Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-12-01
ACUT.THROAT,S CONFESSION.
FilOmenO GaIlOfGi Tells His story
of the Denver Massacre,


FiIomenO GaIIotti Tells His story
of the Denver Massacre.
Denver Nows.l
Giovanni Cont, alias Filomeno Gal
lotti, the chief carver of the recent Ital-
ian butchery, made partial confession
yesterday This wretch, who planned
the massacre, and, with his own little
knife, cut the throats OF all four victims,
has refused to talk with officers, report
ers, or anybody about the affair, except
to say that he had no hand in the MUIR
der, While the others, in the same cell
with him, have told their stories, freeing
their cunsciences by telling everything,
Cont, as conscienceless as fock, has
heard all without eviucing the slightest
emotion. He has evidently been fxingup
his defense, and yesterday be signiied
bis desire to make clean breast of the
matter, and tell the whole truth.
lie says he insugursted the carving
exercise, at the card.table, BY quietly
cutting the old Italians throat, holding
him by the hair and saving the dirk
across his windpipe till he was quite
dead The other butchers, who were cut.
ting and slashing at the boy, failing in
dispatching him as easily as they had
hoped, he left the old man and weat to
their assistance, and gave the boy stab
that took his breath away from HIM
With this, he says, he put up his knife
and took no further part except to look
on, from the front room, while Arata,
Ballette and Giuseppe cut the throats OF
the other two boys as they entered by
the back door. He says that they took
from belt, and also q pocket-book, on
the old mans body, the sum Of $500 in
gold and 1871 in currency. A good part
of this, he claims, was doled out, in
sums varying from 800 to $i40, to all
the parties concerned in the crime, and
he denies having buried any portion OF
the spoils, but says his share, except the
amount found upon him when arrested,
was spent in reaching New Mexico
Cont acknowledges that be got the
others to join him in the murder Deo-
data. whose prevarications ore both
amazing and amusing, was the FIRST man
spoken to on the subject. He agreed
to 90 "snooks" with him in the murder
Then, on the last day Of the Territorial
fair, Fernandez, the Mexican, was asked
to join, and cheerfully consented, saying
be could guide them out OF the country
safely. Arata, the boy whose confession
has carried much weight with it, when
spoken to, refused TO take part, but af-
terward consented. One by one the
whole gang were apprised and enlisted
10 the undertaking.
Conti's reason for killing the old man
is this: Years ago he was following his
trade of tinker in New Orleans. He
was very much liked by all his Italian,
French and Spanish acquaintance, sAd
the confidence in him was so strong that
several of them deposited their earnings
with him for ssfe-keeping. In time these
private deposits rolled up into the sum
Of $4,000. He thought he might as well
reap some benefit from the funds, and
accordingly loaned the money to an
Italian fruit dealer, who went up 10
Memphis on business, and never re-
turned. Cont followed him, in time,
duQ dbCtTJhlucu budb bH6 iIulv Nthucf
had been induced to run away with the
money by an old Italian named Joe,
musician who had gone North. BE started
out, says Cont, to overtake the thief, visit
ling Mobile, Louisville, St. Louis Kansas
City, Omaha and Cheyenne, and, being
unable to reimburse his New Orleans de-
positors, concluded to settle down in
Denver and resume his honest trade Of
tinker. BE had been here but short
time when, at the. invitation of Les
sandri the harpist, he called atthe house
of old Joe, on Lawrence street, whom he
had never seen before. While there Joe
asked him to write letter for him. He
wrote the letter, which was to woman
in Italy, and to his great surprise, added,
by direction, the signature Of the identi-
cal man who had cot the fruit-dealer to
run of with 5000 belonging to his
friends. he satisfied himself, after writ
ing any number of letters, that be had
struck the right man, and then he deter
mined to kill him, and gradually dis
closed his purpose TO his con6dants.