Commonwealth v. Ernesto

Opinion by

Cunningham, J.,

Shortly after midnight on July 8, 1927, the wife and six children of Marks R. Fair lost their lives in a fire which destroyed their home, a frame dwelling-house located in a somewhat isolated valley near Bernville, Berks County. The Commonwealth contends that the fire was caused by the explosion of a still in the basement of the house, with which Nicholas Ernesto, Ben Myers, Thomas DeMaio, Angelo Oonsoli and the said Marks R. Fair, acting together and pursuant to a conspiracy to violate the liquor laws, were redistilling a denatured alcoholic product for the purpose…