Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-17
THE CASSULLO CASE.
Preliminary Examination Into Muir
der Charge,

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At 9'oclock yesterday morning the
preliminary examination into the case
of George Cassullo, who is charged with
having murdered Emmanuel Valergo, at
his ranch near Elysian park, on the
night of the 9TH instant, was commenced
a large number of interested spectators.
The first witness examined was Louis
Rappetti, who testified in effect that he
was employed by Valergo as laborer.
On the night of the eth inst. he was in
the house just after supper, when George
Cassullo and Giuseppe De Maria came
in. The defendant talked to Val
ergo for about half an hour,
during which time all the men
drank several glasses of wine. Valergo
rose suddenly, ,and intimating that it was
time for him to be going to bed, LETT his
guests, who started to leave the house.
As Cassullo reached the kitchen door
opening on to the road he stopped, and
calling to Valergo, asked him to come
out as he wished to speak to him.
Valergo at once came forward and the
two men went out together, De Maria
following them. The witness took off
his shoes and sat down on the edge of
his cot in another room preparatory to
retiring for the night. A few minutes
later he was surprised to hear Valergo's
voice cry out "Cordano, come out; they
are hitting me-" Cordano ran out to
Valergo's assistance, but about the same
time that he did so the witness heard
Valergo eXclaim ''Now you are satisfied
you have broken one of my legs ~ Rap
petit at once dressed himself and followed
Cordano, and Antonio Righetto also
went along. On getting outside the
house he saw two figures close to where
Valergo was found ON the ground, but
owing to the darkness and the sudden
change from the lamplit interior of the
house, it was impossible for him to dis
tinguish the persons. Valergo was
found lying on the road few feet from
the house, and the witness held
up his employers head and spoke to
him, but received no reply as he died a
few minutes afterwards. While Rap
petit was thus engaged De Maria came
out from the side OF the house and as
sisted him in moving the body for
died Rappetti and Righetto started out
to walk to town, with the intention of
informing the police, leaving De Maria
and Cordano in charge of the body.
Meanwhile Cassullo had disappeared,
but when the two men reached College
street they were considerably startled
| by being suddenly confronted by Cas-
sullo, who inquired where they were
going to. Rappetti informed him of
Valergo's death, whereupon Cassullo
said: 81 only struck him one blow; but
Pm glad of it, the son of a gun. Pm
going to get drunk at Renchinnis
saloon if that is really so. Come on
and drink with me-" Both men re-
fused to do SO, however, and he then
left them, and they went up the police
station, and, after reporting the affair,
they accompanied the detectives to the
scene of the murder.
Antonio Righetto, an Italian 40 years
of age, and an employee of Valerga up to
the time of the latter's death, corrobor-
ated Rappetti's statement in every par
ticular, adding thatDe Maria was Cas-
sullo's cousin.
DIR. T. j. McCarty testified to having
held post mortem examination OF the
body at the request of the coroner. He
found an incised wound in the left groin
about two inches in length and one and
one-half inches deep, which had severed
the femoral artery. Also skin wound
on the outer side Of the second joint OF
the middle finger Of the left hand. The
internal organs were comparatively
healthy. Death was caused, in his opin-
ion, by the hemorrhage from the wound,
and would in all probability have ensued
in less than ten minutes after the wound
had been given, which was evidently
produced by sharp instrument.
Giuseppe Cordano, formerly in the
employ OF Valergo, corroborated the pre-
ceding statements of his fellow ladorers,
adding that when he first left the house
in response to Valergo's call, he saw his
employer with Cassullo about ten feet
away, while De Maria was close by
hiding behind the wood-pile. Valergo
exclaimed second time, and followed
Cassullo, reeled about twenty feet and
fell to the ground. Cordano ran up to
the wounded man, and Cassullo went
away quickly. Soon afterwards, while
the other men were there, De Maria
came out from the side of the house.
His clothing and boots were wet with
blood. Neither Of the three witnesses
saw knife at the time of the murder,
in either Cassullo's or De Maria's hands
At this juncture court adjourned for the
day, the case being continued until 10
O'Clock this morning.