The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-01
Trials UnusuaI Features
 Of Superior Court Sessions in 1945
Deoth of Judge
 FruRk P. McEvoy Widely kAouFned

The Boardman check suit against two New Haven banks last month brought out more spectacular occur rences of the civil session.
 Tn that case a e5-yeer-old witness, believed to be the oldest to testify in the courtroom, was called. A prt- son inmate also was brought to testify, marking the first time the court had Q prisoner-witness. A famous handwriting expert. who participated in the Lindbergh kid- mapping trial, was among other witt neSSes.
 Mlstrials Listed
 A half a dozen mlstrials were list- ed in the court annals. One occurred in the action of the Kaplan Brothers against a San Francisco manufac- turing firm, when the presiding judge was taken i'll. Witnesses had been brought from California to tes- tify in the case.
 Two freak death eases were aired in the courtroom, both involving denials of workmen's compensation awards.
 One involved fatal injuries sus- tained by a factory worker when two fellow-employes put an air hose to his body as a prank.
 The other involved the death of a factory employe, who fell into a tub of hot water and soap, and whose body was not found for 10 days.
 Superior Court reversed the com missioner's findings in both cases and ordered making of awards.
 One, involving the air-hose death of Joseph Rinchiuso, was settled for Si 800, after the Commercial Iron and Metal Co.,, appealed to the Supreme Court. The other, involv- ing the death of Joseph Michaud, Jr., and an appeal by the American Brass Co.,, s>Still pending on the Supreme Court docket.
 one of the "firsts" in civil actions entered on the docket was the suit of Ada Rochon Fortin of Milford, who seeks to invalidate a Reno die vorce received by her ex-husband.
 The suit, still pending, was tiled immediately after the U. s. Supreme Court invalidated Reno divorce in May, and it may prove to be another test" case.
 Supreme Court Reverses
 Seven of the courts decisions were reviewed by the State Supreme Court of Errors, and error was found in three.
 The Gaess trust fund case, one of the courts outstanding civil actions, was one of the "error" cases.
 Mrs. Yvonne P. GaesS, widow ot Roger w. Gaess, sought recovery ot money her husband had put into a $46, 900 trust fund for erection or purchase of a building for the Gaess Mfg. Co. The building was never acquired and Mrs. Gaess won a judgment of $l5,35668 in l944.
 The Supreme Court on an appeal ruled the trust fund must continue r more years, or total of 2l, unless the surviving parties to the agree ment or their representatives pass a majority vote for distribution. Two other officers of the concern had made the original agreement with the late Roger GaesS.
 Also of widespread interest here was the East End zoning litigation, instituted by several residents of Wales street in an effort to prevent expansion of the East Main street business zone into Wales street.
 The Sycamore Corp, of West Hartford was permitted by the City of Waterbury zoning board to erect an addition to the building which houses the First National Super Market at East Main and Wales streets. The Wales street residents filed suit against the city and the corporation, and won, but the high court found error and sent the case back to the lower court. No final ruling has been made as yet.
 Death Penalty Appealed
 The most noteworthy appeal, how ever, was that of Zukauskas from the death penalty. An unusual pre- liminary airing was conducted by