The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-03-29
RELATIVES STORY
T|GHTENS WEB
ABOUT B|ALK
FATHER. sTEP-MoTHER AND Sis,
TER TESTIFY AGAINST MURDER
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CASE
Is NEARLY FINISHED.

With his father. step-mother and
sister witnesses against him Frank
Bialk, charged with the murder OF
aged Mrs. Frances Richard.Sikora.
stands practically alone I'm the fight
he is making for his liberty in Judge
Phelan's court. The father. August
Bialk; the step-mother Ars. Mary
Bialk. and the sister, Miss Mary Bialk.
all took the stand for the prosecution.
Saturday morning and gave testimony
that materially strengthened the peO-
peoples case. All three gave their
statements without hesitation. and the
sister even gave way To laughter Mt
one point In her examination. when. In
fixing the time she rea he'd home the
night of the old womans murder she
recalled that IL was O'Clock because
her father scolded her for staying out
SO late.
The web of circumstantial evidence
Is fast tightening about the defendant,
and the prosecution is building up n
case that will require testimony of
the strongest character To controvert
Fourteen witnesses were examined
Saturday morning, and as they step
ped down, one after another. leaving
behind them In the record. statements
mistaken by the cross-examination OF
Bialks counsel the meshes in the WEB
grew smaller and smaller.
Great importance attaches to the
scratches Bialk had on his face at the
time OF his arrest. which the prosecu-
ton Is trying to connect with the
broken finger nails OF the aged muir
der victim. None OF the members or
the Bialk family saw scratches on his
face Saturday evening. but the father
and the sister told OF seeing them the
next morning Mrs. Blalk says she
did not take particular notice ana
could not testify on this point
To account for these scratches.
Bialk told various stories. To his
sister he said he received them in 4
fight on Hancock-aye., Saturday even
ing. He told Stephen Slotowski that
he received them In fight on St.
Aubinave. the same night. Yet wit
nesses who saw him as late as il
O'Clock, Saturday night, swear positive
ly that he had no scratches on his
face up TO that time.
The father. August Bialk, testified
that Frank came home on the Satur-
day Court adjourned at noon until
/ o'clock, sun time The next morning
he found Frank sleeping Oh a couch
in the sitting room with some OF his
clothes on, and saw scratches on his
face. He did not ask how they came
there.
Mrs Bialk corroborated her hus-
band in that Frank came home some
time after midnight. but was unable
to fix the hour definitely.
While the prosecutions theory ~
that Bialk returned TO the old woman's
house. after he and his friend. Deering.
had departed at 1880, for the pur-
pose of abusing her. II is also attempt
y ing to show that Bialk robbed her. To
this end Herbert We'll. treasurer Of
| the San Telmo Cigar Co, by which
Mrs. Sikora was employed, testified %
paying the woman 1914 on the night
| OF Saturday. Feb 20, few hours be
fore she was murdered. giving her two
one-dollar bills, n half dollar, two
. dimes and four pennies. When Mrs
. Sikora appeared in the butcher shop
Mt No. 525 Alexandrine-ave. east. later
| In the evening. she paid for her pur-
. chases out OF a 81 bill and Anthony
Iovic, an employe. saw two more bills
in her purse, though. on the stand. he
was unable TO give their denomination.
Joseph I.azarowicz testified that when
he and Bialk went into Bolan's saloon
nm Superior.st.. Sunday morning, u
get a drink, Bialk paid for the drink
out OF 81 bill and when he bought
a second time again offered a 81 Dill
In payment.
The prosecutions case is nearly all
in and the defense will probably begin
calling its witnesses sometime Mon.
day. Count adjourned at noon until
Monday morning.