Amador ledger., 1910-12-02
THE DELUCCHI
ASSAULT CASE
Jurors Drawn, and Trial
Is Progressing
Rapidly

The trial OF John Delucchi charged
with assault with a deadly weapon
with intent to murder Manuel Topaz
in Amador City on the Goth of August
last, was commenced IN the superior
court on Monday last The district at
tornev represented the prosecution,
and Joseph Prick of Oakland appeared
as counsel for the defendant. w.
Duden of Sacramento was the official
reporter.
1t was In the afternoon of Tuesday
that the jury of twelve was compelled,
the entire panel of 40 names being ex-
hausted with the exception of two or
three names before the full list of
jurymen, acceptable to both sides, was
secured. The number of peremptory
challenges was exhausted by both pro-
secution and defendants. The jurymen
sworn to try the case was as follows
George Murphy, F. B. Joyce, w. H.
Prouty, Jerome Guisto, E. Merkel,
Ben lsaacs, j. H. Heffren, H. Toop,
s. W. Jones, T. LENA, Peter Labo-
die, VIM. j. Nettle, jr.
The jurors were subjected to as
keen and searching an examination
touching their qualifications by the at
torney for the defense as was even
witnessed in the courts of Amador
county.
The first witness was Manuel Lopez,
the complainant. He testified that of
on the 10Th of August last, in going
toward the store of Chichizola he met
the defendant near the corner of the
Amador hotel; both were on the side
walk. Defendant talked first and said,
you =, you no give me $40 for
job. Defendant punched him back
with his fist, and he slapped him on
the face and knocked him down. j.
M. Coffman came out of the hotel, and
kicked him on the left side. There
after defendant and Coffman went into
the hotel. Witness went across the
street toward the livery stable, and
went he got 40 feet or so from the
hotel, some one called out Look
out, the man has got pistol" He
turned round, and defendant drew a
pistol, calling him bad name, and
saying, 81 Gght you now" lie
caught hold of the pistol with both
hands, and struggled for twenty
minutes before he could take it away
from him. The hammer came down
on his finger during this struggle, the
mark caused thereby could be seen at
present time. Defendant was striking
him IN the face with one hand, and
also trying to bite him while the trissle
was in progress. He bit him over the
chin. After taking the pistol away
he turned partly round and handed it,
with the butt end. to bystander.
In cross examination he said he was
now living in jamestown, before that
he worked at Campo Seco; before that
he was in Amador City for six months.
He was miner; worked at the
Original Amador mine Is days, under
Delucchi, defendant, who was shift
boss. He left on the 9th of August,
and was laid off on the 29th, the day
of the trouble. The fight with De-
lucchi took place between and 5
o'clock in the afternoon. The pistol
was 35 caliber 6 shooter, single &C
ton. 1t w as loaded with cartridges
at the time. Defendant in scuffie, said
Leave me have my pistol, / want to
kill you, and repeated it about rs
times. Witness said nothing, but was
working to get the weapon. After the
pistol was taken from him, defendant
picked up a rock. Coffman took a
pistol out of his own pocket at this
time and said, "Do you see that?'
Witness took the rock away from de-
PENDANT also. Never had any trouble
with defendant before, never inquired
for him at the hotel on that day; did
not look for him at the mine; did not
indulge IN threats to any one concern
ing HIM. Did not offer to fix it for
$500.
He said the reason he quit work was
that two DAYS before the 9th he laid
off for two shifts, on the morning of
the 29th he told Delucchi that he
would be at work that night. De-
lucchi told him he had another man in
his place. Still he showed up for
work that night, and was sent to work
in the 800 level, on that occasion was
called bad names by defendant and
quit finally. Never was friendly with
Deueehi and felt mad toward him at