The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-13


His Dangerous Position-Attor-
neys' Addresses to the Jury Today.
simon Nerushas, who Is OH trial for
the Killing OF John Miskus at the lat.
ters house In Lloyd street, this city,
on March 1S. 1896, was on the stand
yesterday. and denied most emphati-
cally that he committed the murder.
He was boarding with Mr.. ana Mrs.
Andrew Miller at that time, and went
to bed soon after 3 o'clock on the
night in question. He did not get up
until the following morning.
| CHARLES Miller, q brother of the pros
ecutor. who was called in rebuttal by
the commonwealth, admitted that he
had endeavored to get Nerushas' at
torneys to throw up the case and de-
sert him. All the testimony is now
in. and this morning Attorney w. n.
Lewis will address the jury for the
defense, and Assistant District Attor-
ney Thomas for the commonwealth.
| The case has developed the fact that
either plot has been Matched to send
Nerushas TO the gallows, or he and
| his witnesses are doing some mon
! strously magnificent swearing. Their,
| is no middle ground where the wit
| nesses for the commonwealth and de-
Tense can meet. Their stories are dia.
mctrically opposed one to the other.
James White was the first witness
called at yesterday mornings session.
White was lOdger in the Miskus
home. and stated that he went to bed
about o'clock and heard no noise
or scuitle during the night. He was
awakened at 8 in the morning, when
he heard some one walk past his bed
room door.
A BROTHERS TESTIMONY.
Anthony Miller. brother of the
prosecutor testified that at the tim.
Of the murder both Nerushas and Le-
zofsky boarded with him. About
o'clock on the night of the killing
Nerushas came to the house and asked
for some supper, after which he went
ont, returning at II, and Immediately.
retiring. Witness said that he saw
1-ezofsky about Z o'clock Of that even.
ing. and that he was very drunk. Wit
hess at one time charged Andrew
Gordon with perjury as to the matters
he had testified to in this case. Cor
don replied that he knew his testi-
mony was false. but that he had en-
deavOred to help out Millers brother,
the prosecutor.
Mrs. Anthony Miller corroboratad
her husband.
John Van Bergen, jr., a deputy clerk
in the county commissioners office,
saw the body of N1isl,ls as it lay in
the snow under the culvert about 6:15
o'clock on the morning of March IS.
He said that he was the first man
who went up to the body. as there
We're no other tracks than those made
by witness within thirty feet of it,
He described the conditions. the posi-
tion of the body and the culvert, the
apparent purpose being to show by the
witness that MiskuS was either
thrown from the tracks or fell through
the culvert.
John Rurtush. who lived on Lloyd
street with Andrew Miller. the prose-
cntor, in the spring OF 1885, testified
that he was at Anthony Miller's house
on the evening of March Eth. to see
Nerushas. He found the defendant
there. and when he left the defend
ant was in bed. Joseph ONanovitch
lived in the A1skus house. He was not
we'll on the night of the alleged
trouble, and unable to sleep. He
heard no noise of any kind in the
house except about Q to 3 o'clock in
the morning, when he heard some one
walking up the stairs.
ASSAILING GORDON.
Dominck Strgus testified to a con.
versation with Andrew Gordon in Sep
tember last, when Gordon told him
that he did not see Norushas kill Mis-
kus.
Joseph Majilinski said that Gordon
told him that for $50 he could get
Nerushas out of Jail, as he WAS not
guilty. This conversation took plac,
at q store on Lloyd street soon after
the arrest, He also had a conversa-
ton with Lezofskv the day after the
body was found, when Lezofsky said
that Nerushas WAS not guilty, but
that he had to swear in favor of the |
MillerS, who were against the defend |
amt.
Anna OvanoVtch testified that |
about three months ago Andrew Cor
don came to her house (the Nliskus
hnuse) and inquired il that was tn, |
place where Miskus was said to have |
been killed. He wanted TO know the |
location OF the front door leading |
into the ro":lon uCCupicd by The de- |
ceased. aud othe, details rs to the |
SURROUNDINGS.
Simon Nnru.hls. the lernnlan:,
then took the stand. He told OF his |
coming to this country, oe the differ
ent places where he worked, finally
came to Scranton in 1883, where he |
followed the different occupations in |
brick yards, etc, but principally work.
ing in mines until 1895, when he began
selling beer for John c. Rhodes and
Casey & Kelly. Just before his arrest