The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-28
SERMON ON MOUNT
PART OF EVIDENCE
Interpreter Required to Trans.
late Greek Bible to Test
Qualifications.
ATTORNEY FOR DEFENDANT
OUTLINES HIS CONVENTIONS
Will Attempt to Show That
VacOS Was HOunded to
Desperation.
Special TO The Tribune.

| Special TO The Tribune
OGDEN, Jan. 27.-The translation of
| Christ's Sermon on the Mount from a
Greek Bible into English. read by John
Pitcheos on the witness stand in the dis
trict court. and the opening remarks OF
Attorney Sam King OF Salt Lake. who
is defending Nick Vacos. charged with
murder in the first degree, in which. the
plea of self defense was outlined as n
justification for the shooting OF John Con-
tos, Greek candy merchant OF this city
last April, were the features OF today's S
session.
With the examination of thirty five wit
nesses to prove that when Nick Nacos
fred the shot which ended his country
thought. either expressed or implied. and
is guilty OF murder in the first degree, the
state rested its case this morning. At
torney King then arose and outlined the
case OF the defense
Evidence for Defense,
The first witness called in the defend
ants behalf was j. r, Lemme, a local
! tailor He testified tnat Vacos came TO
his place on the day or the shooting TO
buy vest that he was In highly nerv,
Gus condition. and not being able TO find
what he wanted. threw the garment
shown him into the street and walked
Alonzo Rogers, the constable who served
the writ OF attachment on Facos at his
fruit stand which was issued on com
fendant owed him. also swore that Vacos
appeared TO be laboring under severe
nervous strain
Bible Is Translated.
At the afternoon session. John Pitcheos,
the Greek interpreter who attended the
preliminary hearing. was called TO the
witness stand. The state attempted TO
show that the witness is not familiar
enough with the English language 10 act
as an interpreter. and handed nm
Greek Bible with instructions TO translate
the Sermon on the Mount, The witness
lahored through the translation with con-
siderable difficulty. and appeared at times
to be uncertain as to mis- translation. He
testified that he is graduate of the Uni
versity OF Athens. and that this difficulty
In translation was due 10 the fact that
the Bible contained the ancient Greek
while his studies had been confined al
most exclusively to the modern Greek
language.
Attorney Outlines Defense,
From the opening remarks OF Attorney
Sam King, 1t is evident that the defense
will seek TO prove that Nacos was hound
cd by Contos, and that after the defend
ant had begged repeatedly for nttle
more time TO pay the debt which he owed,
he came 10 Contoss store late in the
evening again to talk over matters, when
Contos reached towards his hip pocket
as If TO draw a weapon Then the defend
ant shot him
To show that Contos was attempting to
crowd the defendant out OF business and
get possession Of his fruit stand himself,
the defense called Angel Corolos, who
swore that John Cosmos. a partner OF
Contos had told the witness that Contos
said he was not after the deot Nacos
owed him but was after the fruit stand.
When adjournment was taken late this
afternoon the defense announced that the
case would in all probability be concluded
by Saturday.