The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-30
he must not do anything. He said he
wanted to shoot himself

he must not 90 anything. he Salu ne
wanted to shoot himself.
On cross examination witness said
the reason why Pleya wanted to sui
eide was that his wife did not want
him. Pleva told his wife that he did
not want her to keep Devetzcka and
Trenowski as boarders because he
wanted peace and quiet in his home.
Pleva told his wife that he was able to
provide for the house and that she
didn't need to keep boarders.
John Korbel was next called. He
said he was born in Hungary and came
here in March of 1896. Lived with the
Plevas. There were three boarders.
Was there when Pleva died. There
we're eight boarders just before the
death. Mrs. Pleva did all the work
and laundrying, All breakfasts were
separate. On the Sunday prior to the
death there was a quarrel between
Pleva and his wife. Pleva came home
and said he could not live that way
and would take his life. He took a
revolver and said he would shoot him
self and his son. Witness told him not
to do it. Had seen Pleva have the
revolver before that. He told witness
he had bought it to use. He loaded it,.
On cross examination witness said
that Pleva told him that the life he
was leading he would rather take
away The quarrels were about mon
ey and about living a bad life. He
accused her of not loving him. Pleva
told his wife he wanted no other board
ers than witness and Krzc, that he had
no trouble about these two. The
trouble was about Deyetzcka and Ire
nowski. Pleva said he would have to
tell them to go.
On re- direct examination he said Mr..
and Mrs. Pleva had quarreled in his
presence three times. Pleva was a
drinker and had come home drunk.
John Devetzcka was sworn. Said he
had been in America five years and
had boarded with the Plevas about
seven months. Mrs. Pleva had always
done the cooking and laundry work
alone. Worked at the tannery and
spent Oh the average but few hours at
the house each day. While there usu-
ally read. Went to bed generally
about o'clock p. m. Mr.. Pleva never
accused the witness of undue intimacy
with his wife. Never had said any
thing to him on that subject. Pleva
never told him to leave the house. He
had heard Pleva make threats of sui
eide about the end OF April. Pleva
said he would shoot himself and boy
and would leave Mrs. PleVa to suffer.
Witness said that on May "a he had a
carriage after dinner. He and John
Trenowski went to Pleva's and called
for Korbel. He was fixing his shoes
and said he had no time. Mrs. Pleva
said she would take the ride. They
went about the city streets and Mrs.
Pleva alighted on Market street. This
was about 2:30 or 3 o'clock. They
stopped nowhere during the drive.
That evening witness went to saloon
with John Trenowski. Staid there
that night. About 8 o'clock Mrs.
Pleva called for him and said her hus-
band had driven her out of the house
Witness, John Trenowski and Mrs.
Pleva went to Slater's Office to get a
warrant for Pleva's arrest. A police
officer told her to get her children and
return home. Witness went with Mrs.
Pleva for the children. The children
were asleep and she could not get
them, and she went to the police office,
policeman going home with her.
On cross examination witness stated
that he lett Pleva's house because
Pleva had said to Trenowski that his
wife liked to see witness and he left at
once because he knew he was causing
the trouble between Pleva and his wife.
1t was after this that he took Mrs.
Pleva riding. Had been to Chicago
with Mrs. Pleva once before that.
That was not the starting of the
trouble. To the question why did he
not drive up to the Pleva house to let
Mrs. Pleva out on the day of the drive
instead of stopping on Market street,
he replied that it was because the
horse stopped there. He did not know
where Pleva was at the time.
On redirect examination witness eX-
planned that Chicago trip by saying
that he attended a convention there
and Mrs. Pleva went down to buy a
dress. Pleva requested him to take
Mrs. Pleva down there. He and Mrs.
Pleva did not stop at the same house
that night Both came home the fol-
lowing night.
John Trenowski was then called.
He said he was born in Hungary.
Came here to America in 1892.
Boarded at Pleva's about seven months
and left the house about two weeks be-
fore Pleva's death. He corrobOrated
+bo %oc+i,oopu a Jou+ ATrc D1ovo'c dOipo