Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-28
CHIARA CIGNARALE.


 fendant was foreigner, of Italian nation ality, impulsive and passionate, and did not understand our laws or language. The pros ecutlon was originally willing to accept 8 plea of guilty of murder in the second de- gree, which would have saved her life. Her alleged paramour, Antonio DAndrea, jointly indicted with her for the same of fense, was subsequently, tried and acquitted upon substantially the same evidence pro- duced upon her trial.
 This IS an important feature, because the prosecution had claimed that she had shot her husband in pursuance of an agreement made with D'Andrea, who, it was further claimed, had promised to marry her when she should have killed her husband and that D'Andrea had given her the pistol and in- structed her how to use it. These facts, how ever, do not seem to have been believed by the jury on the trial of D'Andrea.
 The jury that convicted Mrs. Cignarale have united in petition asking that her sentence be commuted. It further appears that some of the testimony produced against her on the trial was not of very reliable or satis- factory character, although the verdict was undoubtedly legally justifiable and war ranted by the evidence. Many mitigating circumstances have been shown-unnecessary to be here specified-which, while they do not excuse the murder, yet nevertheless are proper to be considered, and are entitled to much weight on an appeal for mercy.
 The peculiar circumstances of her mar riage to the deceased, her age, her previous good character and the brutality of her hus- band, are matters which may we'll be re- garded on an application of this nature
 Neither the judge before whom the case was tried, nor the district attorney who prosecuted, oppose the application, but on the contrary express the hope that the gov erEor may be enabled to discover some grounds which, consistently with the admin istration of justice, would justify the exer- else of the clemencY vested ill the executive ' The present district attorney writes that although the applicant, in his opinion lis guilty of the crime of which she is convicted the proofs submitted to the jury were con- elusive of guilt-and the verdict of the jury was fully warranted by the evidence Yet by reason of the fact that plea of guilty ot murder in the second degree was once ac cepted" he recommends that her sentence be commuted. But aside from all these con- alterations it is certified to me by eminent physicians, in whom I must place confidence 1 that the prisoner is, and has been for some time, seriously ill, and that in all probability she can not survive over year at the most and is likely to die at any time. The law has
  | be sufficiently further vindicated by her i'm prisonment during the rest of her life, and it | does not seem to be necessary for the purpose 1 of justlce that she should be executed while I in her present condition. Under all these l circumstances and for the reasons stated 1 have, after q very careful examination of the l whole case, concluded to temper justice with ! mercy, and the sentence of death is hereby l commured to imprisonment for life. ! DAVID B. HILL. ! When the telegram announcing the com I mutation reached Lawyer Howe he was sit l ting at bis desk in his shirt sleeves H. l glanced at the dispatch, sprang to his feet and started on a run for the Tombs without hat or coat. MT. Howe might have caused s 1 sensation in the street. but for the fact thai "Joe' Moss stopped him and induced him te 1 put on the missing articles of apparel ! When MT. Howe reached the cell of Chiars in the Tombs he found her lying on her col I very ilI He opened the door softly and ! stepped inside. AS the woman glanced uK at the lawyer she saw the joyous expression on his countenance, and cried:
 "What is it9'
 "Chiara! Chiara! You are savedm ex | claimed MT. Howe.
 l The scene that followed surpassed in patho. anything that has happened within tn. ! gloomy walls of the Tombs for many a day ! Chiara looked dazed for a moment Then z spasm of joy illuminated her face, and sh, seemed to pass into a frenzy of happiness Though very weak, she sprang from hel couch, tottered for an instant and then fel on her knees before Mr. Howe. Clasping tn, lawyers hands, she kissed them and ex claimed:
 My saviorl my saviorl May God bles you and your children for what you hay, done for me. l love you, I love you! I vii never forget you. Oh, my dear savior!"