The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-12-20
Almost Cut to Pieees-A Ghastly Mur-
der by Italians-A Rag-Picker Man
gled in Horrible Manner-The Start
ling Discovery Which a Policeman
Made in Bottle Alley.


A mysterious and CHASTITY murder was
committed soon after III o'clock last
night, in the rear Of No. a. Baxter St. a
collection Of tenement houses known az
Bottle Alley. Officer Clark was still in
vestigating the circumstances Of the stab
bing Of an Italian organ grinder. AZ No
33l Baxter street. when he was informed
that a man bad been killed in the same
block. Following the crowd into the
dark underground passage tho officer
came upon n hideous object Stretched
upon the tagging was the body Of n man
almost devoid Of clothing. and covered
with blood. The dead man lay upon his
back and seemed 10 be almost cut 70
pieces. Great gashes were visible across
the breast and abdomen. and the hcsh
hung in shreds aud drippcd with blood
The body looked a. IL il had been repeat.
edly hewn and gashed with a knife
Around the courtyard we're pools Of
blood and parts Of clothing. showing that
there had been a violent struggle
The officer looked for the persons who
had committed the deed. bat no one
could be found. The alloy was deserted,
and the tenement houses around ID ap-
peRred TO have no occupants. AZ the
northeast corner Of the courtyard the
officer saw lamp burning In a room. and
following up q stream Of blood. found
that Il led 10 dismal cellar In which
the dead man bad undoubtedly been
murdered. Descending by n rickety
stairway, the officer found himself in a
wretched room. which seemed 20 be used
as sleeping apartment Several cots
were stretched along the walls Beer
kegs and glasses showed that the occu.
pants Of the room had been drinking. and
the confused and disordered appearance
OF everything proved that a iight had "a.
ken place. In a room above the cellar
the officer who had by this time been re.
inforced by officers from ncirhborinR
posts, found four men and n woman, al
Italians, who were trying 20 hide them.
selves and Immediately arrested thetn
None Of the people living in other rooms
in the alley could give any account Of
the murder The officer searched in
every part Of the tenement houses. but
no one would admit that he had seen the
affray, OF could give any particulars as to
the dead man.
The five prisoners were taken 10 the
Fourteenth Precinct Station House.
where they could not make their names
ineligible. except the woman. who said
she was called Ferroni. Speaking in
half broken English. she said 70 Tribune
reporter: The dead mans name Il Nj
chael Michaello. lie was a rag picker.
lie lived under my room in the cellar.
with four other rag pickers They also
sold stale beer Tonight | heard them
all quarrel One said, III kill you n you
drink my beer Soon heard men run.
ming looked out and saw Michaello'a
body on the pavement The dead man
has a WIFE but / don't know where she
is."
The woman finally gave the names Of
the four Italians as Buiisllo. Castachi.
Silvcsto and Antonio. Sho also gave
such descriptions OF them a. will enable
the police TO arrest them. No weapon
could be found near the murdered man,
and IL Is thought that the fatal knife was
carried of by tho murdcrcrs.
Bottlealley has been the scene Of q
number Of murders, but the police can
remember none In which the victim has