The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-03-04
IA Romantic Crime.

81 a Romantic Criae.
E;n6s. the regent pardon of Nine. La
seasi. convicted Of being accessory to the
murder OF her husband in Visitaoian
Valley, California; s!some points, in the
|Q$3e. not heretofore known, have been
Brought out. One OF Chief Crowleyy's
detectives tells the following story of the
murder and arrest of the criminals:
Madame Lacari was woman whom
you would suspect at look On the
day of the murder, she inveigled her
husband into ride to Visitacion Valley.
On arriving there, man stepped from
behind large rock, and, after q few mo.
ments parley, shot poor Lacari dead, and
The first intimation of the murder, by
any one but the actors, was the appear
ance of the wife OF an italian garden,
some distance of, where she related the
circumstance of her husbands attack
and murder by some unknown assassin,
and. in proof, led them to the body of
the murdered man. When the informa-
ton was brought to the city, the detec-
tive force was Immediately set to work to
ferret out the case. From several small
circumstances, we became convinced
that the wife had been instrumental in
the murder of her husband, and we held
her to await the result of au investiga-
ton.
It then tranenired that she had been
on very intimate terms with one Pizauo,
and that a boon companion to Piano
was villainous looking Italian named
Bruzzo. Since the murder. neither of
them had been seen in their favorite
haunts, and this strengthened the suspi.
cion of their guilt, aud sharp lookout
was kept for them.
One night, Capt. Lees and myself took
walk down to the Italian portion OF
San Francisco, aDd not finding any clue
to our men. We were returning to the
hall, when our attention was attracted to
the Italian coffee saloon still standing on
the corner of Merchant and Sansome
streets. Entering, we cast q glance
around the room, and fixed on ono man
who answered the description Of Bruz-
20. We watched him for while, and,
becoming fully satisfied tina. we had our
man, went to him as he stood at the
counter, and, in familiar tone. ad-
dressed him with "Hallo, Bruzzo"
He turned and stared Mt us with q
wonderment that we then thought feign-
Cd, uuo JuOUC1Su bOuS HOTuS Ill L ICuCu
that were unintelligible to lis.
Suddenly he made grimace, by which
we knew that he recognized the name,
and in an abstract manner he kept NUT
tering ''BruZzo, Bruzzo?" and then draw
ing letter from his pocket. he answered
IN broken English:
''Yes, zair, I understand. Bruzzo, he
send me dis letter from Sacramento, to-
day"
Possessed of this clue, we started to
Sacramento, and there learned that
Bruzzo had left that day by railroad to
Placerville. At Placerville we lost oil
trace of him, and were at halt. While
roaming around the place We came across
jack Davis, who had robbed Senator
Reddington of lot of valuable jewelry,
and arrested him.
While we were in Davis room, we
heard conversation about a 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 grog-
geries of the place. Toward evening we
entered one of the worst in the town,
and, calling the landlord aside, informed
linn 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. In it we found letters which
led to the arrest of Piano, who was hid
away in San Francisco. His trail was
taken up again, and after several days
We arrived at Strawberry Valley, and
there learned that Bruzzo had gone
ahead. and was probably by that time
| near Virginia City.
On the day Of our arrival at the latter
place, as I was strolling along one of the
streets, I turned corner rather abrupt
ly and went plump against Bruzzo. He
did not know me, and did not express
any surprise, but as far as was con-
cerned, I hardly can tell how felt. In
less time than tell this, recovered and