Evening journal., 1921-05-21
JAILED COUPLE
ARE INNOCENT
Found Guiltless After Serv-
ing Five Years of
Sentence
PARDON FOR
THEM AT ONCE

Mary Miracho, cook at the East
trn Penitenitary, and her husband,
Jacldno. who lived in Marcus Hook
before they we're imprisoned for
second degree murder five years ago,
will walk out Of that institution with
IN a week, freed OF a crime which
tho Pennsylvania State Pardon
Board is now convinced they did
rot commit.
Five years ago Mr.. and Mrs. Mir
achO were convicted in Chester
county Of the murder Of a man
named Peter Garage. who had come
10 board with them in their home. at
Marcus Hook. Nobody knew Garage.
who arrived with his son. He said
his wife was dead.
One day Garage was found
stabbed. Miracho was away from
home, Off looking at a house he in
tended to buy. Mrs. Miracho found
the wounded man, had him taken to
the hospital and then helped the
nurse prepare for the emergency
operation which was performed In
an attempt to save his life.
Garage told those around him that
he had been stabbed by man from
Philadelphia. Later, just before he
was given ether for the operation, an
interpreter talked to him in Italian.
Afterwards, at the trial, this inter-
prefer testified that Garage had ac-
cused Mr.. and Mrs. Miracho of the
crime, and they were convicted.
Then began a train of mysterious
circumstances which in the end
formed the basis Of the couples par
don.
Less than twenty-four hours after
Garage died a woman who said she
was his wife. and proved il, came to
claim the child. She told an amaz.
ing story. She said her husband had
killed a man in Utica, N. Y, which
afterward proved to bo the case. She
said he had carved" another man,
In another town, and then had at
tempted her life
According to the wife's story,
Garage had attacked her with a
hatchet, striking her over the back
and when he thought she was dead,
pushed her down the cellar steps.
He followed, hatchet in hand and
stood over her. She thought he was
going to strike again. lie leaned over
her and listened for the beating of
her heart. She held her breath and
apparently he did not detect the Hut
ter of her heart, for she was almost
dead in reality. Then he kissed hei
three times and left the house.
She was found, sent to the hos
pital. and ultimately recovered.
Her husband apparently believe'
she was dead, and she made no at
tempt to find him, fearing that h
would try again to kill her.
The wife Of Garage went 20 tn
priest at Marcus Hook and told he
story. lie sent her on TO the Dis
trlct Attorney.
A defense was prepared for IN
| Mirachos, who had been indicted 10
murder. and a witness was discov
cred who said he would tell IN
name of the real murdered Of Ga
rage when he went on the witness
stand. whether 1t was coincidence
or design. this witness was mur
dered mysterlously on visit Il
Philadelphia just on the eve Of tn
trial.
When the trial came up Garage
past was not made known. In viev
OF the later facts, pieced together b.
Mrs. Charles Pawling Plummer, o
the Pennsylvania Prison Society, an
developed before the Pardon Boar
by Senator Samuel salus, attorne
for the Mirachos, 1t seemed evider
that there had heen ample reaso
for several persons, relatives OF Cal
ages own victims, to have sougl
o. vengeance against him. There WI
|, no motive apparently for q
Il Mirachos to wish TO kill him.
e The granting Of the pardon III
# been announced and the docume
l. is being expected any day, II
/, husband and wife will owe tho
+ freedom to the efforts OF Mr.. sal
j. and Mrs. Plummer.
- Mrs. Plummer saw Mrs. Mirac
e on her daily visits to the prison, a
s the woman always said she was
q jail for doing nothing" Bit by
she tod her story; Mrs. Plumm
4. became interested and began an
vestigation of her own which to-
her 10 various cities, among the
Rome, Utica, Buffalo and Rochest'
in New York and various smi
towns in Pennsylvania
nnn nEHn VITETT