Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-11-24
A ROMANTIC CRIME.
The Lacari. Il ruLko Tragedy-Thrsil-
ing story by san Franz iscO Detec-
tive me Last Deed OF . Pre- fes Isl ON !

SINCE tue recent pAIuVn VI Muo. A|"S"i''
convicted OF being an accessory to the muir
der of her husband in Visitacion Valley,
Cal, some points in the case not hereto
fore known have tean brought out. One
of Chief Crowley's detectives tells the fol-
flowing story of the murder, and the arrest
of the criminals:
Nine. Lacari was a woman whom you
would suspect ct q look On the day OF
the murder, she inveigled her bus
band into ride to Visitacion Nal-
Hey On arriving there man step
'ped from behind q large rock, and
after q few minutes paTley, he
shot poor Laeari dead, aud liter
ally riddled his body with huokshot. Tue
first intimation OF the murder by amy one
out the actors WAS the appearance OF the
wife at an Italian garden, some distance
of, where she related the circumstances OF
her husbands attack and murder by some
unknown assassin and, iii proof, led them
to the body of the murdered man. When
the Information was brought 10 the city,
the detective force was Immediately set TO
work to ferret ont the case, From severa
small circumstances we became convinced
that the wife had been instrumental IN The
murder OF her husband, and we held he
! TO await the result of the investigation.
Ii then transpred tnat she had been on
very intimate terms with one Piano, and
thai a boon companion of Pianos was u
Misunderstanding Italian named Bruzzo.
Since the murder neither of them had
been seen in their iavorite haunss and this
strengthened the suspicion OF their guilt,
and sharp lookout was kept for them.
One night Capt. Lees and myself took
walk down to the Italian portion of San
Francisco, and not finding any clue to our
men, va were returning TO the hail, when
our attention was attracted TO the italian
coffee saloon still standing on me corner Of
Merchant and Sausome streets. Entering,
we cast glance around the room, and
fixed on one man who answered the de-
soription OF Bruzzo. We watched hi n
while and becoming fully satisfied that
we had our man, went to him rs ne stood
at the counter, aud in familiar tone al
dressed him with Halo, BruZzoN
He turned and stared at as with a Won
,derment that we then thought feigued
and jabbered some words in French that
were unintelligible to US.
| Suddenly he made n grimmace, by
which we knew that he recognized the
nams, and in an distracted manner he kept
mutteriug, "Bruzzo, Bruzzo?' and then
drawing letter from his pocket, he ar
swered in broken English:
Yes, zair, understand. Bruzzo, he
send me dis letter from Sacramento TO.
day"
Possessed of this clew we started to Sac
ramento, and there learned that Bruzzo
had left that day by railroad to Placerville
At PlAcerville we lost all trace of him, and
were at halt. While roaming around the
place. We ran across Jack Davis, who had
robbed Senator Reddington of a lot of val
liable jewelry, and arrested him.
While we were in DAVIS room We beard
b conversation about q man who, from the
general way in which he was described, we
knew must be Bruzzo Giving Davis into
the custody of the sheriff of Sacramento,
Lees and myself began the tour OF the
groceries and groggeries of the place. To-
ward evening we entered one OF the worst
in the town, and calling tho landlord aside,
Informed him of the purpose of our visit,
and also intimated that the best thing he
could do would be to come out square He
did not attempt any equivocation, but said
that Bruzzo had stopped at his house, and
had left three days before with mule
train for Virginia City. He also told us
that our fugitive had left trunk behind
him. and of this We took possession. Init
we found letters which led to the arrest OF
Piano, who was hid away in San Francis
CO. His trail was taken up again, and at
ter several d, ys we arrived at Strawberry
Valley, and there learned that Bruzzo had
gone ahead and was by that time near
Virginia City,
| On the day of orr arrival at the latter
place, as l was strolling along one of the
streets, turnsd a corner rather abruptly,
and went plump against BruZzo. He did
not know nae, and did not express any sur
prise, but as far rs l was concerned, l
hardly can tell how | felt. In less time
than can tell you this, / recovered, and
said
'How are You, Brazzo ?"
| He looked quicki; and earnestly at me,
aud replied with the interrogatary OF How
are you 2
told him, and said he had best come
along with me- To conclude, we brought
him to San Francisco; he was tried, and,
with the others, was sentenced to the
State Prison for lite, and with the excep
ton of the woman, they are now at San
Quentin.
| HIS confession revealed him to be one
of the blacklist scoundrels on earth. He
said that before coming to this country
from Italy he had followed the profession
OF an assassin, and had put an end to the
existence of more than one person, and
had been forced to leave by the discovery
of one of his crimes. Since he landed in
San Francisco, he had kept out of scrapes
until Pizsno preached the murder of La
carl He was only offered $50 at first, but
by dint of hard bargaining had run it up
IS more, and for $38 he agreed to murder
man who had, as he said, been warm
friend to him.
The plan of ambush was agreed upon, as
we'll as the locality. and on the appointed
day be repaired to the Lone Rock
When the guilty wife and her husband ap-
peared, and had reached a convenient dis
lance, he stepped from his place of con