Salt Lake Tribune | 1909-11-14 | Page 28 | Kothiaftis Relates His Story on Stand

KDTHIAFTIS RELATES HIS ,ST0HY 81 STAND Greek Charged With Murder Says He Shot in Sclf-Defense. Sclf-Defense. John Kothiaftis. who is on trial bo fore u jury in Judgo Lewis's court for tho murder of Petor tfotis a li Bingham Oan3'on on December 2H, was 011 the stand in his own behalf during most of tho session of court Saturday morning. morn-ing. With tho assistance of an interpreter inter-preter he related in detail the trouble between himself aud Getis, which resulted re-sulted in the duel between them, in which Getis was killed and Kothiaftis was shot threo times and confined in tho hospital for a period of two months. Kothiaftis said that after he had the lirst I rouble with Uot is in the early pari of .December, ho left Bingham and went (0 Uarfiold for work. Ho had heard of threats which Getis had made against him and also had heard that Getis was carrying a gun for tho purpose pur-pose of killing him on tight. Ho returned re-turned to IVuigham on the night of December 22, for the purpose of getting get-ting his money and clothing, which he left with his cousin, who occupied the same cabin with Getis. .He said that he went back to IJingham late at night on a coal train so ihat ho would not meet Getis, and that, it wan early in tho morning of December 23 when he arrived at tho cabin. As ho was approaching the door leading lead-ing to tho room where his cousin slept, ho declared that he saw Getis at the coal shed back of tho houso and the latter opened firo on him at once, the bullets striking hiin in tho hand, left arm and left breast, ire returned the lire and his aim proved good. He then went down to a saloon and called for help, fearing that Getis would follow him and kill him. Assistant District Attorney E. O. . Iicat her wood put the defendant through a rigid cross-examination, but failed to shake his testimony materially. . N. P. Sfathakos and W. A. Portcons were tho only threo witnesses examined during the session for tho defense. The latter witness, who is a railroad man. told of Kothiaftis riding up lo Bingham Bing-ham wiili him on the night the shooting shoot-ing occurred. The case -will bo concluded con-cluded lafe Monday afternoon or Tuesday Tues-day morning and be submitted to the jury. '