Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-15
Castagnetto.s Trial.

The Alleged Murderer Of Joseph Rfzz0
 Tried in the City Court Yesterday-
 Several Witnesses TestJfy-The Wound
 Necessarily Fatal.
 The trial of John CastaRnetto for the mur- der of Joseph Rizzo was commenced yester- day morning in the City court after the des- posal of the regular docket. The prisoner is only seventeen years old. Lawyer Bly, denburgh was appointed his guardian The lad is of medium size, has large nose, dark hair and heavy dark eJelashes. He does not look as if he was anything but peaceably in clined. He put in plea of not guilty. Dr. Frederic Bellosa, of Court street, was the first witness called, and after saying that he had practiced medicine for twelve years, told how he was called to attend Joseph Rizzo, about Il o'clock on the night of July Fist. Rizzo was lying in his bedroom in great pain. "I found a wound in front of the abdomen, un- der the cartilage, extending through to the back. found also 8 round object under tho skin between the vertebre. about four inches to the left of the median line. This body recognized as bullet. l extracted it and gave it to Officer William Kearney. I prescribed morphine for the patient. He was conscious all the time. The witness identified a bullet which Prosecutor Cable took from his pocket as the one he extracted. He said the bullet penetrated the stomach, intestines and some muscles He was present at the autopsy at the hospital. The shot was the direct cause of his death.
 On the cross-examination very little was elicited except the fact that it would have been as well to have allowed the ball to re- main where it was found. The witness said :: ''In this case I don't know whether he had recovered from the shock of the wound be- fore he died or not I did not probe the wound, for saw the ball on the other side. MT. Blydenburgh asked whether 1t was or was not 8 rule of surgery not to extract 8 Eall before the shock of the wound had dis appeared, also if it was a rule of surgery not to extract R ball if it was doing no possible injury. To the first question the doctor said he didn't know, and to the second that It didn't make any difference.
 In a redirect examination the doctor said that in his opinion he thought 1t proper thing to do to remove the ball, in order to complete his diagnosis of the case.
 Officer Wm. Kearney was called and was shown the conical lump of lead which killed Rizzo He said that was the bullet Dr. Bel losa gave him. He handed it to Capt. Hyde for safe keeping In his crosse examination he said he could not swear it was the very same ball. It probably was.
 Captain of Police Hyde could not identify the ball. but said he put it in the envelope which was lying on the table. MT. Cable put Capt Hyde's memorandum on the envel~ ope in evidence It read:
 Bullet taken from the man shot by John Costello, July 21, 1885"
 pr. Frank H. Whittemore said that he at- tended Joseph Rizzo on the night of the murder When he saw Rizzo he was in great pain, his pulse was faint and beating 100 to the minute and his skin was cold. The wound was oval in shape, one half an inch in diameter, an inch and half from the ensiform cartilege, which latter is at tached to the lower end of the breast bone It was lacerated wound. He did not probe it. The wound was of necessity fatal. Rizzo failed rapidly the day after he was shot. He died from the shot and exhaustion produced by gunshot wound. Lawyer Wm. Parsons who appears for the murdered mans family, conducted the examination of the last wit ness.
 After adjournment an Italian lad, sixteen years old, named Tony Walker, was called. He said he lived at 16 Factory street, and was at Timothy Burns barroom on Oak street, near the gate, on the night of the murder. He heard Castagnetto say, II can lick anyone what comes outside" Then John came out, and while walking dropped revolver. The witness tried to put his foot on it, when he kicked him. Rizzo followed Castagnetto out. The latter told him to stand back, for he wanted to kill somebody that night. Rizzo then said, ''I'll stand back if you'll save my life' He then advised Castagnetto to keep still, take care of himself and go home and he'd be better in the morning. John never said word at this, but took the revolver and shot him. Witness saw him shoot once di- rectly in front of Burns house, and next in the open lot near there. ..,
 The examination continued in the after noon until o'clock, when an adjournment was ordered until this morning at 1O:S0.