The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-12-16
SECOND DECREE MURDER.
Verdict Of Jury In Trial Of Assassin
Of Railroad Laborer.

The trial Of Pavel Ghizineff on a
charge of murder was commenced in
the district court Friday morning, a
jury having been secured at Thurs.
day afternoon session of court. The
jury consists of Thomas Kinread,
S. H. Flick, John McLaren, c. G.
Wallace, II. w. Hoffman, Harvey d.
Price, a. H. Fey, John Clark. John
j. Hallenberger, Henry Hicks, Abe
Crosson and Frank Bunton.
The crime of which the defendant is
accused was the killing Of Stephan
Triton, in the railroad icehouse at
Havre on or about October 30. The
two men, who were railroad laborers,
are said to have been apparently on
good terms prior to the alleged MUIR
der. and were sleeping on the sawdust
In the icehouse. The dead body
OF Triton was found there on the
morning of October 30, and it vas at
first thought that death was due to
natural causes, but upon moving the
body it was found that the deceased
had been shot through the heart.
Ghizineff was at once arrested on
suspicion and bound over to the dis
trict court.
Testimony was given at the Friday
morning session of court by Walter
Freyberg and Nick Moslek, the evil
dence being of q circumstantial nature.
The trial Of Paul Lazno, otherwise
known as Pavel Ghizineff, ended in
the conviction Of the defend ant, the
jury returning a verdict Saturday
evening in which the accused was
found guilty of murder in the second
degree. The penalty for the crime
will be fixed by the court.
The evidence against the accused
was mainly circumst antial, there be-
ing no eye witnesses to the killing of
Trifun, or ~Stamatoff, in the railroad
ice house at Havre. At the conclusion
OF testimony for the prosecution, the
defendan IN took the witness stand on
LAo " OCAol duu Cl0lluCu Tia LC
had killed Trifun in self defense.
The defend ant said he was born in
Russia about twenty years ago., tina,
he catne to the United states in 1906,
and had been in Montana only a few
months as a laborer in the employ OF
the Great Northern in the vicinity
of Havre. He claimed that Trifun
demanded of him some money know
ing that he had about S45 on his per.
son, saying that he wanted to buy a
ticket to Spokane. Defendant know
ing that Trifun had money of his own
refused it. Whereupon Trifun at.
tackled defendant with Il knife, and
made several passes at him. This
happened in the ice house at night,
there being no light there except tina,
from the street lights. Defend ant says
he then drew his pistol and shot
Trifun. Being frightened and not
knowing what was best to do, he went
outside and threw his gun away and
then went off to his sleeping room.
The jury was disposed to question
the story told by defendant, because
there was no sign Of a struggle between
the two men when the body of the dead
man was discovered. 1t is under.
stood that several ballots we're taken
before a unanimous verdict was reach.
ed by the jury, the first ballot show.
ing that five were in favor of convic.
ton of murder in the first degree, but
a compromise was finally effected.
La connection with this trial it may
be stated that a few weeks ago a letter
signed by the Black Hand vas received
by the prosecuting attorney 10 which
he was threatened with assassina alton
if he proceeded with the case agains,
Ghiziuetf. The letter, which was
apparently written by a foreigner o!
very little education, was mailed at
Brockton, in Valley county, where
a number Of section hands were EN-.
ployed, but diligent investigation has
so far failed to develop evidence tina,
will warrant the arrest OF any suspect.