The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-12


ma County - Ninety three Were
Examined Before a Jury Was Sc
cured-other Court Notes.
1t was not until thirty-ninc extra
jurors. or talesmen. had been drawn,
and thirty five of them examined yes
terday, that a jury was secured to
try Mrs Josephine Bevilacquc. who
was called TO trial Monday. before
Judge Halsey, for the murder of Mrs.
Mary Rose. The twelve accepted
are:
THOMAS ". HOLLAND. salesman, scranton.
THOMAS WILLIAMS. laborcr. Scranton.
" 4. SWiNGLE. merchant. Jefferson.
JAMES FIFE, fireman, carbondal".
THOMAS fLANNERN. hoclkccpcr, scranton.
JOHN DOtD. carpenter. Scranton.
JOSEPH FuELLER. machinist. scranton.
JACOB RITTER mdchinisi scranton.
:. II. NEWTON. grocer. scranton.
EDWARD WETTER. inichinist. scranton.
FRANK kLOSS. moulder. Scranton
FRANK WETTER. machinist. Scranton
Only the first four of these were
chosen from the regular panel of six
tyse-Srhe venue Of twenty four direct
ed to be drawn Monday evening, fur
n!shed seven of the eight that We're
wanting when court opened yester-
day morning. but two additional
venues. one of five and the other of
ten talesmen, had to he summoned
before the twelfth man could be Sc
cured
WHY DISQUALIFIED.
What made it so difficult to secure
jurors was the fact that they might
be called upon return u verdict tina
would hang Il woman. Out of the
nincty-ihree men examined. forty
two were disqualified by their admis-
sions that they had conscientious
scruples against capital punishment
in the case Of Il woman. Seven We're
disqualified for having fixed opinions:
fourteen We're peremptorily challenged
by the commonwealth. and eighteen
by the defendant. Two were excused
for physical disability.
1t was 80 o'clock when the last
juror was secured. The trial was at
once proceeded with. Charles +.
Daniels. of private counsel for the
prosecution. made the opening ad-
dress to the jury.
He stated that the commonwealth
believed the killing of Mrs. Rose was
on" of the most old-blooded of all
the murders that had ever occurred
in Lackawanna county. There was
absolutely no provocation. ana the
deed was deliberately. wilfully and
maliciously committed.
For weeks before the shooting, he
said. the defendant it would be
shown. had evil intent and desire to
kill Mary Rose. The two had had
uliarrelS and the court records will
show that in protection to herself
Mrs. Rose, some weeks before her
death. had Mrs. Reviiacuua arrested
for assault and battery.
THE STORY OUTLINED.
Briefly outlining the story Of the
killing as the commonwealth knew it..
Mr.. Daniels went on to say that on
the morning of Nov. % last. Mrs
Rose went for a visit to the home of
her neighhor. Mrs. Maresco. who was
eodmother to her little daughter.
The BcvilacquaS lived in the apart
m"nts above those occupied by Mrs.
Moresco. Mrs. Bevilacqua came down
she learned from 13-year-old Annie
Moresco that Mrs. Rose was in the
house.
Mrs. Rcvilacuua went in. Soon af-
terwardS the little NIoresco girl fol-
lowed Mrs. Rose was seated on the
far side of the stove in the kitchen.
Mrs. Revilacqua stood on the opposite
side of the stove Some words passed
I,xt I,.,
that the one claimed the other was
owing her. Suddenly Mrs. Bevilacuua
drew a revolver from the folds of her
dress and holding it in both hands.
fired at Mrs. Rose. The latter ran,
screaming, towards the front of the
house. and into a bed room In the
middle of this room she was found
dead, living face downward in a pool
of blood, with her feet extending to-
wards the door.
The first bullet, It would be shown.
so Mr.. Daniels avered passed
through the body and the second
through the head. After receiving the
first bullet, Mrs. Rose ran q distance
of twenty-one feet. The second bull
let. the one that went through the
head. caused instant death.
ONLY EYEWITNESS
The only eyewitness of the shoot-
Ing was the young Moresco girl. She
will testify, Mr.. Daniels said, that the
stove WAS between the two women,
all the time they We're talking.
She was called to the stand and
sworn just before adjournment, She
is an unwilling witness. it is claimed,
and the commonwealth has heen fear
ful all along that she would not be
on hand when wanted The matter
Was explained tn Judge Halsey. and
he warned the girl If she was not
on hand i'm the morning she would he
sought out by the police and sent to
jail
The only testimony adduced Nester-
day was that Of Coroner Roberts.
County surveyor Stevens and eX-
County Detective Leyshon, The coro-
ner Described the wounds. ana the
other Two identified and explained n
map of the premises made by Mr..
Stevenson with Mr.. Leyshon's aid
The coroner was positive the wound
I'm the head was inflicted after the
murdered woman reached the he'd
room The bullet entered behind the
right ear, passed through the brain
and lodged in the opposite temporal
muscles. such "A wound the coroner
sold, would paralyZe the nerve centers
and cause am immediate cessati Of
life and motion.
CHARACTER OF MOUND
The wound in the body was also ne
cessariy fatal he said. but would not
necessarily cause instant death. The