West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-09-24
HAN KILLED
Over at Austen Last Thursday Might
freubie Between The Italians and
The Austrians.

Reported Specially For The Argus
The Italians and Austrians EMPLOYED q,
the Austen coal works started a rough
house Thursday night Of last week and as
q result. there Is one more Italian In the
Happy Hunting Grounds.
He was shot through the breast with
~ cal. revolver and lived about four hours.
On Friday morning the Supt. telephoned
Prosecuting Attorney Fortney to send the
Sheriff over at once a. man had been
killed the night before. so he sent constable
Fawcett. as the Sheriff was away. A little
later the coroner. A. Staiey Shaw phoned
from Terra Alta. that he was going down
| TO hold an inquest and asked Mr. Fortney
to come over and help him. When Mr..
Fortney and the writer got TO Austen at
noon. the case was pretty badly scattered.
The coroner had summoned jury and
was ready to hold the inquest. while the
constable had gone to Newburg with the
prisoner and witnesses. As an arrest had
been made there was no need OF an INQUEST
so that was dropped from the program.
An engine and fat car was secured and
the Prosecuting Attorney went to Newburg.
| loaded on the prisoner. witnesses. court
and all and brought them back to the
scene Of action.
store box was secured. and his Honor.
Squire ID. Cool. called the court 10 order
and arraisned the prisoner. Paul ScorIe.
II took two Interpreters. one for the Italian
and one Tor the Austrian language to ex.
anime the witnesses. The evidence was
very conflicting but as near as could be
learned there has been bad blood between
some Italians and Austrians who have been
herded in the same shanty. for some time
Thursday evening about ? o'clock a row
started and the murdered man Nick Nesci
was shot. No one could be found who saw
the shooting although dozen or more men
were In the building at the time. The shot
was fred from inside through a window
| and struck Nesci who was apparently lust
| outside the glass. II Is said that before bs
died. he told his friends that Scoric had
shot him. On this evidence the prisoner
was sent TO jail to await the action OF the
grand jury. The Austrians claim that q
man named Pete Mondisch did the shoot.
Ing and escaped. going to Unlonlown.
The inside OF the window was spattered
with blood and there was blood on the
floor and door SILL and this would iudl-
cate that the shooting may have occurred
inside the house. The foreigners arc
herded together, IS or 40 TO a shanty
and live like hogs. while the houses
inside and out. are so filthy that it
is almost impossible to imagine IL possible
tor human beings to exist In them.
1t Is reported that there are more than q
dozen places In Austen all kept by for
iegners. where beer and whiskey are sold
openly to all who want 10 buy. On Friday
the way train unloaded ~ eigh, gallon kegs
OF beer there. all for these speakeasies and
We were told that this was only an average
day at that Any one desiring to make a
tour through the valley with view OF
getting some glimpses of European life,
should call on Col. Fortney. first and get
his prescription. otherwise the trip may
| not prove pleasant one.