New Britain herald., 1926-05-27
EVASION CHARGE
 FALLS ID GROUND
State Fails to Prove Ruttner
 Knew He Hit Nagi

failed to prove that Morris Ruttner
 aged 2l, of Hartford. Knowingly fn-
 jured" John Nagi of smalley street
 this city. on May 24, on Main street,
 west or the park. Judge B. w. filling
 interrupted Prosecuting Attorney
 d. C. Woods summing up of the
 charges of erading responsibility and
 ulsooeylng a traffic signal. in police
 court this morning and discharged
 Ruttner.
 James J. Butler. Deputy Sheriff
 Martin II. Horwitz and Clarence
 Lanpher, Jr., testified for the state
 that Ruttners automobile struck
 Nagi and knocked him to the pave
 inent and that Ruttner did not stop
 HIS car and alight to determine
 whether Nagi was injured. They
 said Nagi was thrown to the pave
 ment and limped away after point
 ing to the traffic light in front Of
 City Hall, and Ruttner continued
 down Main street. They did not
 observe the color showing on the
 traffic light as the automobile
 rounded the corner.
 Ruttner testified that the green
 light was showing when he made the turn from West Main street into
 Main street, and Nagi walked in an
 uncertain manner, causing him to believe he would continue across the street Had Nagi taken another step forward, he would have escaped being struck but he walked against the car and fell onto 1t between the hood and the right front mudguard. Ruttner said he did not knock Naef down. The latter mumbled some thing and pointed toward the signal light. Ruttner, believing him un- hurt, continued down Main street.
 Prosecuting Attorney Woods was arguing that Ruttner Knowingly hit' Nagi, when Judge Alling re- minded him that there was a very important element required by sta ute which had not been brought | out, and If the prosecuting attorney was quoting the statute, he should quote it correctly. Granting that 1 Ruttner knew his car struck the 1, pedestrian, it must be proven that he knew he injured him, if he is to be / convicted of the charge of evading . responsibility. selative 10 the . charge of disobcying the traffic sig i nal. none of the witnesses was able | 10 testify that the light was set { against traffic when the automobile 1 made the turn, the judge said, and ' Nagi himself testified the light was l. green, which permitted traffic to make the turn. A representative of solomon Elsner's office in Hartford, appeared for Ruttner.
 BuChcrri Case Continued
 The case of James Bucherri, aged 2S. of 2S3 Lasalle street, charged with reckless driving and violation of the rules of the road, was con- tinued until Monday morning, be- cause of the inability of NJ. Henry ponnellv, q witness, 10 be present, Mir. Donnelly being occupied with q civil case in superior court. Judge W. r. Mangan represents Buchcrri who was arrested by Officer John o'Keefe after a collision between BrCcheris auton ohi,c and an auto mobile driven by Patsy Spena Of 112 Oak street at the corner of East Main and Summer streets about S o'clock last evening.
 II is alleged that BuCcheri turned into Summer street from East Main street and struck Spena's car, which vas going west on East Main street. Spena's car was damaged
 4 nole was entered in the case of | Sebastiano plantim"ro of Bristol. | charged with reckless driving on | May 9. Prosecuting Attorney Woods informing the court that after con- = siderng the facts. he failed to find = evidence to substantiate the charge. \ Judge W. r. Mangan represented rlantimero.
 The case Of Emilio Bruni, aged %. of G0 Ferry street. Middletown, charged with violation Of the motor vehicle law. was continued until Saturday morning on request of At Iorney Alfred Levitt, his counsel.
 Fugitive From Justice
 Tn" case Of John Yenchak. charg- rd with being a fugitive from jus lice. was continued until Saturday H He was arrested for the Pa, authorities on of descrtion and non-sup- ,ort.
 Joseph Lascausla, aged 37, of l79 & Kelsey street. and Edward Neu- E mann, aged 1o. of S6 Austin street, vccr charged with aSSaulting each Fl other. Iaseauska pleaded nolo & through Attorney Thom- & IS J. Cabelus and was fined $5 and osts. He took an appeal. Neumann vas discharged after pleading not guilty.
 Officer Walter Malona made the rrests shortly after 6 o'clock last vening The men engaged In an all creation. according to the testimony yhen Laseauska tried 10 close the oors of his garage on Neumann, yho had been working on a car and ad some tools in the building. The U arage was rented to third party 'ho is said to have given Neumann 6 emission 10 work In It. and Las auskas became angry because oil ripped through the floor and dam ged cars stored on the ground floor.
 Neumann said he defended him. If and was kicked in the side by H a aseauska. who also struck him in ne wrist with a pair Of pliers lrown a distance of six feet. Les ouska testified that Neumann called i'm q "Polock." He felt he had the 8 ght 10 kocp Neumann ont of the 1rnge as the rent had been paid lly 10 May 2. Neumann produced telegram from the party who rent l the garage, stating that the rent ld been paid until June 2.
 The Chinese used fingerprints as