Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-06-03
Ar ITALIAN nAxenD.
A sketch OF the Crime for which He
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WASHINGTON, May 28.-Antonia Mar
dello was hanged at the District jail near
this city at 1.30 O'Clock this afternoon for |
the murder of Carmini Rotunno. Hemade |
speech on the scaffold and protested bis |
innocence.
The crime for which Nardello was exc.
outed was committed on the 28th or 10th
of last July.
Oarmini Rotunno, q rather elderly
Italian, boarded at the house OF one Guido
ON Eighth street extended. He worked
| as laborer and occasionally as o shoe.
maker and had accumulated $500 or 5000
This money appears TO have furnished
the motive for the murder. Nardello was
disappointed in his expectations of Sc.
curing large sum, for Rotunno
made II rule not to carry over $50
about him, leaving the balance with II
friend. The murder was committed some
time on the night of July 2sth or in the
early morning of July 10Th. 1t was some
days before the crime was discovered,
About August LIST, some persons noticeda
very disagreeable smell which came from
an old unoccupied building east Of the
new reservoir near Howard University.
This gave rise TO an investigation which
resulted in the finding of the decomposed
body Of a man in one Of the second story
rooms.
The dead man was found lying on his
left side with his arms under his head IN
perfectly natural position, but with
terrific cash in his throat. There was
blood about the floor and also on the
walls. The body was identified as that
of Rotunno. Investigation showed that
when he left Guido's place he had o sum
i r.f mia nd NQrhalln
had been to see him and promised to get
him work. There was no money
} found on the body. II was
! determined to arrest Nardello and a
description was sent to the different police
stations. That night Nardello was ar
rested near the Baltimore d Potomac
, depot as he was about to leave the city.
} He had spent most of his time since the
Goth of July at the house of Villa Norris
, on Maryland avenue, where he was known
by the name of Frank Ross. At the
' coroner's inquest it was clearly shown
that Nardello was the last one seen with
Rotunno, that there was blood on his
trousers and also cut on his finger
about which he could give no satisfactory
explanation. He was tried and convicted.
A new motion for another trial was made
! and finally the judge passed sentence in
January last.
a The trial was long and tedious, because
of the inability of the defendant and
Z several of the witnesses to speak or under.
, stand English. Nardello admitted in
z some of his statements that he was present
when the murder was committed but as
/. serted that two brothers named Pasquales
i were the principals. Subsequently he ad
i mitted that he had received about $3.50 Of
4 money taken from Rotunno. After the
) adjournment of the january term Of
" court in general term bad fixed
/ May 7th as the date for the execution
a some of the Italian legation and other
a acting on the theory that all the truth had
i not been told, and that Nardello might
a give information which would lead to the
h conviction of other guilty persons, secured
q a respite for three weeks. Nardello, how
q ever, only reiterated his former statement
a about the Pasquales, who had succeeded
n in the trial in proving their whereabouts
h on the night in question. ...=..
N Efforts were then made TO induce til,
"a President to commute his sentence, bu
!. the President declined to interfere fur
q ther. While the question of q commute
Il zion of sentence w,H pending Nardell'
n was quite hopeful of success, but whei
4 informed last week of the failure of tn
~ efforts, he became quite depressed il
spirits and seemed to have lost his light
- hearted and cheerful disposition. Nardell
n was native of Naples, rather strongl
n built and about % years old. He seem
d to have inherited wrong doing for at III
IA time of his birth his father was sentence
N to 20 years. imprisonment for crime. Iii
"a parents are both living in Italy.