The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-15

Andrew Pachunak and Joshin Russiwi for eleven years prior tt March, 1881, had been the proprie tors of a restaurant at No. 128 Nortf Elm street, in the city of Water bury, Connecticut. They had alway! been on friendly terms and had beer successful in business together Their place of business on the Stf of March was so arranged that 6 portion of the rear of it was used al a speak easy" the arrangement manner: at about two-thirds tho distance from the front to the rear of the store a partition ran across the store parallel with the store front. In back of this. partition and in about the middle of 1t, another partition, set at right angles to it. divided the rear third Of the store into two rooms, the northerly ol which was used as kitchen and the southerly as a place for playing cards and drinking, the large front room being given over to restaurant purposes.
 At a short distance from the north wall a counter or bar ran parallel to the north wall almost to the front of the store, at which end a short bar went to the north wall. On the north wall and behind this bar at various times shot gun had hung. On the day in question, which was Sunday, March Sth. 1881, Pachunak with some workmen went over in the country to do some work on a gas station which he was build- ing on Athe state road between Wa tertown and Woodbury. During kI% ( | ed on trade until he returned, which was about o'clock in the after noon. As soon as Pachunak had come back into the place he took over the matter of waiting on cus- toners and his partner went out into the front part of the store. Whether he stayed there all of the time be- tween 4 and 6 o'clock or whether he went out for short time and re- turned, have been unable to de- termine. There had been prior to that date a slight coolness existing between the partners, as Pachunak had remarked but for no apparent reason, Russiwi simply refraining from talking with his partner during the period short time preceding this date. About o'clock in the evening, Pachunak started to go from the counter between the two back rooms toward the stove in the kitchen which was located in the northeasterly corner of the room. He had practically crossed over to the stove when Russiwi, who had last been seen reading q paper near heating stove in the front room, suddenly appeared in the doorway from the restaurant to the kitchen with the shotgun in his hand in a position as if he were about to raise it to his shoulder. Russiwi said nothing to Pachunak or to any of the others in the room but pulled the trigger of one of the barrels of the double -barrelled shotgun, with the gun aimed at Pachunak who received the entire charge of the shotgun shell in the back of the head. which was practically blown away. Pachunak collapsed on the floor and death must have been in- stantaneous. Nearly all of the cus- toners made a nasty exit from the building and Russiwi went to the front of the restaurant. where there was an automatic pay station tele- phone, and called up the police sta tion and reported that he had killed his partner.
 Extensive examination and ob- servations of Russiwi failed to con- vince the observers that he was insane at the time this act was done although his mental condition was undoubtedly clouded by over indulgence in alcoholic stimulants for considerable period prior to the date of the shooting. In fact, there Is evidence of condition bordering on delirium tremens a short time prior to the fatality.
 find that said death was caused by gunshot wound of the head re- ceived when deceased was shot by the shotgun in the hands of Joshim Russiwi and that said death was caused by the criminal act of said .Joslium Russiwi.