Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-10-06

drunk. and made him cup of tes. after
drinking which he went to bed. He stayed
| In his house all night; got up at daylight and
went to another cabin on his ranch. He saw
three parties approaching. He had had law
suits with the Lees about house he had
bought of Mitchell to put on his land: He
generally arose about A. NJ, as he could not
sleep after that hour. He had been in tbs
habit of going over his ranch when he first
got up to see whether or not the Lees were on
his land.
He HAD PISTOL
Once, but it was stolen about q year before
the trouble. he had a gun which he loaded
with lead cut up in small pieces. He had no
shot IN bis house, and the gun he kept back
OF the door. The last time he saw the gun it
was behind the door. The gun was shown
him. He said it was his; another one he
owned at that time; the only gun he had and
which he bought il Sacramento Did not
have the gun in his hands the day of the
murder, and has never seen it since until it
was shown him in Court He last loaded the
gun about eighteen days before the murder.
When the three men referred to saw him,
they pursued him, and in his fight be fell
into creek and got wet. He went to Lodi.
and from there to Stockton, arriving st the
latter place about s P. NJ. He went then to
see Joseph Zignacio. his attorney, relative to
his land trouble. Zignacio had done business
for him before. When he arrived at Stockton
ne had no money, and
WENT INTO A STABLE AND SLEPT
Until a. M; went to a market near by,
where there were several Italians; heard
them say that Salvatore Trsoi had said j John
Leniini had killed his wife. He had but 40
cents; spent % cents of it for bread, and
started for Modesto, arriving there at S
M in ho ha l,,, Aol
out to look for work, and engaged to a wood
chopper, where he worked ten or eleven days.
He next went to Turlock, where he stayed
six or seven months. From Turlock be went
to Merced, where he staid week looking for
work then went to Bakersfield. and stopped
lorg time, working on an alfalfa ranch. He
next went to Visslis. and stayed in that town
four months and five days. He worked for q
Scotchman near town by the name of Peter
Stewart. He had the sgue while there. He
left Stewards and went into the town OF Visa.
lia. He was sick. lying under tree, and TIVE
boys took hold of and arrested him. An old
man
PUT FAND.CUFFs ON HIM,
And brought him to the Sacramento Jail.
He said the Gstos who testified against him
in the case he never saw until he saw them
in Court. He never told anyone that he and
Troai had struggle for gun, and that tbs
weapon was discharged, killing Margarita
Troai. He went directly from Stockton to
Modesto on the same day, and has never been
at Stockton since. His place is about a mile
and half from Troai's, and be visited the
latter almost every day. Knew Trosi and
his wife for eight or nine years. Knew them
when they lived in Gait and Liberty. They
did not live harmonIously. but had difficult
ties almost every day. Margarits wrote to
priest in Italy, and received an answer re-
gsrding letters she had found that Sam had
received from a woman in Italy. About the
1st of January, 1882, while he was at Troai's
house, Mrs. Troai was setting the table, and
she called Sam a traitor deceiver. Sam
was very much enrsged; went and got his
gun. Lentini got hold of the barrel of the
gun, tried to take it away from Troai, and in
the struggle the gun was discharged, the
charge taking effect in barrel. Troai called
her all kinds of vile names, and she accused
him of selling her geese and sending the
money be received for them to his womsn in
Italy. About the same time Trosi pulled
pistol on witness on the road between Len
tini's and Troais.
TBoAI WOULD HAVE SHOT LENTINI
Then had not some of the Gaffneys come in
sight. At the same time he struck witness
over the arm with stick twice, whipped the
little girl, and whipped his wife also. The
latter was beaten so badly that she had to be
lifted from the ground.
Cross ss-examination-His cabin was less
than quarter of mile from that of Raj
fety's. The Lee boys stole cabin from
Mitchell, and put it on his land on Sunday
while he was away from home. He started
for Stockton at II o'clock at night and was
in Zignacio's office at o'clock next morning.
When he first saw the three men they were
coming towards his house. He did not return
to his house and tell Peter he was going to
Stockton for fear
THE MEN WOULD KILL HIN.
He did not return for horse for the same
reason. He first went to Hawks corner,
from there to Lodi, and thence to Stockton
He said the stable he slept in at Stockton
was opposite the Jail and belonged to s.
Frenchmsn. Shortly after 6 A. NJ. he started
for Modesto. The man who testified tins
Lentini stopped in his barn at Stockton fer
ten days Twas brought into Court. Witnt So
was asked if be knew him. He said he had
known him for ten years, but denied having
ever stopped in his barn. Never heard any
thing more about the murder than that which
he overheard at the market in Stockton. He
says he was crazy most of the time. Pasquale
Cato and his brother Joe were brought in,
and Lentini said he never saw them in his
life until they came into Court to testify
against him and
DENOUNCED THEM AS INPosToRs.
He never stopped with them nor was he ever
given hat and blanket by them. Denied
having worked on the ranch eight miles from
Modesto, testified to by an italian. He
worked only for Americans. He denied the
testimony of all the Italians who testified in
regard to his flight. He said that since his
separation from his wife bis mind has been
wandering more or less. When he went to
Stockton he had on hat and coat. On the
day he returned from Calf with Pete he un-
hitched and embarrassed the horses and put
them in the barn. He went to the hay and
put the fork ia, to feed the horses, when he
fell over drunk and went to sleep. He de-
MED buying shot at any time at Brewster's
store in Gait.
J. G. Zignacio said he had known John
Lentini fer three or four years. He knew of
his having trouble with the Cray family.
Defense rests.
REBUTTING TESTIMONY.
Peter Corrolla said after the difficulty at
Troai's he walked up to Lsntini's cabin, fol-
lowing the road. Went to Rsffety's cabin at
dark, and Rsffety was at home. This was
three.qusrters of an hour after he left Troai's.
He denied ever having told Mr.. Edgerton,
the District Attorney or Mr.. Wriston that
Rsffety was not there at that time. He was
there, he was positive of it. for he at that
time held a conversation with him.
L. j. Young, San Joaquin farmer, said
he knew John Lentini, the defendant. Was
out goose hunting one morning, and coming
back home passed deserted cabin. Heard
noise, and proceeded to examine the cabin.
As he went around the cabin saw Lentini
about forty yards distant, running away.
Called to him to stop, but he kept on run
mig. He had on neither hat nor coat. This
was three or four days after Mrs. Treats
murder. At be ran he kept looking back.
Adjourned to A. NJ to-dsv