Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-24
Capture of a Murderer.

JSS0SA1J
 morning John Costello or Costinetto, the Italian, was arrested near Milford yesterday
 morning about 2:3O o'clock by Police Officers
 Ahearn and Mcbride The officers had been
 to Bridgeport in pursuit of the fugitive and
 were returning to New Haven feeling dispir-
 ited over their i'll luck in not finding him,
 when they suddenly came upon the man they
 were looking for making tracks toward New
 York. It was bright moonlight and Officer
 Ahearn recognized him as the man they were
 looking for. He quickly jumped from the
 carriage and seizing Costinetto demanded his
 pistol, which he immediately delivered to the
 officer. He was then hustled into the car riage and the officers started for the city. The pistol was evidently the one with which he shot Rizzo. Two barrels were discharged. On reaching the police station Costinetto was locked up in cell 26. He is of rather stout build, has a dark complexion with gray eyes, and from the unsatisfactory view that could be obtained of him in the dim light of the cell did not look like rough or desperate character. He speaks English with no foreign accent, and talked freely about his wanderings yesterday, al- though indisposed to say anything in regard to the circumstances of the shooting. ssWhen I ran away from Oak street, said Costinetto in his narrative, ''my idea was to get beyond the reach of the police. kept going until was near the bridge in Center ville There I remained outdoors the rest Of the night, standing up all the time and half expecting that some one would be after me every minute. No one noticed CT bothered
 light I walked back to MT. Earn hams, in Crescent street. I then had good mind to go to the police office and give myself up, but finally concluded not to. Upon leaving Mir. Farnham's I went to West Rock and finding retired place in the bushes laid down and had a nap. As soon as it was dark I came into the city by way of West Chapel and Oak streets and then struck down for the road going to Bridgeport. I didn't have any particular idea about where was going, my only idea being to escape. While was walking along in Milford about 2 o'clock or so, 1 met the officers in team. I might have run, suppose, but I stood still and let them take me, because all the while had half 8 mind to give myself up." Costinetto said that from o'clock Satur- day evening until the same hour Sunday evening he had gone without food. A on his person, was given him, he said, by stranger with whom he struck up an &C., quaintance in the western part of the city. His age was between r and IS. As to bis right name he said:
 q have always been called Costello, but don't know why I should be. Both my parents are Italians, my mothers last name being Costipetti and my fathers Demarka.
 I do not remember my father, who went to San Francisco when I was six months old, and lived there until his death, about eight months ago. I used to live with my mother, but have lately been boarding in Lafayette street with my sister, who is the wife of Lewis J. Cross"
 The prisoners mother lives in Fair Haven with another of her married daugh- ters.
 The pistol which Costetto gave up to the officers is ''bull dog" five shooter of Hop
 kins & Sleen's make. Two of the chambers were empty and the other three loaded: The
 weapon carries ball of 38 caliber or very
 nearly that.
 Coroner Boilman on being notified that Rizzo could not live took his ante mortem statement which was in substance as fol- lows II was shot between Il and 12
 o'clock Saturday night in front of Burns saloon, 24 Oak street. Johnny Costetto shot
 me. I went into the saloon with three or four
 friends and there met Costetto. I had no
 quarrel with Costetto, but he wanted to pick
 quarrel with everybody. I had no quarrel with him. While he was talking and want
 ing to fight told him to go home more than two hundred times. Costetto showed no weapon, but kept his hand in his pocket.
 Finally he said, come out and I will kill you all. A few minutes later my friends and went out, Costetto going with us. I started for policeman whom saw to ask him to arrest Costetto or take him home I had only started when he pulled out his pistol and shot me. cried out, My God, Pm dead; Johnny Costetto has shot me- Just before the shooting he said nothing to me nor to him.
 Yesterday morning Rizzo's body was taken { to the hospital, where Medical Examiner Dr. ! White held an autopsy upon it. Rizzo's \ xUif Evh ia in ia kI1z ! prostrated with grief. The eldest of | their four children is only seven years \ of age. All who knew of Rizzo \ speak of him remarkably peaceful and i'm ! offensive man. There has been a report that ! Costetto was excited to the quarrelsome fit in which he did the shooting by reflections upon \ the character of girl with whom he was ac- quainted. One of the Italians with Rizzo denies this, however. He says there was no talk about a woman. The members of Rig zo's party all knew Costetto, and when they first went in they talked and fooled together good naturedly. Then Costetto got mad and wanted to fight the others. Rizzo then step- ped in and tried to restore order, repeatedly advising Costetto to go home.
 Saloon Keeper Burns says he cou Id not tell what the conversation was, as the parties
 spoke in Italian. ''rhey were all iabberinp
 together and when they got pretty noisy I
 ordered them out and they went. Costetto
 might have been drinking some, but scarcely
 showed the effects of it. He did not drink in my place because I will not sell him any
 thing. He trains with rather hard gang of
 young fellows who have made trouble in my
 place before."
 The autopsy showed that the bullet went
 through the stomach and perforated some of
 the small intestines. The funeral will take
 place at 9 o'clock this morning from
 20 Factory street
 Costetto admitted to the officers on the way
 l. AL AI-.
 with Rizzo and the latter's friends arose
 through their casting aspersions on the
 character of a young woman with whom he
 was keeping company. He said that she was
 a nice, respectable girl, and he wouldn't hear
 her abused. Her name he refused to tell.
 &There were four or five of them pitching onto me-" said Costetto further That 's the reason I shot. Had there been but one I
 would have used my fists. When we came out of the saloon fired once over his head Then he started to call the officer and shot him. The story about my afterwards firing at the officer is not so."
 Coroner BolIman decided yesterd ay after noon to hold a secret hearing in the case for the purpose of 7ascertaining if possible all the circumstances connected with the murder To this end he held secret court of inquiry in the judges room adjoining the court room. Captain Hyde, of the police force, drove to the jail about 5 o'clock yesterday aILoEGOOh duu d udl4 uOuE laC0E re- turned with the prisoner, who had been sent to the jail to await his preliminary hearing is set down for Sat urday next. The young man was taken to the court room by the captain and placed temporarily in charge of Officer Kearnan. Later Detective Brewer relieved Kearnan, who was summoned as witness before the | coroner. Judge Blydenburgh, who has been | retained as counsel for Costinetto, was sent for and soon after appeared.
 Coroner Bollman's private investigation | continued from 4 p. m. to 11:3O p. ID. At that hour an adjournment was taken until | this afternoon. When the coroner emerged | from his room he was asked if he could not | give the reporters some evidence taken last | evening, and he replied that he was too tired | and in fact positively refused to give the | public anything regarding his investigations | through the medium of the press. When asked why he refused, he pointed to the law (drafted by himselD which gives coroners the power to hold secret investigations, hay ing only one witness at @ time, and he Cor she) in the presence of the coroner only. There is no doubt about the fact. nor has there been from the beginning but that Rizzoswas murdered by Costello or Costinetto or whatever his name may be- Why then ia thiS axclusiveDecs in mot