Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-05-26
KARATSKY MURDER
TRIAL NOW ON
Question Of Sanity to be Decided.
Jurors to be Virtual Prisoners.

| SSSsAVA Va SOAAsy ~ UO OCNAUCO
Jurors to be Virtual Prisoners
i The trial of Abraham KaratSky
charged with murder, opened Thurs
day morning at the circuit cour,
before Judge Webb. His defence
will be that he was insane both before
committing the deed, at the time OF
the deed, and that he has been insane
since that time. d. D. Conway and
w. j. Conway appear for the defen-
dant, and District Attorney Theodore
Brazeau will conduct the prosecution
for the state.
The crime for which Karatksy is on
trial is that of numbering Mrs.
| Rebecca Finkelstein, on March q.
1t appears that Karatsky claimed to
have been deceived by Mrs. Flnkel-
STEMS husband about some land, and
that the two men were not on good
| terms, though they lived In the same
house. On the morning of the murder,
KaratSky quarreled with the woman,
and finally shot her with a revolver
which he carried, The neighborhood
was aroused over the event, and
pursued Karatsky to Grand Rapids,
1.-THE crime occurred in Saratoga where
he gave himself up. Sheriff Little
took him to the county Jail, where he
has been ever since till bis trial this
week. He is thirty three years old.
Thirty jurors were called before
panel satisfactory to the attorneys
was secured, at eleven Loclock. The
names OF those who will serve on the
jury are:
Herman HeiSer, William Britton,
Samuel Hiles, Herbert Mason,
William Jackson, Torkid Billie,
Joseph E. Peaslee, John Schiltz,
William Lessing, Harry Thomas,
John Maxwell, Thos. Henderson.
These are the twelve men upon
whom the question of Karatsky's
guilt or innocence hangs. AS this Is
the last jury case to be tried, those
jurors not called on the case were
excused from further attendance at
this term OF circuit court and they
returned to their homes. After
dismissing the jurors who were not
needed, Judge Webb complimented
those chosen on being selected as men
in whose hands could be placed the
question OF the guilt or innocence of
man charged with the terrible crime of
murder. He then instructed them as to
the liberties which they will have,
and the restrictions placed upon them
as jurors in murder trial. They
will be allowed to speak, write, or
phone to no one without the consent
OF the court, and then only in the
presence Of one of the two sheriffs
who will be with them always. They
are to remain in one body, are to eat
together, sleep together, and will be
taken out for walks together, being,
for the time OF their service, virtual
prisoners. Such precautions are taken
absolutely sure that no outside
influence shall be brought to bear
upon the men who are to decide upon
the guilt or. innocence OF a fellow
man. Joseph Rick and George Favell
are the Sheriffs who will never both be
away from the jurors at one time
during the trial.
AS to the actual mental condition
of Karatsky, opinions vary widely.
When he first gave himself up, and d.
D. Conway was appointed his counsel,
he seemed willing to place his case in
Conway's hands. But upon being
asked to sign some papers by the
attorney, he became suspicious of him
and would have nothing TODD further
with him, so that w. j. Conway was
called in to assist his brother in the
case.
The line Of defense being that of
the burden of the proof is
thrown upon the defense, and to this
end all the witnesses that were
sworn up till noon today, Friday, were
for the defense, and tending to show
that KaratSky not only was insane
when the deed was committed, but
before and since.
During this afternoon, and part Of
tomorrow, Saturday, expert testimony
will be introduced to ascertain the
actual condition OF the mans mind.
These witnesses will be all
physicians.
Meanwhile the jury on the case are
being kept together and are not
allowed to leave one another except
ID the company Of a sheriff. Beds
nave been set up in the court house,
n the room usually used for the
deliberations of the juries, and here
It is that these virtual prisoners sleep.
They are taken to their meals at the
Commercial House and out for walks
evenings.
1t is hoped by the attorneys that
jhe trial may be ended this week, but
ibis is, Of course, uncertain. In order
10 reach the end Of the case, a night
session Of the court may be necessary.
And meanwhile, the man whose future
hangs on the decision reached by the
ury on the evidence presented,
remains a puzzle. His whole case
rests on the answer to the query, was
ne sane, or not, at the time OF COM
hitting the crime? That question