The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-24
ON TRIAL FOR MURDER
Skohanc Must Answer for Kill
ing Joe Zagar.
BEFORE JUDGE CLANCY
The Killing Occurred During thu Cele-
bration of Christmas by Austrians.
Testimony Showed Him at
Least an Accessory.

| who participated in the Christmas night
| fight in Peter Spehars saloon and dance
hall at Watson avenue and Galena
| street, which resulted in the killing of
| one Joe Zagar. was on trial for murder
| before a jury in Judge Clancy's court
! yesterday. The Austrians were cele-
| bratlng Christmas with dance and a
drunk, and according to the alleged
custom in the old country, the celebra-
ton was not considered complete un
less man was killed. SO Skofanc,
Joe Toni and Charles Smoltz consid-
cred the proposition of sticking knife
into some one. or putting an end to him
in some way. Smoltz turned out the
lights Skoflanc struck Zagar over the
head with some weapon and Toni stuck
a knife into him, and then it was all
over with Zagar, and the celebration
of Christmas was complete. Toni made
| his escape and has never been cap
tured. Skohanc also tried to get away,
but was caught near Silver Bow as he
was making as good time as possible
to get out of the coantry. That was
the substance of the states evidence
at the trial yesterday. The testimony
showed that Skoflanc was an Access
sorry to the murder If he did not ac-
tually strike the blow that killed Ia
gar. The state was represented by
County Attorney Connolly and his chief
deputy, Captain Stivers, and John N.
Kirk. Rice and L. NJ Hall appeared
for the defendant The states wit
nesses We're mostly Austrians and evil
IDENTIFY friends of Skohanc, for they
proved very unwilling. Few of them
knew their own names. They made
some sounds to represent names, but
could not spell them.
Antoine Arka was the first, witness.
and said that he was in the saloon and
dance hall and saw Skofanc there
short while before the trouble started.
Some one turned off the light in the
dance hall and then the fight began.
After it was over he saw Zagar with
over his heart. Whele the fight was
on some one threw a bottle and it
nearly hit Mrs. Spehar, "a lady" who
! was tending bar for her husband.
The next witness did not know his
name, but he gave expression to, some
thing that sounded like John Lockner,
and as he could not spell it, the court
told the stenographer to put it down
as it sounded. He said he saw Grip
pie fall in the saloon and then the fight
started. Toni and Skotianc were near
Zagar at the time. He saw Toni take
something out of his pocket and strike
at the door with it, but he could not say
that he struck Zagar.
Another witness who could not give
diagram to his name, but which was
put down as Mat Starracher, said he
saw Toni pull something out of his
pocket and Smotz then turned the
lights out and the climax of the Christ
mas celebration had been reached.
Fank Bayuk, the next witness, testi-
fed that he was at the saloon and saw
the trouble, but did not know what
startetd it. There were number of
women present; some Of them were sin
gle and others married. and some wore
low necked dresses. Mr.. Connolly tried
to learn the names of some of the wo-
men. but Bayuk declared that he knew
none of them. Joe Toni Skoflanc and
Charles Smoltz talked about fighting,
and then Smoltz put out the lights and
the fight began. They had been talk
ing about fighting for some time and
said they We're going to kill somebody.
Joe Homi and Frank Skofianc talked
about killing. Joe Barto. cripple,
was also with the gang who were talk
ing about fighting and killing. That
was 10 or is minutes before Joe Zagar
was stabbed AS soon as Smoltz put
out the lights Skofanc hit zagar over
the head with something and the wit
ness got out of the dance hall back
door. A number Of other people ran
out.
why did they run?" asked Mr.. Con-
molly.
Il don't know; I was pretty busy
myself.
After the fight was over Bayuk re-
sitting in a chair. He had a bruise
over the eye. Skoflanc was in the sa-
loon, too. but Toni had disappeared.
Captain Dawson of the police force
testified that he had been called to
spehar's saloon with Sergeant Leyden
after the killing and they learned that
one of the alleged murderers, who they
supposed was Toni, had started west
over the B., A. & P. tracks. The officers
took the train for Silver Bow and then
walked back over the track and met
Skofanc, whom they took for Toni. as
they had never seen either before. The
man was addressed as Toni, and he
said that was not his name, and that
his own name was Mike Gregovch. The
officer again asked him if he was not
Joe Toni and worked in the Mountain
Con mine, and he said he was. He was
then handcuffed and the captain told
him that was a had job he did in kill
ing Zagar, and Skoflanc admitted that
he had been in the fight and said there
were too many men in the country, and
that all had to die some time. He also
remarked. that he had been an officer
IN Ine Ola country ana HdQ put Drdce-
let's on many men in his time. He told
the officers that he was getting out of
town.
Police Sergeant Leyden testified that
he saw Zagar at the saloon after the
cutting and made inquiries about who
did it. With Captain Dawson the wit
ness took a train for Silver Bow and
then walked back on the B., A. & P.
track and met Skotianc. The sergeant
addressed him as Joe Toni and placed
him under arrest. He was told that he
had killed Zagar and skofianc replied:
Pretty soon you die. pretty soon I
die, pretty soon we all dead. Too many
men in country-one hundred men to
one job
Skofianc, at first said his name was
Gre gnNich but later said his mama WAS