The Portland daily press., 1885-04-18
The History Of Their Crime.

The History Of Their Crime.
Early in the evening of September T. 1888,
fasquale Coscis, an Italian laborer employed
on the Mount Desert extension of the Maine
central Railroad, was murdered in Burr's
wood in Brewer, tive miles from the city of
Bangor. Tho body was discovered early on
the following morning. A bullet wound was
found near the middle of the back, another
1ask behind the right car, and the face was
broken in and horribly mangled apparently
having bean beaten with club. The dead
mans pockets had been rifsd, leaving no
doubt that the motive for the crime was rob-
berry.
shortly after the discovery of the body cir
cumstaness led to the arrest of Carmine San
tsre and Raffaele Capone, fellow-workmen of
the murdered man, who were charged With
the murder. Immediately after their arrest
each OF the accused, neither OF whom could
speak or understand English, signifed desire
to make communication. An interpreter
was procured. and, through him, each OF the
prisoners confessed to having been implicated
in the commission of the crime, and each en-
deavored to shield himself BY charging the
other with having actually committed the
murder After preliminary hearing both
men Wor6 COmmlLEod Tor trial.
In FEBRUARY, 1884, the accused were indicted
and tried for murder in the Supreme judicial
Court for Penobscot county. The accused
were tried separately, Capone being retained
in jail until the trial of Santore was concluded.
The two cases occupied the 18th, Goth and 2lst
OF February. The evidence in both cases was
very direct. Several OF the italian laborers
testified to having seen the three men, Coscia,
Santore and Capone, together near the scene
OF the murder, and to having heard loud talk
ing and pistol shots in the woods that evening
Human blood was found on Oapoae's clothing,
and both men were identified as having offer-
ed large Dill IN payment for some pastry at
bakery on the morning after the murder, In \
Santore's case the jury were out only 80 min
ntas when verdict OF guilty OF murder in tie
hrst degree was returned. The jary in Capone's
case was out an hour and a quarter and return.
ed a similar verdict.
The convicted men were given an onnor-
tunity to make their statements before sentence
was passed. Both men availed themselves of
it. The scene was highly 0ramatcal, each
openly accusing the other OF the crime for
which both stood convicted. Santore, in his
statement acknowledged that the pistol used
was his own, but said Capone did all the shoot
ing and also used the club. Capone, he assert
ed, also took the money from the body of the !
murdered man. The murder was proposed. he
said. by Capone, but he dsssnted. He after
ward agreed to fire second shot at Coscia. il
Capone would fire the first. Instead of shoot
ing at Coscia, however, he asserted that he
tired into the air, hoping to attract attention to
the scene. Capone afterwards returned to the
dying man and fired one shot into his face, and
then beat him over the head with club. The
three men were walking along together when
Capone stepped back and fired the first shot
into Coscia's back. After Cosca was dead.
Capone took the formers money, amounting to
sixty-hve dollars, aud gave $50 OF it to Santore.
Santore took the money, because, as he said,
he was afraid of Capone. The next day, how.
evsr,he returned the money to Capone
Capone's story was that he was walking
along with Coscia when Santore came up and
deliberately shot Coscia dead, also beating him
over the head wich a club. Santore then
placed the pistol to Capones ear and compelled
him to take the money from the dead man. 4
pockets. Then Santore gave Capons $33.
Judge Emery then sentenced them both to
be hanged on the first Friday in April, 1885.
Before being taken to Jail Santore completely
broke down. but Capone waved his hat to the
throng as he left the court house.
After the trial, Capone made many conflict
ing statements, and considerable sympathy
has bsen excited in behalf of Santore, but the
naost careful review of the circumstances only
the mora thsronghly convinced the authorities
that both men deserved the punishment which
has been inflicted upon them. The leading
Catholics Of the State, who besought the Gov
ernor that the men might be respited because
the DAY of execution, IS first appointed, fell
on Good Friday, we're also 80 thoroughly con-
vinced OF the guilt of both as TO prefer that
the execution should take place even on that
day rather than there should be allowed pos
sibllity OF evadiDg tha law by any technicali-
ties arising out OF deferred execution, There
being no such possibility the men were respite
ed for two weeks, the last mercy which the
law allowed them.