1916 Wilkes-Barre Record Almanac
CAPITAL CRIME in 1915
                                                        -------------------
 
  During the year 1915 there were fourteen homicides in Luzerne County. The record for 
other years has been:   14 in 1914;  21 in 1913;  13 in 1912;  15 in 1911;  14 in 1910;  
15 in 1909;  14 in 1908;  14 in 1907;  13 in 1906;  12 in 1905;  8 in 1904;  10 in 1903.

December 28, 1914, not included in last year’s almanac, Frank Boyer of Luzerne Borough, 
40 years, died of a bullet wound inflicted by an Italian on Christmas night.  The Italian demanded 
a drink from a saloonkeeper who refused to sell and the Italian opened fire, one of the bullets 
striking Boyer, who had been attracted by the controversy.

January 19 – A Corner’s jury found that Harry Harrison of Wilkes-Barre, a patrolman, died of 
complications resulting from wounds inflicted by a man with whom he had a quarrel. 

January 25 – Romaldy Smigelski of Nanticoke, 32 years, died of poison put in his coffee bottle.

January 28 – The body of Michael Hopkins of Pittston was found in a house in Dupont with a bullet wound.

January 29 – John Tombardo of Pittston, 30 years, was shot in a quarrel over a card game.

February 14 – George Golanka of Plymouth was stabbed to death in a quarrel in a saloon.

February 15 – Occurred the death of John Kywoski of Laflin, 36 years, who sustained a bullet 
wound in a fight on December 18.

May 26 – Corado Mattei was shot, having been suspected of setting fire to a house.

May 29 – Mrs. Patrick Murphy of Wilkes-Barre died of a bullet wound inflicted by her husband 
during a quarrel and he, on learning of her death, committed suicide.

June 12 – James Benboned of Pittston, 23 years, was stabbed and shot in a lonely section near
 the city, evidently as a means of revenge for his activity as a special officer in the attempting to 
secure evidence against Italian criminals.

June 13 – Felix Jonicka of Wilkes-Barre was stabbed to death at Hillsdale, either for robbery or 
as the result of a fight.

June 14 – Thomas L. Davis of Lee Park was shot by an Italian after a quarrel which originated
 in a Wilkes-Barre saloon.

June 19 – A corner’s jury found that Carl Budzin of Brookside, 23 years, whose body was found
 in a field with a bullet wound, was murdered.

September 20 – Occurred the death of William Bartnik of Wilkes-Barre, a boy, who had been 
shot by a companion, either by accident or during a quarrel over the possession of a revolver.