1921 WB Record Almanac, Capital Crimes in 1920

CAPITAL CRIME

During 1920 there were twelve cases of capital crime in Luzerne, County.  The record for other years is:  
Ten in 1919; 13 in 1918; 12 in 1917; 22 in 1916; 14 in 1915; 14 in 1914; 22 in 1913; 22 in 1912; 14 in 1911; 
14 in 1910; 15 in 1909; 15 in 1908; 14 in 1907;13 in 1906; 12 in 1905; 8 in 1904.

December 24, 1919, not included in last year’s Almanac, Louis Bologna of Pittston was shot and killed in 
a saloon fight and James Barille was convicted of manslaughter.

March 27, George Shutranskos of Exeter, 48 years, was shot by a highwayman when he refused to 
hand over his pay envelope.

April 18, John Uhran of Drifton, 14 years was shot by a companion who fired into the midst of a 
number of boys who angered him.

April 18, Frank Mills of Forty Fort, 59 years, died of injuries sustained a week earlier, inflicted by a 
highway robber whose demand for Miller’s pay envelope was resisted.

June 19, Leo Poplowski of Dupont died as the result of a bullet wound inflicted two years earlier.

July 22, Samuel Lucchino of Pittston, a detective, 38 years old, was shot from ambush at his home.  
A verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree was rendered against Tony Pontario, who it was alleged 
was hired to put Lucchino out of the way because the latter in his capacity as detective had incurred
 the enmity of a number of people.

July 25, Anthony Puiccari of Pittston, 45 years, was shot to death in his home, the result of a quarrel 
over  boy who was punished by Puiccari for taking fruit from his yard.

July 27, Adam Pagarski of Plains, 36 years, was beaten and kicked to death in a saloon during a fight 
over the respective merits of the American and Polish flags.

September 25, Joseph Sciandro of Pittston, 35 years, was shot by another Italian for attacking the latter’s wife.

October 26, Kostanty Krewczewicz of Edwardsville, 35 years, was stabbed to death in a saloon fight.

October 27, Mrs. Pierce Eisenhower of Conynghan was shot, presumably by her husband, from who
 she had separated.

Transcribed by Cheryl Moore January 16, 2009