when he returned home he was questioned by his 17«year-old son who
had seen his mother enter the car with him. He told the boy that he
had killed his wife and asked him to notify police, While the boy
rode a horse to a nearby telephone and called the Police Barracks,
Patskin sat in the front seat of his car with a loaded pistol, drink-
ing whiskey and contemplating suicide, When the officers arrived, he
confessed to them and took them to his wife's body. His defense was
one of insanity and several doctors testified that he was, in their
opinion, medically and legally insane, His conviction was unsuccess=
fully appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and his execution
was then delayed while a sanity commission examined him, The commiss:
don declared that while Patskin should be in a mental hospital, they
did not consider him insane and the Board of Pardons declined to
recommend a commutation, The Supreme Court of the United States de=
nied certiorari and a last minute effort for a write of habaes corpus
in the United States District Court was unsuccessful, Prior to his
execution, Patskin, who had returned to his Greek Orthodox religion
only shortly before, ate the regular prison fare and, as a man with a
hearty appetite, he consumed everything set beforehim with gusto, On
i Shy wi ear j Ss electro-
abbed 2t the Pedinsy1VONES "Sea Feon"GA INS REN DEeeheaye® chectro
SCRANTON TIMES, Scranton, Pa,, April 5, 195); (Photo on page ones)
93 ATLANTIC (2nd) 70h; 7h, SUPREME COURT 534
when he returned home he was questioned by his 17-year-old son who
had seen his mother enter the car with him. He told the boy that he
had killed his wife and asked himto notify police, While the boy
rode a horse to a nearby telephone and called the Police Barracks,
Patskin sat in the front seat of his car with a loaded pistol, drink-
ing whiskey and contemplating suicide, When the officers arrived, he
confessed to them and took them to his wife's body, His defense was
one of insanity and several doctors testified that he was, in their
opinion, medically and legally insane, His conviction was unsuccess-
fully appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and his execution
was then delayed while a sanity commission examined him, The commiss
ion declared that while Patskin should be in a mental hospital, they
did not consider him insane and the Board of Pardons declined to
recommend a commutation, The Supreme Court of the United States de-
nied certiorari and a last minute effort for a write of habaes corpus
in the United States District Court was unsuccessful, Prior to his
execution, Patskin, who had returned to his Greek Orthodox religion
only shortly before, ate the regular prison fare and, as a man with a
hearty appetite, he consumed everything set beforehim with gusto, On
: : af
cited 2t the PonnoprGoMpe AEE AUE.and, WeaTEDe Reem bea he.wee clectro
SCRANTON TIMES, Scranton, Pa,, April 5, 195); (Photo on page ones)
93 ATLANTIC (2nd) 70h; 7, SUPREME COURT 53)
when he returned home he was questioned by his 17-year-old son who
had seen his mother enter the car with him, He told the boy that he
had killed his wife and asked him to notify police, While the boy
rode a horse to a nearby telephone and called the Police Barracks,
Patskin sat in the front seat of his car with a loaded pistol, drink-
ing whiskey and contemplating suicide, When the officers arrived, hel
confessed to them and took them to his wife's body, His defense was
one of insanity and several doctors testified that he was, in the:
opinion, medically and legally insane, His conviction was unsuccess=
fully appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and his execution
was then delayed while a sanity commission examined him, The commiss-
ion declared that while Patskin should be in a mental hospital, they
did not consider him insane and the Board of Pardons declined to
recommend a commutation, The Supreme Court of the United States de-
nied certiorari and a last minute effort for a write of habaes corpus
in the United States District Court was unsuccessful, Prior to his
execution, Patskin, who had returned to his Greek Orthodox religion
only shortly before, ate the regular prison fare and, as man with a
hearty appetite, he consumed everything set beforehim with gusto, On
abed 2t tidte nish, dowmesat AYR. 2nd, SBTAN Acembeehg, yes electro
SCRANTON TIMES, Scranton, Pa,, April 5, 195) (Photo on page one.)
93 ATLANTIC (2nd) 70h; 7k SUPREME COURT'53),
sehen teas mada" 8 Pa
oe
PATSKIN, William
Patskin, a white man born at Jessup, Pas, on April Ss 1909, was a
farmer who lived with his wife, Mary Slota Patskin, and their five
children in the Moosic Gap section of Jefferson Township, Lackawanna
County, Pag The Patskin marniage was an unhappy one and was punctua}=
ted by a series of quarrels and separations, Patskin, a powerful
man who weighed 230 pounds, had frequently beaten Mrs, Patskin during
their arguments and she had, .on several occasions, had him arrested
for his assaults, On the morning of May 10, 1951, before she left
for work at, a Honesdale dress factory, they argued because she had
filed suit for separation on grounds of desertion and non-support,
That evening, as she was walking home, he picked her up in their
automobile and drove her to an old logging road one-half mile north
of the Archbald-Cortez Road on the east slope of Salem Mountain,
There they left the automobile and continued their argument, Patskin
became enraged and manually choked her to death with his right hand
after which he sat on the running board of the car and woote a con-
fession in a note book in which he sought to justify the murder on
bhe grounds Ve ae Meena pet ges with him and nas to have :
im. arrested. When ad fini miting ard | rle an
lays a hsbehel fromchercany ta see Oran el nae ee (
times, fracturing her skull,’ He left the body lying in the road and
PATSKIN, William
Patskin, a white man born at Jessup, Pas, on April 5, 1909, was a
farmer who lived with his wife, Mary Slota Patskin, and their five
children in the Moosic Gap section of Jefferson Township, Lackawanna
County, Pa. The Patskin marniage was an unhappy one and was punctua-
ted by a series of quarrels and separations, Patskin, a powerful
man who weighed 230 pounds, had frequently beaten Mrs, Patskin during|
their arguments and she had, .on several occasions, had him arrested
for his assaults, On the morning of May 10, 1951, before she left
for work at, a Honesdale dress factory, they argued because she had
filed suit for separation on grounds of desertion and non-support,
That evening, as she was walking home, he picked her up in their
automobile and drove her to an old logging road one-half mile north
of the Archbald-Cortez Road on the east slope of Salem Mountain,
There they left the automobile and continued their argument, Patskin
became enraged and manually choked her to death with his right hand
after which he sat on the running board of the car and woote a con
fession in a note book in which he sought to justify the murder on
yhe grounds that she would not reason with him and sought to have
PARLAG'EPhsCon ol an oka Sania eating, Be heard Her gurgls and
times, fracturing her skull, ’He left the body lying in the hosd Gad
PATSKIN, William
4 i 41 5, 1909, was a
Bey i cs as Jessup, Pas, on April i
peers wasn with his wife, Mary Slota Patskin, and their five
ection of Jefferson Township, Lackawanna
ed their argum veal
z manually choked her to death with his right han:
after which he sat on the running board of the car and uote a cone
fession in a note book in which he sought to Justify the mrder on
phe ov that she would not reason with him and op te have
Stance pe, had finished witing, he heard
euig a hatéhet from the ‘uck her over the hes
es, fracturing her skulle "He ote the
‘aTaKan, WalLian-
poe
