1897 WB Record Almanac, Murders in 1896 The following information is posted for the sole purpose of family research within the Yahoo Group, The Court House Gang. It is not to be published to any other web site, mailing list, group, etc. without prior written permission and guidelines from the group owner, to ensure that proper credit is given to the group and all of our volunteers that helped with this project. MURDERS There were thirteen murders in Luzerne County in 1896, two more than in 1895. On January 15 ‘Terrible Pete’ Wassil killed Joseph Krupersavage at Georgetown. There had been fights in a couple of saloons during the night. Wassil later fired through the window of a house, intending to kill one of the inmates but he killed the wrong man. Kruoersavage was killed instantly. Wassil was arrested, tried and convicted of murder in the first degree and is now in jail awaiting execution. On January 19 Thomas Bilski was found dead on the road at Luzerne Borough, a hole in his head. Murderers not known. On February 20 William Ushunsky was beaten to death at Duryea after a fight. Murderers escaped. On February 23dennis Conniff shot and killed Michael Walsh in a saloon at Duryea on account of some old grudge. Conniff was sentenced to a term in the penitentiary. On April 6 Michael Haike was killed by a stone thrown into a saloon at Exeter Borough. John Jousik was arrested, tried and sentenced to a term in the penitentiary. On April 13 John Nice was killed outside of a Plymouth Twp. Saloon by a stone thrown by unknown parties. April 13 the body of Andrew Murna was found in a cave hole at Jeddo, Supposed to have been murdered and thrown there. No arrests. On April 20 Angelo Dangello was killed in a house at Lattimer, near Hazleton. Mrs Catharine Anutz, in whos house the crime was committed stated that she killed him because he came to her room and insulted her. The woman was tried and acquitted, as it was developed that some one else committed the crime and she threw suspicion upon herself while the real criminal escaped. He has not been captured. July 24 Peter Reinmiller was shot while walking along the street at Freeland at night. Not known who fired the shot. September 27 Joseph Popple was stabbed in the abdomen near Yatesville by Anthony Parsano, who cut his own throat with a razor and died. The men were returning home from a wedding and it supposed had a quarrel. Nov. 3 Frank Gronowski was killed by a stone as he came from a political meeting at Duryea. The crowd from which the stone came escaped. Nov. 26, Joseph Grubrik was stabbed to death at Duryea. Dec. 19 Voseck Shawinski of Nanticoke died at Retreat Poor House , and it was discovered that his skull was fractured. There had been a fight in his boarding house. Several foreigners in the house at the time were arrested. Typed by Pat Dundore, February 2003