Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-27
A REMARKABLE CASE,

1H 1COCGOH PRISONER VINO 191eS 20 SLQTte
Himself to Death, and Then WitEers HIS
Hand bV Fire to Ao0id York.
Augusta (Ga.) Special to Chicago Tribune. !
A case that has excited great interest
among the Italians of the south and is a re-
markable onein its aspects, spending before
the Governor of Georgia. About one year
ago young Italian, named Pimonti, savage
ly assaulted one Guif1idi with Ratchet and
horribly mutilated him. The assault was
ferocious and Indignant, and it was with the
utmost difficulty that outright murder was
prevented. Guiffridi was barber and had
discharged Pimonti. One night as he was
putting up his shutters, Pimonti rushed in
the shop brandishing Ratchet. He made
directly for Guiffridi and struck him in the
back of the neck, burying the Ratchet in the
flesh. Guifridi lodged the second blow,
but the first has left him deformed for life,
with his head down to one side. The
assault was murderous and unjustifable.
When in Jail Pimonti was violent, sullen,
and defiant. He showed no repentance or
sorrow, and seemed to regret only that he
had not killed his enemy. He could hardly
speak word of English, and appeared to
have an ungovernable temper that at times
went almost into paroxysms. His friends
say that Guifridi treated Pimonti wrong
about his wages; that he brought him out
from New York to Augusta, and, after prom
Using to increase his wages, discharged
him with probably balance due; and that,
writhing under the sense of wrong, in a
strange land, half-staryed and helpless, he
threw himself upon the man that had
wronged him. He was sentenced to ten
years hard labor in the penitentiary.
And now comes the strange part of the
story. He became very violent at receiving
his sentence, and declared that he would die
before he would work. Upon reaching the
camp he refused to take hold of the pickax
Under the discipline of the camp, he was
stripped, tied up, and whipped. He laughed
and cursed in broken English as the cruel
lash cut into the flesh, and when the whip
ping was over said, "Whip some more; me
want more.'' He was whipped again until
the superintendent, seeing that he was ex-
hausted, ordered him down. He was whipp-
ed again the next day and the next, but
never would he touch the pickax. His back
was lacerated, and it must have been torture
every time the lash touched him, but he
never WINGED. He cursed his keepers, and
laughed at their efforts to conquer him.
About this time it was discovered that he had
not eaten mouthful since he was brought
to the camp, and that under the effects of
whipping and starvation he was very near to
death. MIR. Twiggs, the engineer, went to
see him, and asked him why he would not
| eat. He said he would never eat again until
he was given new trial. He seemed thor
| oughly convinced that he had been uniustlv
treated, and that if he could get new trial
he would be cleared. He said, "Niggar
1 ckrIo mo -f<1T17s &ar,
why?" abiding to negro who had been
sentenced when he was. He was 80 weak
that he could hardly stand up. Mr.. Twiggs
asked him il it didn't hurt him to do with
out food. 'Hurt first three days; very nice
now; nothing hurt me.'' To Mr.. Twiggs'
horror, he then staggered to the fire, and,
| picking up some live Goals, held them in the
palm of his hand, and, turning towards
| Twiggs, said: "Oan you do that? Nothing
hurt me-" Mr.. Twiggs says the smoke from
the burning a. ash rose from Pimonti's hand,
but he did not vince. When the Goals had
blackened he threw them to guard, saying /:
"You get plenty dem when you 90 down
stairs" Mr.. Twiggs asked him if he wanted
to die, why he didn't run and let the guard
shoot him. He said: "Den me 90 down
stairs" 'sBut if you don't eat you will die!''
eyes; but no killee myself. Judge killee me-.
Christ go to Jerusalem when knew Jews kill
him. Judge he Jews. He kill mes AT
last Mr.. Twiggs promised to write to the
Governor, asking for q new trial, and asked
Pimonti to eat something. "No," he said,
'sme write, me live five, six day, no eating -
'But you may be dead before the Governor
can reply?" "Then you write Governor and
tell him man dead take no more trouble. .
! At length, after showing him letter to the