Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-21


throwing much light upon the methods Of
the Nukas and the Proprcnokns factions.
The latter are apparently the stronger
fnction of the two, and Mt William Penn
and also at Mnersville have well organ
ICED societies. through which they pro-
tect one another when In trouble. BY a
! system OF regular dues fund is created,
used in hiring the services of lawyers
! when they are run down by officers or IN
| assisting the escape Of the accused.
! They have no regard whatever for law
and order. Sunday Is the day for ca
! rousnls and drinking. and the speak
I pnsy" hourishes among them. The man
who conducts the "spenk easy" can al
Nays he sure Of having scores Of Witness
cs to swear he has not violated the law.
! Few 80 unnrmed. but the revolver Is not
their fuvorite weapon. A knife of pecul-
lar shape. with n blade about eight inch
, cs long and handle which well fits the
hand and which has stout spring hold
Ing the blade open. Is the weapon which
few nre without, and 1t Is used upon the
slightest proyocaiion.
Sunday Is always day OF jollifcation
and day OF christcnings or wedding eel
ebrations, with plenty Of beer and other
drinks, and the Sunday that does not wit
ness n cutting nffray at such functions
Is indeed q rarity In Schuylkill county.
1t Is this class that furnishes 90 per
cent Of the business for the criminal
courts In the mining regions, and nearly
nll such business Is scheduled under the
head OF assaults with intent to kill. The
participants In these orgies cannot talk
English aud require Interpreters, and this
tedious method Is wcarisomc to the courts
and greatly hampers the speedy DISPOSE
tion Of criminal cases.
Such, In brief, Is the element which to-
day works the anthracite coal mines Of
the keystone Stn,c. People have watch
ed with foroboding the great increase In
murdcrous assaults and the frequency
with which murder was reported, but not
until Joseph Butkofska, n duiet Young
foreigner, who had been married less
than year, was foully murdered on Sun
dny evening, Sept, "a. did the people OF
the coal regions know that two murder
Gus factions had taken root among them
maintaining organizations for violence.
Rutkofska lived In II modest little home
mud worked daily In the mines. He was
n Iukas. Four weeks before the date OF
his murder wedding party met Mt his
home. There was beer. OF course, and
drunken men ns result, Among those
at the party were ROLLS aud Matt Bub
mis-. They are 'Proprcnokas. A disput.
arose between the Bubnis brothers and
ltutkofska. resulting In u fight The day
following Rutkofskn had ROLLS Bubnis
arrested, charged with malicious mis-
chief. The justice, however, dismissed
the case.
Bubnis determined on revenge When
/ Ia oil tui In
seph Peters that he would kill Rutkof.
ska. He kept his word. Bubnis and
probably d score OF others OF the Propre
nokas faction entered into n conspiracy
to do away with Rutkofska.
On the Sunday OF the murder they pa
:aded up and down the streets OF VII
liam Penn. making dire threats upon the
XuLns. The leader OF the gang was
Andrew Coras. The Zukas leader In
William Penn was Frank Wylouns. Al
Corns and his fellow Proprcnokas march
I'd ip and down they yelled as they pass
I'd the house OF Wylouas "Comc ont. Xu
kas king, till we make sausage of your r
Az evening came the frequent visit,
|, made to tho saloons had thoroughly in
! ilamcd the brains Of the crowd Shot.
were fired to terrorigc the people, stonei
were thrown. ROLLS Bubnis carried NJ
nx: others OF his party had clubs, Short
: ly after z o'clock Rutkofska came out o
his home and stood nt the front gate
His sworn enemies soon discovered hiu
|. ami marched 10 where he stood
Moving close 10 the gate, one OF tn,
: crowd engaged him In conversation, whll,
u ROLLS Ruhnis quietly raised his ax anS
0 brought IL down upon the uasuspcctinI
RutkOrska's head. crushing his skull an,
= scattering his brains over the board wall
. In the yard.
$ Then tho crowd quietly dispersed
= There was no running away or huntinI
+ places OF safety Tho entire crowd o
g proprenokss ndhercnts walked up tn
o street, while dying Rutkofska was car
= ricd Into the house.
= The murder was well planned, aud o
g the nine men who stood at the gate Will
e the fatal blow was struck NIL acted thei
i parts well. They had entered into a con
Q spiracy to murder. Their purpose wa
l. accomplished, and they were satisfe
I there was one less Zukns to interfer
r with them. Eleven men were arrested
h Nine have been tried. Two-Ioe Skutcha
und Adam Romanaiils-provcd alibis an
u were discharged. Seven othcrs-Micha,
Y, Brososky, aged "a years, married: Al
o thony Machulas, aged 30 years. singl,
n Joseph Sachnski, aged ~ years, singl,
" Address Coress, aged ~ years, singl,
~ Peter Stcnkowicz, aged 2l years. single
T. Anthony Stenkowicz, aged 80 years, sit
'e gle, and julius Stcnkowicz. aged 2
ir years, sinyle--were one week ago foun
- Of, rla, t,,s N..., n