Morris tribune., 1885-11-18
II. w. RANDALL.
A TRIPLE HANGING.
THREE ITALIAN MURDERERS SUFFER
THE DEATH PENALTY.
They Face Their Doom Bravsly with
Zheir Minds Fixed ON Eternity-
No Hitch in the Execution
History of the Crime.


murderers, Gilardo, Azzaro. and Sylvestri
were hanged simultaneously at u o'clock
noon, Saturday, in the north corridor Of
the Cook county Jail. They were unfalter.
ing to the last AMI met their doom without
betraying any signs Of breaking down. Their
naturally swarthy faces were blanched,
Sylvestris especially being an ashy-pale
color. He seemed to be more nervous than
the others, and kept his lips pressed closely
together, as if relying upon will-power
alone to maintain his feet. Azzaro and
Gilardo apparently had their thoughts fixed
an eternity. They kept their heads bent
and their lips moved in silent prayer.
At II :45 O'clock their devotions were in
terrupted by a messenger who announced
that the time had arrived in which to say
their final farewells and prepare for the next
world. The scene was solemn one. The
three wretches had passed the early morn
ing hours in the Jail library. They received
holy communion at the hands Of Father
Morretti, who engaged them from that time
for ~:rrl in pious conversation.
unexpected:alacri they made prep
arat.ons to quit the library and take up
their march to the gallows. The door was
chett emerged therefrom followed by Jailer
and two other priests. No delay was met
with. The procession was only few Sec
onds in reaching the gallows, yet the
time seemed twice as long The crowd
surrounding the gallows heard the
approaching footsteps. The shuf1ing feet
along the iron passagsway startled the
waiting audience, and the effect was so dis
Agreeable that many faces were turned in
stinctively from the sight. The condemned
men were not shacklei until placed upon
the drop Then their arms and legs were
pinioned. The moose was frightened about
their necks, the caps pulled down over
their faces, and instantly the signal was
given, the drop was sprung, and the mur-
derers of Filippo Caruso were dangling at
ropes ends.
The murder of Filippo Caruso was an
atrocious deed. Nothing SO ruthless has
transplred IN Chicago within recent years,
and from its peculiar circumstances, the
cold blooded premeditation of the assassins
and the ingenuity which for time enabled
them to escape, the crime known as the
Hltalian trunk mystery" is memorable one
in police annals.
Caruso was 20 year age, native of Sicily.
and by occupation lemon-peddler. Filippo
was industrious, and his savings, amount
ing to several hundreds of dollars, it was
his custom to carry concealed about his
clothing.
This money tempted the cupidity of Gio-
vanni Azzaro. He eoncocted a plan to
strangle Caruso for his money, and induced
Agu tino Galardo and Ignazio Sylvestri
to assist in the murder. The conspirators
all came from the same province in
Italy where Caruso was born, and
lived together in room in the upper floor
almost bare. A chair or two composed the
furniture. Some damp straw served as
beds. There were five of these heaps, the
two extra hunks being for the use of An
tonic Mereurio and lgnazzio Bove, also
Sicilians. The two last named overheard
the conspirators planning the murder and
knew that the crime was to be committed.
They said nothing, but refused to take any
active, part in the killing
Thursday, April 80, Caruso left his home
his csuntrymen at "a Tifaen avenue. He
was seen going upstairs by a 12-year-old
child named Mamie Moran, whose parents
lived in the apartments below. When he
entered the room the three men who
were to take his life were present.
asked him to sit down. Gilardo was
strapping razor. The Italians have a
custom Of shaving each other in turn. Gi-
lardo, after sharpening his razor, asked
Caruso to shave him. Caruso did this and
then took Gilardo's place to.bs shaved. Ca
feet and allowed his head to fall back SO
that the operation of shaving could be-
readily done. Gilardo made a thick lather,
which he spread up and down the
throat of his unsuspecting victim,
Stealthily reaching for stout cord made
into moose, he de1teriously let it fall over
Caruso's head, Instantly Azzaro bounded
from his seat and seized hold of one end of
the cord while Sylvestri snatched the other
end, Gilardi, with both hands, held Ca
ruso's mouth shut, preventing any outcry.
Aszaro and sJ 'Festri with all their strength
jerksd the moose tight. Caruso's eyes started
from their sockets. The cord cut into his
neck In minute he was dead.
Two days later the body, horribly dis
eolored, was found in trunk at fittsbgrg.
The fated moose was about the dead mans
neck. The remains were rapidly decompos-
ing. It was the odor from the trunk that
first aroused suspicion. A baggageman en-
rployed IN the Pittsburg & Fort Wayne depot
broke the trunk OPEN Investigations showed
that the trunk had been shipped over that
road from Chicago, and when the dead
found, payable to Pilippo Caraso the the
amount being s25.04. A receipt for
this money-order was found at the postofice
here, the number being 30, Y10, which showed
that Caruso was living at 267 Milwaukee
avenue. The house was raided and sig
Italians arrested One of them, Andrea
Russo, money LENDER, said he got money
order made out in Caruso's name from
Gilardo, who was then on his way back to
Italy. Gilardo was found hiding at 145
Wooster street, In New York, and when
brought back to Chicago was identified as
the man who had the trunk checked at the
Fort Wayne depot here for Pittsburg,
Mercurio was the first to break down. He
implicated Agarro, Gilardp, and Ey1vestri
but protested that neither himself nor Boye
had any thing to do with the crime. Pres
entity the three principals began to talk.
Each sought to put the blame on the others.
At length they broke down and confessed
to all. Their ad missions were used as evil
dence at the trial