The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-01

fendant's challenges were based on the
suspicion that the jury might hold
prejudice against Hungarians. The
fact that the case has not attracted
much attention was very evident.
The twelve men selected were chosen
in the following order:
STEWARD w. HUFFoRD. engineer
Scranton.
WARREN sHIFFER, driver scran-
ton.
THos. HAILsToNE, miner, Moosic.
JESSE II. SNYDER, bookkeeper,
Elmhurst
A d. SHELDON, agent, Scranton.
JACOB WALZ, car builder, Scran-
ALFRED II. HUNT. bookkeeper,
AUGUST REHNER, stonecutter.
Scranton.
EVAN r. REESE, merchant, Carbon
dale.
C. e. DOLPH, coal dealer, Scranton.
MARSHALL KELLER, harness
maker, Scranton.
CHARLES WATSON, salesman, Wa
verify.
BEGINNING THE TRIAL.
1t was 500 o'clock when the last
Juror had qualified. Judge Gunster
room to put away their coats and hats
and then report in court room No. 2,
where the trial would be transferred.
this being done to avoid the noise and
Interruptions of the main room.
Twenty minutes later Judge Gunster
nodded that everything was in readi-
ness to proceed. County Detective Ley
shon appeared at the prosecutors table
with Assistant District Attorney w.
Gaylord Thomas who took charge of
the case after the jury drawing was
| concluded.
| At the defendants table sat Ward
& Horn AMI William Voxolek, Kohut
| occupying a seat next to Vokolek.
with whom he conversed at frequent
| intervals in his native tongue. The
only ones occupying the spectators
seats We're witnesses. Judge Gunster
| having given orders that no one ex-
cepting those connected with the case
should be admitted.
| In opening COR the plaintiff, Mr..
Thomas announced that the common
| wealth would press for a verdict of
murder in the first degree. The out
| line of the story of the killing which
he presented to the jury did not vary
in any essential from that given in
The Tribune yesterday
There was pay-nisht carousal at
| the house when the crime occurred On
Aug. u, last, Mr. Thomas went on to
say, and Il free fight, as is usual, was
the result. Some of the tenants of the
house were Hungalians ana some
Poles. There was a bitter feeling be-
tween the people of the two nationali-
ties and Guarrels Were not infrequent.
Eohut is an Hungarian and Andrew
| Novak, the victim, was a Pole.
KOHUT WAS WOUNDED.
4 PClander named Wisniskie, who
had been visiting with his fellow coun-
trymen OF the tenement had occasion
to go through the back yard where
the fight occurred and for protection
carried an open knife in his hand. Ko-
hut espied the knife and attempted to
take it away. In doing this he had his
hand badly cut and mad with rage ran
into the house to summon his coun-
trymen to clean out" the Polanders.
one of his friends who thought it
was a case of stabbng wanted to have
Wisniskie arrested. Kohut started out
mo we will be our own squires and
our own constables," and tried to in
Guce his friends to make general at
tack on the Polanders. Other counsel
however, seems to have prevailed and
Kohut was restrained for the time
being.
An hour or so later, about 1913
o'clock, the Carousing was transferred
from Anna Szmuda's boarding house
which is in the basement, to John To-
lundi's apartments which are on the
second floor and adjoining those occu-
pied by Novak and his family. No
yak was disturbed by the noise and
going out in the front yard eXpostu-
lated with some of the party who were
on the upper porch about the racket
He was thus engaged, it is alleged
when Kohut accompanied by one Johr
Sheffs, stole upon him. kohut picked
up large stone and brought ii dowr
ON Novak's head telling him to the
ground and rendering him unconscious
THE AFTER EVENTS.
Mr.. Thomas did not so into the de
tails of the events which followed bu
5 it appears, from the Investigations o
the authorities that Novak was cared
l for 10y Priceburg physicians until Sept
I 81. when he was taken to the Lacka
wanna hospital. There it was discov
| tItu lIldl MS Shlll Hdu IGtH
and as this did not harmonize will
, the story of his friends that he wa
\ taken sick while at work in the mines
\ the authorities were notified ant
{ through the efforts of County Detec
tive Leyshon the story of the killing
was uncarthel.
Whether or not the Priceburg physi
clans knew the true story or indeed
they even discovered that Novak wa
suffering from a fractured skull ha
\ nOI as y2t developed. The hospita
physicians say that there were no evi
dences of any operation or like treat
ment having taken place, during tn
months time previous to the victim
being received at the hospital.
1t would appear from what is a
present known of the case that eve
D Novak's relations were bent on keep
\ ing the story of the assault from tn
authorities.
The defense is a complete denial @
the accusation, and an intimation tina
the murderer is Scheffs, who skippe
out soon after the killing, and VIII
D cannot now be found An attempt wi
y also be made TO show that Nova
; was as much the victim of negl