The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-11-16
A TRIPLE HANGING.
THREE ITALIAN MURoERERS SUFFER
THE DEATH PENALTY.
They Face Their Doom Bravely with
Their Minds Fixed On Eternity
No Hitch In the Execution
History of the Crime.

CHICAGO, Nov. TO- The three ltallan
| murderers, Gilario, AzZiro. and Sylvestri
! were hanged simultaneously at IL O'Clock
noon, Saturday, in the north corridor Of
ing to the last AMI met their doom without
| betraying any signs OF breaking down. Their
naturally swarthy faces were blanchei,
Sylvestri's especially being an ashy- pale
color. He seemed to be more nervous tuan
the Others, and kept his lips pressed closely
together, as if relying upon wil-power
alone 10 maintain his feet Azzaro AMI
Giiardo apparently had their thoughts txei
on eternity. They kept their heads bent
and their lips moved in silent prayer.
AT II :45 O'clock their devotions were in
corrupted by messenger who announcei
that the time had arrived in which to say
their final farewells and prepare for the next
worll The scene was a solemn one. The
three wretchss had passed the early morIl-
ing hours in the Jail library. They received
holy communion at the hands of Father
Morretti, who engaged them from that time
forward in pious conversation.
With unrx pectel, ,alacrity they made prep.
arations to quit the library and take up
their march to the gallows. Tho door was
thrown open. An instant later Sheriff Han
chett emerged therefrom, followed 10y Jailer
Folz, the condemned men, Father Morretti.
and two other priests. No delay was met
with. The procession was only n few set
onds in reaching the gallows. yet the
time seemed twice as long. The crowd
surrounding thu gallows hearl the
approaching footsteps. The shuilling feet
along tho iron passageway startled the
waiting audience, and the effect was 50 dis
agreeable that many faces were turned in
stin ctively from the sight. The condemnsi
mon were not shacked until placed upon
the drop. Then their arms and legs were
pinloned. The moose was tightened about
their necks, the caps pulled down over
their face and instantly the signal was
given, the drop was sprung, and tho muir
derers OF Filippo Caruso were dangling at
ropes ends.
The murder of Filippo Caruso was an
atrociuus deed. Nothing SO ruthless has
tran,pired in Chicago within recent years.
and from its peculiar circumstances, the
cold booded premeditation of the assassins
and the ingenuity which for time enabled
them to escape, the crime known as the
in police annals.
Caruso was ~ year age, native of Sicily.
and by occupation a lemon -pedder. Filppo
was industrious, and his savings, amount
ing to several hundreds of dollars, it was
his custom to carry concealed about his
clothing.
onn Th money tempted the espSdty Of Clio
srahSie Caruso LOT MS money, anu induceu
Agu tino Galardo and !gnazio Sylvestri
to assist in the murder. The conspirators
all came from the same province in
Italy where Caruso was born, and
liysd ,t; t9gether in room % in the upper floor
almost bare. A chair OF two composed the
furniture. Some damp straw served rs
beds There were five Of these heaps, the
two extra hunks being, for the use Of An
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
about o'clock IN the morning and visited
his countrymen at "a Tilden avenue. He
wa seen going upstairs by l2-year-old
child named Mamie Moran, whose parents
entered the room the three men who
were to take his life were present
Glardo greeted him pleasantly. and
asked him to sit down. ,Gilardo was
custom of shaving each other in turn. Gil
lardo, after Sharpening his razor, asked
Caru>o to shave him. Caruso did this and
then took Gilario's place to be shaved Ca
feet and allowed his head to fall back so
that the operation of shaving could be
readily done. Gilardo made thick lather,
Which Which he spread up and down tine
Stealthy reaching for stout cord made
into a moose, he dexteriously let it fall over
Carusos head. Instantly Azzaro bounded
from his scat and sezsi 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.
Azzaro and Sylvestri with all their strength
jerked the moose tight. Caruso's eyes started
from their sockets. The cord cut into his
neck. In a minute he was dead.
Two days later the body horribly dis
colored, was found in trunk at Pittsburg.
neck. The remains were rapidly decompos-
ing 1t was the odor from the trunk that
first arou ed suspicion. A baggaes,nan eni-'
ployed in the Pittsburg &, Fort Wayne depot
that the trunk had been shipped over that
road from Chicago, and when the dead
mans clothing was searched money
order. dated at Chicago, was
found, payable to Pilipp, Caruso, tho
amount being $a504. A receipt for
here, the number being v1,glo, which showed
that Caru.o was living at 267 Milwaukee
avenue. Ths house was radeI and six
Italians arrested. One OF them, Andrea
Russo, "A money lender, said he got money
order made out in Caruso's name from
Italy Giardo was found hiding at l45
Wooster street. in New York, and when
brought back to Chicago was ident flied as
the man who had the trunk checked at the
Fort Wayne depot here for PittShurg.
Mercurio was the first to break down Hs
implicated Azarro, Ginrdo. and Sylvestri,
but protested that neither himself nor Rove
had ything to do with the crime. Pres
emily the three principals began to talk.
Each sought to put the blame on the others. |
At length they broke down aud confessed
to all. Their ad missions were-usel as evil
ga n tho trial