The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-24
K | | | | n 6 OF
CONTOS IS
RET OLD
WITNESSES WHO HEARD NICK
VACOS MAKE THREATS.
Young Man Tells Of the Slayer Of
Contoe Declaring am Get
Him"

on the stand In the Nick Vacos muir
der trial this morning He said he
saw Vacos at about 4 o'clock on Sat
urday afternoon at the Buffet saloon
and asked him why he was not at hiS
store, and Vacos said ne was going
there then, They went there togeth-
er and found the constable with some
papers he Ind come TO servo for Con
tos on Vacos. The defendant read
them over and said the attachment
was for twenty or thirty dollars moro
than he owed. the attachment being
for s216, and he owed only 1So Vacos
telephoned Fred J. Klesel. from whom
he had bought somo oranges and Mr.,
IHesel advised him to see a lawyer.
and the three of thom went to sec
Attorney George Mccormick with
whom they talked for one-half hour.
Nacos then told the witness that he
was going to sue Contos for $4,000
damages for false attachment. He
said he was going to kill Contos af.
ter the hearing on Monday. II the
place was taken away from him and
Contos didn't let him go back to his
place to work
Vacos then left Criston. saying he
was going to the Falstaff saloon to
ocllect n bill Witness didn't see him
any more.
Mr. Criston later saw Contos and
told him Vacos felt bad about the at.
taohment and had said that Contos
was trying to collect too much money.
Witness then went away and did
not return until few minutes after
the shooting
c. f, L0yne said a man handed him
the bullet that had been picked up
after the shooting, and he had kept
1t until the preliminary trial, whom
he turned 1t over to the court The
bullet was produced and witness iden-
titled IL as we'll as the man who gave
It TO him
Angeles CorolaS said he had known
both Vacos and Contos for about fif-
teen months before the tragedy and
up until about two weeks before Con-
tos was killed. had been In his EN-.
ploy for six months He saw Yacos
outside near Contos' store. Contos
came out and Vacos asked him to
give him a chance. but Contos refused
saying:
No. | want my money"
Vacos then told him he could put
some one in charge and take the mon
ey every night until he was paid :.
Contos again refusing.
Witness said defendant pleaded with
deceased for some time, the converaa-
tion Of the two being partly In Eng.
lish and partly in Greek. Contos
then went away to a coffee house,
and. as witness and defendant walked
down the street Vacos said, "Ill see
him tContos) Monday. If he don't give
my store back. I've only got a dol
lar" and. taking 1t from his pocket
threw 1t In the street The witness
picked IL up and when he returned
Vacos had gone. and he didn't see de-
fendant or Contos any more that day
Herman Kertz of Salt Lake said
that he and F. J. Van Ness were In
the Elephant saloon and Nick Vacos.
who was also With a friend, asked
them to have drink and during a
conversation between himself and
VacoS he asked defendant what was
The trouble down there, and Vacos
said Contos had lote of money and had
closed him out. But I'll show him;
he'll not close out any body else"
He said he told Vacos there was
no use having law suit with a man
like Contos. he had too much money
Paul Smith boy OF seventeen
years. said that on the night of April
third, 1909. as he and George Hamil-
ton were crossing the street on Twen-
ty-fifth and Lincoln they passed
Vacos and two other men. and he
heard Vscos say. I'll get him to-
night" They stopped and listened
but heard nothing further. He said
defendant seemed excited and in a
hurry. They followed Vacos up to
Twentyfifth and Grant and then went
home
F. j. Van Ness testimony was
practically the same as that given by
Herman Kertz, with the exception
that he did not remember Vacos hav.
ing q friend with him at the Ele.
plant saloon. but thought he was
alone when he and Kertz Joined him
George HamIlton's evidence was
about the same as that Of Paul Smith.
except that he saw defendants lips
when he made the remark, "I'll get
him tonight" He also saw some one
give Nacos a suit OF clothes.
John Trokos was the first witness
this afternoon, Not being able to
speak or understand the English lang
uage, Arthur Mitchell was called up
on to act as interpreter. Trakos said
he was In Contos' store on the night
OF the shooting. at about II o'clock
He said Contos was standing behind
the soda water counter, which was
near the door. and Mr., Boukas was
standing on the outside of the coun-
ter when he came in. In about ten
or fifteen minutes Vacos came in
from the TweDty-ffth street entrance
and he and Boukas went over TO the
stove and sat down. Witness said
deceased wore an apron. vest white
shirt and had his hat and coat Off
Witness pointed out on the map of
the place, which was earlier In the
case admitted as being a correct
plan. the position OF the stove and
the articles OF furniture