Capital Crimes During 1941 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 It is not to be published to any other web site, mailing list, group, etc.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. January 19 - Eugene Corrigan, WIlkes-Barre, fatally beaten in a fight in a cabin along East End Boulevard, Plains, Township. William Robinski, alias William Robinson, who lived at the cabin, charged with second degree murder and manslaughter but at the trial on March 24, Judge John J. Aponick directed the jury to acquit him on both charges. Later the Commonwealth preferred another charge of manslaughter but the grand jury ignored the case. April 15 - Michael Bell, 47, Exeter Township, shot and fatally wounded by his uncle, Matthew Delulo, 61, on the latter's farm, Sullivan Trail, after a quarrel over chickens. Delulo found guilty of manslaughter by a jury on May 21 and sentenced from five to 12 years in Eastern Penitentiary by Judge W. A. Valentine, who voiced disagreement with the jury's verdict. May 20 - James Traglia, 48, Pittston, fatally stabbed at a carnival at Hughestown after a fight with Joseph Russo, 45, Pittston. At the trial on September 26, District Attorney Leon Schwartz asked Judge Thomas F. Farrell to show clemency to Russo, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Russo sentenced to the county jail to serve from 2 1/2 to 5 years. July 23 - Charles Wekarski, 30, 86 Miner Street, Hudson, died in General Hospital of stab wounds suffered July 12 during a quarrel with his neighbor and drinking-bout companion Stanley Stesney, 26, former boxer. Jury found Stesney not guilty at trial starting September 23. September 14 - Body of Mrs. Myrtle Fields, 47, Kingston domestic, found on abandoned log road on Ashley Mountain, Hanover Township. Coroner L. S. Reese reported death occurred some hours before from brain hemorrhages. On September 16, four young men were arrested and State Police announced they made statements they had been with the victim in several city drinking places on Saturday night, September 13. Held for grand jury action in October were: James Lehman, 29, 121 Gilligan Street, city; John Malia, 29, 73, Gilligan Street, city; Andrew Tomko, 22, 21 Charles Street, Wilkes-Barre Township, and Edward McGee, 30, 305 Charles Street, Luzerne. Charged with first degree murder, they were committed to jail without bail on September 19. The trial of James Lehman, charged with murder, and the three related cases scheduled for November term of criminal court were continued until the February term. September 16 - Joseph Slakish, 67, 54 Pettebone Street, Swoyerville, died in Nesbitt Hospital of a crushed skull suffered when struck by an ax weilded by his close friend, Joseph Kiponski, 48, 142 Diamond Street, Swoyerville. In November Kiponski was placed in Farview State Hospital for the Criminal Insane. Typed by Dawn Gabriel, May 2004