The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-11

Great difficulty is being experienced
in securing jury to try the murder
ease against Mrs. Josephine Bevilac-
qua, which was called yesterday morn
ing before Judge q. H. Halsey, of I.u-
Herne, In court room No. ,. The regu-
lar panel of sixty was exhausted at
o'clock. with only four Jurors in the
box. and adjournment was had to give
Sheriff Schadt opportunity to summon
twenty -four talesmen.
FiftN-four of the sixty Jurors for the
week were examined and of the fifty
of them rejected thirty of them were
disqualified because of conscientious
scruplcs against capital punishment: :
one was excused because of illness:
one on account of deafness: seven
were challenged peremptorily by the
Commonwealth and eight by the de-
fendant
AS each side mas twenty peremptory
challenges: and the percentage having
conscientious scruples against hanging
is not likely to lessen any great de-
gree. it Is safe to prophecy that an
other batch of talesmen will have to be
drawn before eight acceptable Jurors
are found.
THEY HAD SCRCT'LES.
Eight of the thirty possessed of con-
scientiouS scruples admitted they could
return first degree verdict if the law
and evidence warranted if the defand-
ant was a man. but under no circum-
stances could they bring themselves to
report verdict that would hang Il
woman. The -four jurors accepted are:
THOMAS W. HOFFMAN, salesman. Scranton.
THOMAS WILLIAMS, laborcr, Scranton.
'. A. SWlNGI.E. merchant. Jefferson.
JAMES FIFE, fireman, Carbonate.
1t is the first time woman has been
placed on trial for murder in Lacka-
wanna county. except III an infanticide
case. Some Of the severity of the
charge ir this case. however. is re-
moved by the fact that the husband
is charged with having purchased the
revolver for her and prompted her to
do the shooting. He is to be tried as
an accessory at the conclusion of the
wife's trial.
The killing occurred November -,
1900. at 1924 Capouse avenue. Green
Ridge. Mary Rose, the victim, and her
husband lived near the BevilacQuas.
The two families got into Il feud and
brought a number of criminal and civic
cases against each other. On the day
of the killing. Mrs. Rose went to the
home of a friend who occupied the
apartments below those in which the
ReNilacquas lived. Mrs. BevlacQla
came down stairs, a quarrel between
her and Mrs. Rose enSued, and Mrs.
Rose was left dead on the floor with
a bullet through her breast. 1t will be
alleged that the killing was done in
self-defense.
THl: ATTORNEYS.
The attorneys for the prosecutor are
Assistant District Attorney Louis
Gramer. eX-District Attorney John r.
Jones and Charles i. Daniels. The de-
PENDANTS attorneys are George s.
Horn, Cornelius Comegys and Frank
T.. Boyle.
An effort was made by the defense
to have the case continued on account
of the injury which Mr.. Horn sus-
tanned last week in runaway. The
court said it would regret to put any
hardship on Mr.. Horn. but In Justice
to the Commonwealth it could not con-
sent to Il continuance on the grounds
put forth.
Mrs. Bevilacnua is a small. frail.
Oop-shouldered woman. with pale,
thin face. and looks anything but one
who could he reused to commit a cold
blooded murder such as is charged
against her. She is very poorly
dressed. Her three -year-old babe was
cared for by her husband. who sat just
behind her among the specta tors with
in the bar enclosure. The husband is
of very swarthy. almost black COM
peXion. and his general appearance
and demeanor are of the kind not cal
cuated TO win favor with a jury.