The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-09

Interest In the arson and burglary
cases now on in criminal court con-
tinucs undated. Large crowds were
in attendance at both sessions Yester-
day ana during the afternoon when the
defense was being heard in the bur
glary case, court room No. was so
crowded that many of the spectators
were compelled to stard. In this lat
ter case the taking of testimony is
about concluded. in the Olchefski case
the commonwealth is still presenting
its evidence and will likely not con-
cluda before adjournment today.
District Attorney Jones is winding
the strange st kind of a chain of circum-
stanIial evidence about the accused OIL
Chefski. A raft of witnesses yesterday
PROV ID without doubt that the eXpio-
sion was n criminal act and made it
dif7cult TO see how Olchefski is going
to explain mis- way out of the mesh in
which the testimony tangles him.
Mrs. Veronica Mitch, who was on the
stand at adjourning time. Monday, con-
clude1 her testimony yesterday mot1-
ing. She told of the kerosene soaked
furniture of the bottom of the chairs
being cut and kerosene poured into the
oakum padding.
i.uNaIO f1dInfl, OF lHt COIIltI VI EsllIl
street and Hamm court into whose
house Olchefsld was assisted after the
explosion. testified to having carried
the oil soaked bureau out Of the Olchef-
ski house There were certain articles
of clothing in the drawers, 50 soaked
with Kerosene that wher they We're
wrung with he hands the oil would
drip out. Oil also bespattered Olchef-
Ii l.. e,ns1 a Inn Nl 9
helping to carry out the furniture Mrs.
Olchefski appealed to him to let the
bureau go and save the piano as the
latter was not insured. Both articles
We're saved
MALTA TESTIFIED
Charles Malta, another neighhOr, tes-
tilted to having assisted in carrying out
the furniture and the discovery Of the
Kerosene He saw Olchefsk. soon after
the explosion and assisted him to
Hamm's house. Olchefskis face was
blackened almost beyond recognition
as if by smoke or charcoal and his eye
lashes. eye hrows. mustache and hair
were badly singed.
John Kline testified to having seen
OlchefsHi pass lis house going from the
store to his barn at 10 o'clock on the
night oi the explosion and that he had
a large bag on his back. Mrs. Kline
cOrroborated her husband on this point
aud added that the bag apparently con-
tained some light material.
Miss Lena Hamm told of having car
ed for Olch efslli when he was assisted
TO her fathers house, and that he told
her he had retired at 9 O'clock that
uiGht. In the morning Mrs. Olchef-
ski brought in some of her husband S
clothing, but where she secured them
the witness could not tell. When Oh
chefski had left, later in the day, she
found that the stockings he had dis
carded We're soaked with oil and that
the bed in which he slept with his
clothes on during the early morning
was also oily and the odor of kerosene
clung 10 the bed sheet even after it
was twice washed. She also swore that
she heard Olchefsk tell Max Phillips
that there We're siXty-five sticks OF
dynamite in the cellar Of the store. An
hour after the explosion Mrs. Olchef-
ski came 10 the house where her hus-
band was and had with her bundle
containing women'S and children's S
clothing.
MUCH INDIGNATION.
On ss-eYdminatior she told that
there was much Indignation agains.
Hlchefski on the Gay following the eX-
plOsi)n and that an angry crowd OF
people, most Of them Polanders, gath
cred in front of the house and mad,
threats of violence against him. Sht
remembered having noticed a scratch
on Olchefsk's forehead while washing
his face.
Alan Michalowsky, who kept the
saloon in the Olchefsk building, swort
that he talked with Olchefski in the
saloon after 10 o'clock on the night OF
the explosion and that the latter die
not leave the saloon until rearly 4
o'clock. He also saw the kerosene
soaked bureau, saw Mrs. OlchefslSi full
~ dressed only few moments aftei
the explosion and told that he and
his family We're obliged to lice in theil
night clothes.
Il, r. Leonard was called to prove
that Olchefski had tried to purchas,