Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-04-02

JURY OUT Three HOURS
FIND End DEGREE VERDICT
BULLETIN.

By staff Correspondent.
NEW BRUNSWICK, April D
Guilty of second degree murder was
the verdict of the jury before which
Epifanis Terrazas was tried yesterday
and today. charged with the murder
of a fellow countryman and former
chum, Francisco Servin, In Perth AM
boy on February %.
Justice Bergen, who received the
verdict, Immediately sentenced Terra
zas to term of from twenty to thirty
years in states prison at hard labor.
The jury was out from IL o'clock
this morning until 2:35 o'clock this
afternoon, when they brought in the
verdict.
NEW BRUNSWICK, April 2.-The
jury in the trial of Epifanis Terrazas,
the Perth Amboy Mexican, on a
cisco Servin on February 22 in that
city. went out at IL o'clock this morn
ing after being charged by Justice
James y, Bergen who Is presiding at
the case.
Witnesses for both the state and de-
Z fendant were heard yesterday after
noon. Joseph Lupos a Smith street
terpreter Joseph Lombardi to having
seen Servin fall, but he could not say
that he saw TerraZas stab him. Lupo
testified to having followed Terrazas
up High street. gone into the police
station and notifying .Patrolman Les
ter Underhill of what had happened.
and seeing the man arrested by the
officer on Market street. Lupo said
he was positive Terrazas had commit
ted the crime as he did not lose sight
of him from the time he saw Servin
fall till Terrazas was arrested
John Strike, seventeen years old,
employed in the printing establish
ment of H. e. Pickersgill. was tn
next witness called by the state. He
testified to having seen Servin and
Terrazas talking to each other IN
Smith street about 4:35 o'clock, the
witness asserting that both men ap-
peared to be under the influence o
liquor. Terrazas. Striko said, had his
hand on Servin's shoulder. The wit
ness said he did not see Terrazas stab
Servin but he saw him draw knife
about 10 inches long from Servin'
body. Strike said he picked up the
knife, cut a notch in the handle so
that he could identify It, and gave it
to Arthur Borland, another employe
in the same printing shop.
Borland was next called to the
stand. He testified to having wrap
ped up the knife in a piece of paper
and then turning it over to Patrolman
Underhill. The officer was examined
and he identified the knife by v
shape notch he had cut In the handle.
He said the body had been found on
High street about ten feet from Smith
street.
John Kirkpatrick. counsel for the
defense, explained the difficulty ex-
W N x1fF N
owing to the ignorance of the defend
ent and his failure to understand the
English language. But one witness
was produced by the defense. he be-
ing Sabeo Serrartos. of 22S Water
street, who testified he had met the
defendent between and o'clock on
the afternoon of the murder on Rec
tor street near Market street, going
toward the water.
The defendent made a. complete
denial of the charges. testifying in
his own behalf through the interpre-
ter. o. Rubio. the Mexican counsel in
New York City. According to the
story told by Terrazas. he had gone
to the plant of the American Smelt-
ing & Refining plant to get his money
shortly before noon and had come
back about o'clock. He claimed he
was walking down High street, on his
way to Caledonia Park. when he was
placed under arrest. He denied hav-
ing ever seen the knife before. or
being the owner of it.
The last evidence had been heard
by o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
jurymen. under charge of Court Off,
GERS Thomas Howley and Martin Lal-
ley. were taken to the Hotel Klein
where-they remained for the night.
In charging the jury Justice Bergen
said: You have the right. II the
evidence warrants. to find the defend
ent guilty of first degree or second
degree murder. or manslaughter. You
shall apply the rules of law and also
apply the facts as produced in the
evidence in reaching your conclusions.
II you find the defendent guilty of
murder you must decide in which de-
first degree murder. Ii
ROTJ,ED OATS PER "a 4Xc