The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-08-31
HELD FOR
PERJURY.
The Death of Alfred Owens Recalled by
an Arrest.
A MINER UNDER CRAVE CHARGES.
1t is Alleged that owens Was Killed by a
FAN of Rock, and Not by the Kick
of a Mule-The Miner Held
For Trial

VI a nc MAheI hHlQ
For Trial
One of the most remarkable cases in the
history Of the Anthracite region has been
placed upon the record by the development of
the sequel to a fatal accident that occurred at
Packer colliery No. 3, operated by the Lehigh
Valley Coal Company, during the early part
Of this month
The case involves a multiplicity Of circum-
stances of a serious character, the chief one
of which assumes the character of perjury
for which one man is behind the bars at the
lookup. 1t is not unlikely that it will be
followed by a re-opening of Coroner's in
quest, the arrsignment Of mine officials. and
possibly suit for damages against the com
pany operating the mine. If the facts thus
far presented are subsautiated by the evi-
dence promised, this sill be the result
On August 5th, last young married man
named Alfred Owens, employed as a driver
at Packer No 3 colliery, was found dead in
the gangway of the mine. His neck WAS
broken. Owens was employed as a driver
The conclusion reached by the Coroner's jury
WAS that the victim met his death by either
being kicked by the mule, or thrown from
the animals back. The verdict WAS rendered
on the 7th inst, the victim was buried and
the case passed from memory as one OF the
accidental deaths, until few days ago, when
parties interested in the widow and her three
| children heard grave rumors. which led to
an investigation.
Inquiry led to the discovery that one
Joseph Kazakiewicz told saloonkeeper that
Owens was not killed by a mule, but by
fall Of rock and coal. School Director John
I. Lee, the foster father of the widow, took
up the rumor and, with Mine Inspector
William Stein and Constable Thomas Bolin
ran it down to its source The saloonkeeper
repeated the story told him and at about
three o'clock yesterday morning Constable
Bolin took Kazakiewicz into custody at his
boarding house, upon his return from work
The prisoner concluded TO tell the whole
truth in connection with Ovens death and
the following statement, sworn to by Kaza-
kiewicz before Justice Shoemaker, was the
result:
Joseph Kazakiewicz, being duly sworn.
says that one Alfred Owens, of Sbepapdoah,
was killed by fall of coal and rock at
Packer No. 3 colliery Of the Lehigh Valley
Coal Company. This deponent now declares
that before the COrOher's inquest held
August q 1893, on the body of the said de-
I
township, miner in the mines where the
deceased was killed, corruptly and falsely
swore, and also solicited and advised his
| labOrers, the depOnent and Charles Barowsko
alias Charles Boro, to falsely swear that the
| deceased met his death by a kick from a
mule, and carried his body $50 to 200 yards
from the place where he was actually killed,
| to give credence to their statement"
Upon this information warrant was
sworn out before Justice Shoemaker by
Deputy Coroner Cardin for the arrest of
Juls on a charge of perjury.
From three o'clock yesterday morning un-
til after three o'clock yesterday afternoon,
Constable Bolin kept up continuous hunt
for Julis, occasionally assisted by Policeman
Uraitis. Julis was finally located and
arrested by Bolin in a West Centre street
saloon. He was placed in the lookup to
await hearing to-day.
The story as told by Kazakiewicz, and not
shown by the information upon which the
warrant was issued. is this: Julis, whose
right name is said to be Mike Yurkois, was a
miner with the two laborers mentioned in
the information as his labOrers fall OF
rock and coal in the gangway killed Owens
the driver. The body was removed from be-
meath the fall after which Julis ordered the
laborers to 90 back to the car and load it
When the car was half loaded Julis called tbs
laborers out and got them to carry the body
to the point on the gangway where it wa:
} found. Julis, it is alleged, warned the two
laborers to do as he told them, under penalty
, of losing their jobs. After the body wa.
placed in the gangway Julis lit the lamp o.
the victim and placed it with the cap neal
the body. Julis then went TO the bottom o.
the slope and told the men there that b,
found the body of the driver on the gang
way.
At the Coroner's inquest Julis testified t
the finding of the body and acted as inter
prefer for the two laborers The stories wer,
! presented by Julis in such a straightforward
and convincing manner that the jury
promptly rendered verdict to the effec
that Owens was killed by his mule.
According to the police authorities Juli
has bad record, and some of his country
men say his record on the other side of tn,
Atlantic is also bad. He is a single man o
thirty years and dresses we'll. At the tim
Owens was killed Julis lived at Brownsville
He now lives in the quarter of this tow
known as Klondike.
The part of the case not yet explained /
the assumption of responsibility for Owens
death by Julis and the alleged plot of per
jury The man who swears against JUL
says that the miner wanted to timber tn
place, but the mine boss would not furnisl
him with the material The assumption q
responsibility and the commission and sui
ornation of perjury would indicate tina
this story is not true, but that Julis knew. o
: should have known, that the place needle
timbering, but he neglected to have
= attended to, and he felt that his neglgenc
: had caused the drivers death. Howeve
+ this may be- this is one of the main point
upon which the application for a re-openin
of the inquest will be based. the aim being I
fix the responsibility for failing to timber tn
place.
This morning Julis was arTaigned befoI