1931 WB Record Almanac, Capital Crimes in 1930 Typed by Irene Transue December 27, 1929, Joseph Pollard, Forty Fort youth, was shot and fatally wounded on the night of December 27, 1929. when a man attempted to hold up the gasoline station in Kingston where he worked. Wilfred Flood, alias Fred Wilkins, was arrested for the crime. Flood was found guilty of murder in the first degree with recommendation of the death penalty by a jury on February 6, 1930, and was sentenced to death on May 29 by Judge W. A. Valentine. Governor Fisher fixed the week of February 23, 1931, as the date of Flood's execution. January 13--On the afternoon of January 13 a small mine car being used as a pay car by the Glen Alden Coal Co. was dynamited as it was on the way to the No. 20 tunnel of Truesdale Colliery in Warrior Run. Arthur E. Webb, 32, Scranton, paymaster; James Shovlin, 32, Hanover, section foreman; Martin Burns, 31, Sugar Notch, assistant mine foreman; and Frank Brozinski, 36, Plymouth, miner, were killed and two men were injured, one seriously. After a long search State Police arrested "Big Joe" Szachewicz and John "Tex" Nafus and charged them with the crime. Szachewicz was found guilty of murder in the first degree on April 4 and Nafus also was found guilty of first degree murder on June 6. February 21--Dismembered body of Mrs. Anna Castner, 28, found in her home in Avoca on February 21. Her husband, Gervase Castner was found in a drunken stupor at the time and was arrested, charged with murder. On May 13 he was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to serve 10 to 20 years in Eastern Penitentiary. March 21--Mrs. Louise Detner, 68, Korn Krest, was shot and killed while sleeping by her daughter, Mrs. Martha Detner Colvin, on March 21. Mrs. Colvin was adjudged guilty of murder in the second degree by Judge B. R. Jones. April 8--Mrs. Sophia Turoski, 18, Plymouth, found shot to death near Ceasetown Dam on morning of April 8. Dead body of her husband, Theodore Turooski, 21, found at her side. Police decided that Turoski killed his wife and committed suicide. April 29--John Reese, 45, Plymouth, was instantly killed on night of April 29 when attacked by two men while walking on East Northampton street, city. He is believed to have been struck with a blunt instrument. Ernest Webber and Leo Cassidy, both of Wilkes-Barre, were arrested in connection with the crime. They were tried and on May 26 were sentenced to serve from 6 to 12 years each in Eastern penitentiary. May 17--Early on the morning of May 17 Arthur McColligate, 42 was shot and killed by John Soskisky, Ashley restaurant proprietor, for whom McColligate worked. Soskisky and McColligate had been watching for burglars and Soskisky heard a noise in the darkened restaurant, fired a shot and killed McColligate. Soskisky was later released in $4,000 bail to answer any charge brought against him. May 24--Early on the morning of May 24, E. L. Snyder, wealthy banker and orchard owner of Harding, near West Pittston, shot and killed his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sheppard, and his grandson, Ernest Sheppard, 5. He then hung himself in the garage of his home and fired a bullet into his head while hanging. June 14--William Curtis, 19 of Port Griffith, died in Pittston hospital on afternoon of June 14 of a bullet wound alleged to have been inflicted by Thomas Fadden, a mine worker of Pittston. Fadden told police that the firearm was accidentally discharged as he and Curtis were struggling for Fadden's pay envelope on the previous night shortly before midnight. Fadden charged that Curtis and another man attempted to hold him up and that he drew a weapon and in the struggle it was accidentally discharged and Curtis was wounded. Fadden was released in $5,000 bail for court. June 16--Joseph Walkowiak, 23, Nanticoke, died in Nanticoke State hospital on morning of June 16 of injuries, including a broken back, alleged to have been suffered in a fist fight in Nanticoke on the night of June 13. Walter Wojiechowski, 22, Nanticoke was arrested and charged with murder. July 5--John Kubler, 35, a boarder at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Smith, Hanover township, was arrested charged with murder in killing Myrtle Smith, 16, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith on the morning of July 5. Kubler was said to have been intoxicated at the time and fled after the slaying, but was caught near the home. The girl's grandfather, Clinton A. Tubbs, 74, was held after it was alleged that he gave the shells used in shooting the girl to Kubler. The latter was tried without a jury and on September 25 was adjudged guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life imprisonment in Eastern penitentiary by Judge W. A. Valentine. July 6--Thomas Kelly, 47, Avoca, died in Taylor hospital at 7 on the morning of July 6 of brain hemorrhage said to have resulted from a head laceration suffered in a fight with an Avoca policeman on the previous night. Frank Scoda, the policeman alleged to have figured in the fight, was tried on a charge of murder and was acquitted. July 19--James Christie, 38, of Pittston, was fatally injured when it was charged, he was thrown or pushed from the porch of his home early on July 19. John Devlin, 39, Pittston is alleged to have engaged in a scuffle with Christie and was arrested. Devlin was tried on a manslaughter charge and acquitted on September 9. July 19--On Saturday night, July 19, Harry D. Sordoni, 52, Kingston, brother of State Senator Andrew J. Sordoni, was fatally shot by Paul Skopa, 28, an employee on Harry Sordoni's farm at Lehman. Sordoni died in Nesbitt hospital early next morning. On Sunday morning at 5:35 Capt. John T. Ruth, county detective and chief of Harvey’s Lake police, was shot from ambush by Skopa and died later in Nesbitt hospital. Skopa committed suicide by blowing off part of his head when capture seemed certain. August 16--Evan Jones, 52 of Kingston, died in Nesbitt hospital on Saturday night, August 16, of injuries suffered in a free-for-all fight on Saturday morning. Thomas Pierson, 31, of Kingston and Mathew Zekonis, 37, of Edwardsville were arrested in connection with the crime. Pierson was tried on a charge of manslaughter, was found guilty on October 28 and was sentenced to serve from 4 to 8 years in the county prison. A. M. Sudnicki of Hudson was indicted on a charge of murder by the October grand jury. It was charged that he fatally assaulted Nicholas Stankewicz during a fight at Hudson on August 26. Stankiewicx died on September 12. The commonwealth was unable to produce enough evidence to support the charge and the court ordered an acquittal. Andrew Fisher of Pittston was indicted by the October grand jury for murder, it being charged that he fatally assaulted Walter Boos, special Pittston policeman in a fight at a dance on May 16. Boos died on June 13. Fisher was tried before a jury and acquitted. Frank Tawza, who was found guilty of murdering Thomas Krokoskey, assistant chief of police of Luzerne, on the morning of September 24, 1929, was put to death in the electric chair at Rock view penitentiary on June 30, 1930. Early in July local police were informed that William Boyd, colored, had died in Dennison, Iowa, of heart disease. Photographs and a description of the man proved that he was the man sought for the slaying of Edward Watts, colored, in this city on April 18.