The Alaska citizen., 1917-04-23
FREED
 OF CHARGE OF
 KILLING BONITA

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 Stefan Tramna. the young soldier defendant ill ta. mos, sensational case tried a. tun Fairbanks session oi ,he pra-en. ,u.m %. ,vtrt. .- nov a free mar H.. walked out of the federal jail gc-tordar mmn= short Fly after n o'clock. freed by the hand of the Iaw ta. jury which sat on his case bauu- returned yer diet ol pol guilty immediately after court convened rr.mba had been indicted for first degree murder. tn. charge bolna that ho stabbed Er- nest Bonta a fellow soldier, to death in front of tho Northern saloon at Panama on the u4bt. 0. March IT. The jury WAS out for seventeen hours before roacbu4 verdict he con tents of which meant that twelve men believed Trcuba's story that he had killed Bonta in self defense.
 The finding ot verdict came as a surprise to the court officials and to everyone .amtltaI v.h rho pro ccodines in the Tromba case, for the reason that rbe jUl> had been out so long that i' Was supposed to have disagreed. With this suppo- sition in mind the count had called the jury bailifIs to his chambers shortly before court convened, in stucung them to take the jurors to their rooms at the Nordale ho- tel, where they woald be permitted to get a few hours sleep before re. suming their deliberations. The sur prise was therefore complete when c. A. Dam the foreman or the jury answered that an agreement had been reached in response to the usual Interrogation of the judge
 After the clerk of court read the verdict District Attorney R. F Roth requested the court to order a poll of the jury. It was ordered as re- quested. and as his name Was called each juror was required to rise to his feet and answer the question "Is this your yerdict2" all answering in the affirmative. The jusy was composed Of the following named men: Austin Gibbs, w. D. Wheeler W. Il. Joslin, Frank Hopkins, r l A. NerIand. Dave Le,ake, Arthur i G. Hill C. \. Dam D. J. Fafrbarn i ". N. Rolston, J. D Lawton and ] H. Detorchs,
 Tremba, the defendant was called into court promptly at 10 o'clock Knowing that the twelve men who were sitting in judgment upon his action in esabbing fellow man i held his fate in their hands, he was 1 visibly nervous, sinking into chair as though exhausted instead of main taining the upright position he had kept during the days Of the lrial. ! When the verdict was read h. seem ed practically unable to realize that the jury had set him free until his Attorney, Leroy Tozier, who was sit ting beside him, grasDcd him by the hand and said a few warm words of congratulation to him.
 After being released from custody Tremba went to the jail for his be longings and then to the marshars office for other valuables which were on deposit there, after which he vent to the First National bank and cashed check for S11O, all the money he possessed in the world, most of which he turned over to h.s attorney as part pay ment for hs services He had saved this amount duing a little more than two years service in Alaska from wage 2f approximately $22.5o per month, aud in addition had saved and sent 10 his parents in Chicago the sum of $l50, according to his statement made later 10 Attorney To zier and represontgriyes of the press. He also made arrangements to wire to his people and to his com handing officer at Fort Gibbon tell ing of the acQuittal In one of the messages sent to the army post Tremba reported for duty, but also requested that he be transferred to some other military post. He will remain here until he receives further orders from his superior officer