The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-25
LOCAL MATTERS.
THE ITALIAN HOMICIDE.
INTERESTING PARTICULARS
THE AUToPsY-THE INQUEST.
LOCAL MATTERS.
THE VERDICT.
simionc, tsic Murderer, at Large.


Mention has already been made in the
Dispatch of~the alteration between the two
Italians Giuseppe Simione and Vmcenzo
Castronovo, which occurred on Friday after
noon at No. 1865 Franklin street; the brutal
assault upon Castronovo, sc. the removal of
the injured man to the Intirmary of the Med.
ical College; his subsequent death, and the
determination of Coroner Taylor to hold a
post.m0rtem examination and inquest at the
City Morgue. ...
THE AUTOPSY.
At 1880 O'Clock on Sunday the body of
placed i'm one of the basement rooms in the
southern end of the Medical College. Here
it was that the posi-mOrtem examination was
held by Coroner Taylor, assisted by DR.. Il.
Z. Mayo. The only marks Of violence upon
the body Of the deceased was wound on
the left side Of The head, two inches in
length, made with some rough instrument,
aud which did not reach the bone except at
one point and where the bone was struck,
the wound was about the diameter Of an or
binary slate-pencil. Upon removing The
scalp, however, fracture OF the bone was
discovered, extending from beyond the
wound to the region Of the LETT eye; in
length, six and half inches. When the top
of the skull was removed clot of blood was
found beneath the fracture four inches long,
three inches wide, and IN inch thick. The
membranes of the brain were also found to
lie eengorged with blood TO Il considerable eX-
tent.
The skull was of unusual thinness, which
probably accounts for so serious u res,ilt-a
result which would not ordinarily follow
such an injury. The left eye was cOnSidera-
bly blackencd, hut this was due TO the fIuc-
ture and not to blow in the eye. The brain
Itself was very much flattened by the pres.
sure of the clot Of blood upon it.
THE INQUEST.
High Constable Ducsbcrry was engaged
during the morning in sllmmoning Il jury fol
the inquest. which was held at the City
Morgue. The following are the names oI
the jurymen who served: NJ. LoLerzo Qore'
many, G. IIirsch, V. !. Mountcastle, james
Lhae, a. Pictri, Samuel r. Preston, Henry
Lazzariui, Alessandora Balena, Il. Triacca,
o. D. Bcnzo. and j. Chesa.
Punctually at the appointed hour (4:3O
o'ctock) every juryman was i'll Attendance,
and under the direction OF DR.. Taylor they
were taken into the basement of the College,
where they viewed the body Of the deceased
and were sworn. The Coroner stated to the
Jury that he had made Il poSt-m0rtem eXami-
nation in tile morning, and explained the
nature of the wound, its extent, and the
cause of death :, which he said resulted, in
all probability, from the pressure Of the
clotled blood upon the brain.
This done, the jury and witnesses, besides
a number of spectators, went up stairs into
the room set apart Tor the Use Of the Coro-
ncr, where
THE TESTIMONY
was taken. The jury being composed
mostly Of Italians, and the witnesses being
of the same nationality, it became necessary
to have an interpreter, for none of the
Witnesses could speak English. An intclli-
gent Italian named Regolo Puccini was en-
p.oyed as such and duly sworn. DR.. Taylor
then read the oath to each witness in success
sion, and it was translated by the interpreter,
as also the questions and answers.
The first witness was Ninccnzo Morano,
who was questioned by the Coroner:
Q. Di you sec Simione strike Castronovo
A. Yes; WAS standing near by, and wit.
messed The difficulty.
@. What was CaStronovo doing? A. He
was haltsolinS a pair OF shoes.
Q. Who else was present? A. Bo1avita
and Lucarelo.
Q. What was the name of the man who
struck Castronoro! A. Giuseppe Simiore
Coroner: Now, tell us everything that
happened ut the time of the difficulty!
Witness Well, sir, they met and made a
bargain for hatsOliDg pair of shoes for sixty
cents. Castronoyo was to halfsole the shoes
for Simione for that amount. Simionc went
to Castronovo and offered him twenty-five
cents for the job. Castronovo said rather
than take that amount he would take of the
soles, and stopped down. AS he stopped
down Simionc struck him OIL the head.
Q. What did he strike him with?
THE FATAL WEAPON.
A. A piece Of wood. IA piece Of oak wood
nearly square is here exhibited by the Coro'
ner. The witness examines it and declares
it to be the piece used by Simione when he
struck Castronovo. 1t measures seventeen
inches in length, and is just four and halt
inches square. 1t appears to bc, in other
words, about the size Of an ordinary piece o
kindling-wood, aud weighs, perhaps, a flac
ton less than pOund.]
o. How many times did he hit him? A
He struck him twice, and the door being
open he turned about and left.
o. Did Castronoyo strike Sinione or say
ANYTHING bad to him? A. They had nc
words ut all, though he seemed mad little
Merely said he meant to take oil the Soles.
But nothing else passed between them.
o. Who is this Simione? A. 10 my
knowledge he has been in Jail once before,
but don't know anything else about him.
The reason why he WIS in Jail before was
that he once had difficulty with man and
struck him blow with his list.
@ DO YOU know whether Simlone killed
his wifes A, AS to his first wife, the people
saw he was the cause Of her death, but he
dldu't beat her to death.
q. Did he kill bis child? A. No; he never
did, that i know of. s..
Nicola Bonavita was the next witness eX'
amincd -a,
Dr. Taylor asked him, first, if he was pre-
sent at the difficulty; to when the "itnesS
replied. lcs, sir .s,,s. -,
y o. What time did it happen? A. About
9 O'Clock on Friday afternoon.
Coroner: Well, tell, the jury what you
know of the difficulty. A. The shoes were
mended, and the bargain for them had Deer
made for sixty cents. He offered deceased
twenty five cents for the job, and Castronoye
said he would takesof the soles If he Wasn'l
paid sixty cents. Y,
O.. How did Simione come to strike him
A. When he stopped down to take otf tue
soles Giuseppe took up the piece OF wood
and struck him twice. -sae
@. Are you sure he struck him twice !? A,
Yes, sir. Z. a.s - E
:. @. Did he strike him in the same placs
tw.ce2 a. He struck himson the. head IL
two places. Il, 5s.i s'sEz,f .-2 = =,
@. Did he strike him in the5eyea "A. No,
sir. ,...s:s.ss Is 5,..,S !, g.
O. Was he standing In front OF him OF