrymen at George Laf-
fis' saloon, Georgetown. Wassel quar-
relied with Charles Legus and was
finally put out. He swore that he
would kill Legus and afterward tried
to keep his word.
At 1 o'clock on the morning of Jan.
10, Legus, Peter Kupersavage and a
dozen others repaired to the house of
Adam Legus, next door to the saloon.
While the crowd was in the basement
of the house Wassel was seen to walk
stealthily to the house and peer through
torn curtain. A kerosene lamp stood
inside on the window ledge. Charles
Legus, who quarreled with Peter, stood
inside at a table, not three feet from
the window, while Joe Kupersavage
sat on a chair at the kitchen stove. A
movement outside the window caused
Charles Legus to look out. Instantly
there was flash and the report of a
pistol. The bullet grazed Legus head
and pieces of glass from the window
pane cut his face. Joe Kupersavage,
whose back was turned to the window,
uttered a groan and fell forward on
his face, the bullet having entered his
head behind the ear and embedding it
self in his brain.
WASSEL ARRESTED.
At 4 o'clock the same morning Was
sci and a companion named Frank
| Sochalofski were arrested at their home
at the Diamond Patch by Constables
Evans, Edwards and Davis at s O'Clock
| on the morning of Jan. Is, 1896, and
brought before Squire Ford, who COM
mitted them to the county jail without
| bail.
Kupersavage was about 26 years old.
unmarried, and had the reputation Of
| being a quiet and peaceable man. He
| had lived in this country about seven
years.
People who knew Terrible Pete
said he was bad and desperate man.
| 1t is alleged that he shot a man in
| Sugar Notch four years before he kill
| cd Kupersavage, and later tried to kill
a countryman in Salisburg's saloon at
| Georgetown. Those who knew him in
the old country say he poisoned his
| wife there. After his arrest here ap-
| plication was made by the Russian
| government for his extradition. Was
sal has daughter by his first wife liv-
| ing in Scranton. She is married.
| Wassel was put on trial, April 20
| before Judge Bennett and on April 2f
a verdict of murder in the first degree
| was returned. A desperate effort was
| made to induce Governor Hastings tc
interfere in behalf of Wassel but he re.
| fused.
| Since Wassel has been in Jail 1t has
been learned that he was the leader OF
a desperate gang of outlaws These
| despera does robbed whoever they could
find in isolated places and it is suspect.
| ed that many of the mysterious mur-
| ders committed in the county within
the past few years were done by them
| Not only this, but they made a bust.
| ness of burglarizing stores, ETC., anC
such goods as were stolen were taker
to certain prosperous and seemingly
respectable merchant and who disposed
of them at very moderate figure al.
lowing the members of the gang who
stole them a liberal commission on al
goods thus disposed of.
TRIED TO RELEASE HIM.
Several efforts were made to secure
| Wassels release from jail one of which
resulted in the escape of William
Shaffer, who was confined on a ch arye
of larceny. He picked the lock of his
cell and was expected to open Wassel $
cell as soon as he gained the corridor
| Confederates outside the prison had
pried the bars of the window suffi-
GENTLY far apart so that man could
slip through them.
Shaffer was recaptured and made
a confession. On the strength of II
before long Joe" Shenosky, Joe
Dugutski, Anthony Romanoski and
Valtus Slavatski were arrested OF
charges of robbery.
These We're later tried in the I.u-
zcrne courts, convicted both on the
charges of robbery and of assisting q
prisoner to escape, and are now serv-
ing a sentence of ten years in the
Eastern penitentiary. During the pro.
ceedings 1t developed that Slavitsk
made the key which enabled Shaffer
to get out of his cell and 1t was with
this same key that 1t was hoped and
expected he would liberate Wassel.
Afterwards a plan was made to blow
up part of the Jail with dynamite and
have Wassel escape during the ex.
element. 1t was feared that this plar
might be put into operation last night
or today and precautions were accord
ingly taken.