Juan COs received a letter from Katonka mailed from Connellsville, Pa,
in which he accused his wife, Alice, of the murders. He said that he
had not reported it earlier because he was afraid of her but that they
had quarreled and were no longer living together. He offered to turn
himself in when she was in custody. Both Katonkas were arrested and
teken to New Mexico. Because of the danger of his being lynched, Ka-
tonka was taken to Santa Festwhere he was kept in the State Prison and
returned for his trial, He claimed that she had held a ,22 caliber
pistol on him and forced him to kill the two men while she claimed
that he had murdered them with no provocation. She received a sentence
of 7-to-10 years for her part in the crime while he was sentenced to
die. He was returned to Santa Fe until one week before his execution
and when officers prepared to take him back to Aztec, he swallowed a
bottle of iodine smuggled to him by other prisoners in a suicide atte~
mpte On his way back, he pleaded with his guards to allow him to try
to escape and when they refused he became so violent that they had to
tie him to a cottonwood tree while they ate lunch, Many people believ-
ed that his version was true and petitions were sent to the Governor
Signed by 300 leading citizens of Aztec and by the jury requesting that
his sentence be canmuted but the Governor detlined to intervene and on
Oct. 20, 1922, he Sobbingly mounted the scaffold which had been con-
Structed on the fairgrounds just west of Aztec and was hanged,
Larry torn hail Tuo | Fanniugqten,VM JH 4- 1976
Juan Co. received a letter from Katonka mailed from Connellsville 3» Pae
in which he accused his wife, Alice, of the murders, He said that he
had not reported it earlier because he was afraid of her but that they
had quarreled and were no longer living together, He offered to turn
himself in when she was in custody. Both Katonkas were arrested and
taken to New Mexico. Because of the danger of his being lynched, Ka-
tonka was taken to Santa Fextwhere he was kept in the State Prison and
returned for his trial, He claimed that she had held a ,22 caliber
pistol on him and forced him to kill the two men while she claimed
that he had murdered them with no provocation. She received a sentenced
of 7-to-l0 years for her part in the crime while he was sentenced to
die, He was returned to Santa Fe until one week before his execution
and when officers prepared to take him back to Aztec, he swallowed a
bottle of iodine smuggled to him by other prisoners in a suicide atte-
mpte On his way back, he pleaded with his guards to allow him to try
to escape and when they refused he became so violent that they had to
tie him to a cottonwood tree while they ate lunch, Many people believ-
ed that his version was true and petitions were sent to the Governor
signed by 300 leading citizens of Aztec and by the jury requesting that
his sentence be canmuted but the Governor detlined to intervene and on
Oct. 20, 1922, he sobbingly mounted the scaffold which had been con=
structed on the fairgrounds just west of Aztec and was hanged.
Fpouticg tor Maid Tun20 ; Foxunmnugqten,VM J 49-1976
Juan Cos received a letter from Katonka mailed from Connellsville, Pa.
he accused his wife, Alice, of the murders,
had not reported it earlier becaus
had quarreled and w
| ‘KATONKA, Stephen F,
Katonka, a 3l-year-old white native of Austria, emigrated to the Uni-
ted States and settled in Scranton, Pa. While he took out papers, he
actually never became a citizen. He was in trouble frequently and
served one sentence in a reform school, He was also in several ser-
jous mine accidents including the one at Ferndale, Pa., and on three
occasions was buried alive but rescued. He met his wife Alice who
was divorced while she was working in a house of prostitution and they
were married, Theif life together was not pkeasant and at his trial
the State produced papers indicating that they had been divorced. On
August 1, 1921, they were in Gallup, N. M., where they contracted with
a taxi driver named Richard Kelly to drive them to Farmington. the
owner of the cab, Sam Groy, went along for the ride, After they had
reached the Navajo Indian Reservation, near the trading post at
Shiprock Agency, both Kelly and Groy were shot in the head and their
bodies buried underneath a nearby bridge. Katonak and Alitte cleaned
the car up and destroyed their bloody clothes before driving the ve-~
hicle to Pennsylvania, Kelly and Groy were reported missing and
searching parties roamed the area but were unable to turn up any .
trace of them or the cab, Several months later, the Sheriff of San
KATONKA, Stephen F.
Katonka, a 3h-year-old white native of Austria, emigrated to the Uni-
ted States and settled in Scranton, Pa. while he tock out papers, he
actually never became a citizen. He was in trouble frequently and
served one sentence in a reform school, He was also in several ser-
ious mine accidents including the one at Ferndale, Pa., and on three
occasions was buried alive but rescued. He met his wife Alice who
was divorced while she was working in a house of prostitution and they
were married. Theif life together was not pkeasant and at his trial
the State produced papers indicating that they had been divorced. On
August 1, 1921, they were in Gallup, N. M., where they contracted ‘with
a taxi driver named Richard Kelly to drive them to Farmington. the
owner of the cab, Sam Groy, went along for the ride, After they had
reached the Navajo Indian Reservation, near the trading post at
Shiprock Agency, both Kelly and Groy were shot in the head and their
bodies buried underneath a nearby bridge. Katonak and Alite cleaned
the car up and destroyed their bloody clothes before driving the ve-
hicle to Pennsylvania, Kelly and Groy were reported missing and
searching parties roamed the area but were unable to turn up any
trace of them or the cab. Several months later, the Sheriff of San
Katonka, a 3lj-year-old white native of Austria, emigrated to the Un:
ted States and settled in Scranton, Pa. while he tock out papers, he
He was in trouble frequently and
a reforn school, He was also in several ser-
idents including the one at Ferndale, Pa.
occasions was buried alive but rescued. He met his
was divorced while she was working in a house of prostitution and they]
were married, Theif life together was not pkeasant and at his trial
the State produced papers indicating that they had been divorced. On
August 1, 1921, they were in Gallup, N. Me where they pegesnean witl
a taxi driver named Richard Kelly to drive them to Farmington.
ower of the cab, Sam Groy, went along for the side, After they had
bodies buried underneath a nearby cea Katonak
the car up and destroyed their bloody clothes before driving the ve-
hicle to Pennsylvania, Kelly and Groy were reported missing and
searching parties roamed the area but were unable to turn up any
trace of them or the cab, Several months later, the Sheriff of San
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0