The Bismarck tribune., 1931-11-05
WITNESS OFFERS
FIRST EVIDENCE IN
MIN0Y MURDER CASE
Man Says Defendant Threaten
cd Him For Attentions
to Victim

Minot, N. D., Nov. 5-(R-Intro-
tluction of testimony in the trial of
William Savora Of Minot, charged
with the first-degree murder of his
alousckeeper, Mrs. Dena Korchenko
started in district court Wednesday
before Judge George H. Moelling.
Only one witness, Sam Nikitenko
the last person known to have seen
Mrs. Korchenko alive on the night of
Sept. %. when she was murdered, oc-
curied the witness stand during the
afternoon session.
A hint OF what theory the defense
hls concerning the murder, which the
t.atc contends was mo1tvated by Sa /.
vors's jealcusly Of other suitors Of
MRS. Korchenko, came during the
G oss-examination Of Nikitenko by
former States Attorney H. E. John
son, counsel for Savora. Johnson
a-ked Nikitenko whether Mrs. Kor-
c,e.llo had ever told him about the
si2ying Of her husband. which tool:
pace in McHenry county two years
ago, and for which John Martin Is
ncw cerving 15-year sentence In the
6. ate penitentiary.
States Attorney Paul Campbell
protested that the question was i'm
material and the defense counsel re-
piled that the question was going to
be quite material In the case.
Hint Line Of Defense
Sequences follow sequences" re-
marked the defense attorney, indi-
eating he might believe that the kill
dng of the woman was an outgrowth
of events in connection with her hus-
bands death.
Nikitenko said Mrs. Korchenko
never had said anything to him about
the killing of her husband.
Nikitenko told Of being with Mrs
Kcrchenko in downtown Minot until
around 10 o'clock on the night Of the
murder and said he did not accom-
pany her to the Savora rooming
house because he was afraid of Sa-
vora.
The witness said Savora once had
told him that if he came to the house
he would chop my legs off," but Ia
ter. on cross-examination. Nikitenko
said Savora had not told him this.
but friends had told him Savora had
said it about him. In explanation of
the leg-chopping threat, Nikitenko
declared this was a Russian express
sion and in the English language
meant about the same "as knocking
off your block"
Once, Nikitenko said, Savora told
him he should not come to his house
because one of his sons objected, but
when he saw the son later, the wit
ness said, he told him he had no OBJ
jections and invited him to come as
often as he wished.
Refused Offers to Wed
Nikitenko said he had asked Mrs
Korchenko on several occasions to
marry him. and the states attorney
in his statement to the jury, had said
1t would be shown that Savora also
wished to marry the woman. How
ever. Nikitenko said, some time before
the woman's death he had abandoned
the idea of trying to persuade her to
wed him.
For time last summer, Nikitenko
said, he roomed at a house which
Mrs. Kcrchenko was renting. Later
she went to the Savora rooming house
as a housekeeper. On the night she
was murdered, Nikitenko said, she
told him she intended to leave the
Savora place and that she was look
ing for a house where she and her
three children could live.
Two sons of the defendant, Thomas.
living 18 miles from Great Falls.
Mont. and Michael, living at Seat |
tie, are here for their fathers trial. |
Another son, John. of Minot, Is listed
as a witness for the state in legal
maneuver by the prosecution to keep
him from visiting his father in Jail.
The son from Seattle said his mother, !
who is divorced from Savora, had just |
left a hospital and could not come to
Minot.