The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-29
SOLEMN Scene /
IN COURT ROOM
1t Was Nevertheless Most Pic.
turesque, and Very
Impressive.
MARKED THE OPENING
OF A MURDER TRIAL,
Was i'm Connection With Swear.
ing of Witnesses for the
Prosecution.

Picturesque, but solemn in the ex-
treme, was the scene enacted in the
criminal division of the Third district
court Wednesday afternoon, in connec-
tion with the swearing of the wit
nesses for the prosecution In the case
of the state against Treha Raecezvich,
an Austrian. III which the defendant
is charged with murder in the first de.
gree for the killing of Mike Place, also
an Austrian, at Bingham on the even.
ing Of February 10, 1909.
1t has been agreed between the at
torneys for the prosecution and de-
fense that, i'll order to impress the Aus
trian witnesses TO the greatest possible
extent with the Importance of telling
the whole truth in the trial, that they
he sworn according to the court Gus
tom of their native land
Accordingly, Bible and two can.
dies were procured. The Bible was
placed on the bench ar which Judge
Lewis presides, and a candle was placed
on either side The candles were then
lighted by the Judge, and the witnesses
stood directly in front of him with
their right hands uplifted Then Nick
Butkovich, one of the two Interpreters
in the case, administered the Austrian
oath In the Austrian tongue.
What Oath Pledges
This oath pledges the witness to tell
nothing but the truth in his testimony
both on behalf OF the defendant and
the state In the event that he vio-
lates his oath, he asks that his God
visit vengeance upon him and his fam
ily, even unto the ninth generation.
Following the taking of the Austrian
oath, the witnesses also took the oath
required in this country.
The jury which will try Raecezvich
consists of twelve men, because of the
fact that the offense charged is cap
ital one, and was sworn shortly after
sonnel of the Jury Is as follows: Or
son Brown win Rees, J. II. Armstrong,
William Allen, Lewis T. Cannon, Al
fred S. Derrick. Cyrus Neff, Alfred
w. Atwood, John GALLAGHER, John d..
Breeze, James I. ANGEL and W. NJ.
Eagan.
What Prosecution Will Attempt.
in the opening statement of District
Attorney Loofbourow, it was made
plain that the prosecution would at
there could be no excuse. Mr. Loot
borrow said that on the evening of
the killing, Mike Place, the victim. was
sitting in the kitchen of his boarding
house at Bingham talking to some
friends. While chatting, they heard
three pistol shots and they went out
to investigate. After reaching the out
side of the house, they were met by
Raecezvich and a companion. Place
then said he wanted to know who was
doing the shooting, adding that he
wanted it stopped, as it would cause
him to lose his boarding house Raecez-
vich replied, according to Mr.. Loot
bourow: 81 did the shooting and |
wall shoot you,' whereupon he fired
his revolver at Place, killing him al
most instantly. Raecezvich then threw
his hat upon the body of his victim and
strobe away.
A year later, Mr.. Loofbourow said.
RaeeeZvich was arrested at Lakeside,
where he was working. Twice since his
arrest. at was added, he had threat
ened witnesses for the prosecution that
if they testified against him he will
kill them when he regained his free
dom.
Interpreters Sworn In.
Following the opening statement Of
Mr.. Loofbourow, Nick Butkovich and
Jack Lamont were sworn as interpre.
ters. Witnesses for the prosecution
were then called and both the Austrian
and American oaths administered, af
ter which the taking of testimony be-
gan
At the hour Of adjournment only one
witness had been called. The trial will
likely last for several days.