New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-21
THREE CONV|CTS ON TRIAL
Many Others in Court as Wit
nesSes, Also ShaCkled.
SAY THEY TRIED TO KILL
Victim Said To Be Changed for
Better by Blow He Re-
reived on Head.

| Turing tho trial Yesterday in the SUI
preme Court. White Plains. Of John Clark,
John De Lucca and Arthur Lyons, three
convlcts I'm Sing Sing prison. who are oelhs
| tried Jointly for A murderous assault on
| Herman Miller. another convict. II WAS
! brought out that the attack was due 70 the
vanity Of several prisoners and also the
| efforts 10 reform one of their number.
II was revealed that Miller, who r SER
wing twenty wears for killing a man ana
vounding another in Manhattan, was COM
nIetolv changed i'm nature by the blow he
| received on the head with hammer. winch
| Constitutes the charge against the prisoners
and an effort therefore, is TO be made 10
secure his pardon. Miller acted yesterday
as tho prosecuting witness for Lee parsons
| Davis. the District Attorney
Another interesting development was the
! fact that Clark, De Lucca and Lyons mao
received legal advice from Albert I. Pat
! rick. who was convicted Of numbering RICE.
and during the hearing the three prisoners
constantly suggested questions for their two
lawyers TO ask the witness, showing that
they had been coached before they left the
prison for the courtroom.
| Mrs. Arthur Lyon, mother Of one of the
| felons. was in the courtroom, and listened
10 the evidence which may add an additional
sentence to the one Of five years which her
vayward son is serving now for burglary.
! The court furnished a strange setting
| for the drama when the sixteen convicts,
| all heavily shlckled, shufiled into the room
under the guidance of Warden John ;. Ken
nedy, State Detective Jackson and squad
! Of guards, to testify either for or against
the defendants The convicts wore civilian
| clothes and it was noticed that their hair,
! which is not shaved closely nowadays, was
combed I'm all kinds OF styles.
| Miller declared on the witness stand that
! the attack on him had been brought about
/ BIZ a quarrel following the attempt of DE
| Lucca to have the days for shaving the
inmates Of Sing Sing changed De Lucca
desired that the shaving days should be
set for Mondays and Thursdays, instead OF
Tuesdays and Wednesdays. SO that he
would have a cleaner face on Sunday.
The witness said that De Lucca and
| Louis Antrolla, cellmate Of Miller quar-
relied, and that Antrolla seized an iron bar
while working in the brush factory and
! tried TO get at De Lucca. Miller said he
assisted tie keeper in taking the bar away
from his cellmate. following which, the
witness said, Lyons made a swing al him
with a knife.
Then ! saw Clark rushing toward me-
| Miller testified. and | heard him say, Give
| it TO him. and was knocked unconscious"
Or. Harry Merencss, Of the prison, tes-
| tilted that Miller now wears a silver plate
TO cover the hole I'm his skull and that the
only protection the brain has is a little
flesh.
! Much of the prison parance used by the
| convicts was revealed during the testimony
Of the witnesses. For instance the prison
| musician is known as the stir croaker,"
the principal keeper is called the "P. *"
Warden Kennedy is known to the inmates
! as the main screw" and the keeper is
designated as 1.-THE screw"
Joseph Kallos, who is serving time for
grand larceny. declared that after Miller
was knocked unconscious De Lucca kicked
| him In the face several times
| George Davis, a negro serving a life SEN
tence for murder, swore that Clark ran up
70 Miller and cracked him on the top Of
his head with clawhammer.
| lanes Wilson. a negro who was high
| uavman. testified he had learned that the
| friends of the three convicts on trial had
| formed conspiracy to Kill him If he took
| the witness stand against them.
II saw De Lucca and Miller olinch' the
witness said and then Clark went 10
| drawer IN the shop and, securing ham
r1er. struck Miller on the head. He fell 10
the floor. and Clark threw the hammer at
him. turned my back, because 1t was
more than 7 could stand.
! De Lucca took the stand in his own de-
fence. hut his examination was not COM
| pleted. as Judge Plat then adjourned the
trial until tomorrow. De Lucca said while
on the stand that Miller tried TO stab him
and that clark struck him With the ham,
nner To save him and restore discipline.