The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-24
4 BURIED body.
One Italian Accuses Another
of Numbering a Man
SIX Months Ago.
WAS HE A MAFIA VICTIMi
The Police Will Dig for Evidence il
a Colgate Street Cellar.

The police have been investigating to
day a murder alleged to have been com
mitted six months ago BY Antonio Coiro
Of No. Is Colgate street. The name Of
the murdered man Is not known. Rsffels
Sica. who gave the hint to the authort
ties, when placed upon the stand In tho
First District Police Court this morning.
contradicted an earlier statement to tho
effect that ne had been bribed to keep ths
seereE. The motive he first gave, how.
ever. for giving away the secret was 70
venge. He had been promised money to
hold his tongue. Last night he went
over to New York TO see the man who
promised the money. He found the man
getting ready to sail for Europe today,
and he was refused the money promised
him. Sica came over directly TO Angelo
Coiro, an Italian Deputy Sheriff, bearing
the same name as that Of the alleged mur-
derer, and told him the secret and also
told him where he could find the briber.
The Deputy Sheriff. after leaving word at
Police Headquarters, started for New
York.
Patrolman Gaynor was sent to No. -
Colgate street about three O'Clock this
morning. He arrested Coiro. Angelo
Gentle and George Costa, saloon keep
the same house with Coiro. Coiro is the
proprietor of a shoe shop on the nrst
floor, and Is said to be also proprietor Of
the barber shop adjoining.
MAY DIG FOR THE BODY.
From remarks made BY Sica the police
at first inferred that the supposed mar-
dered mans body was buried in the cell
lar or basement OF the building Defec~
tives Clsrk and Mcbride were sent TO
watch the premises 20 see that nothing
was disturbed in the cellar until the
police are ready TO begin digging tor the
body. The building is a three story
brown frame. 1t Is located in the centre
Of q block of similar buildings between
First and Second streets, and Is diaRon-
ally across from the spot where John
Costigan was killed by Frank Richard-
SON. The Italian colony Ii located In the
very heart of the Lava Bed" section
A dark hole beneath the platform In
front Of the shoe and barber shops leads
to the ground floor of the basement in
which the body of the murdered man is
supposed to be buried. 1t Is separated
into apartments for the various tenants OF
the building, VINO appear 70 nave stored
them full Of old rags. bottles, bones and
other junk. Unless some one can point
out directly the spot where the body Is
buried IL VIII be a task to unearth it.
While the detectives were guarding the
eyed men passed in and out the basement
with bags filed with junk. But they
were oFerhalled and thoroughly exam
ined, and the premises inspected to see
that nothing in the shape OF human
bones Was carried out
The two witnesses arrested did not give
testimony in court this morning. Sica
was put in the witness chair and Cotro
arraigned in the pen. Sica's testimony
was TO the effect that six months ago
while returning from work. he saw the
body of an unknown mas lying on the
sidewalk in front Of the shoe shop. II
was about half past six O'Clock in the
evening. The man was cut in the neck
Slca couldn't say whether the man was
dead or not. Didn't know what was
done with the body. Didn't see Coiro
strike the blow, but saw him standing
near By. He went on into the house
without asking any questions. When
asked If he had been promised any
money Sica said he had not. thus contra
dieting the story which seut the
Deputy Sheriff over TO New YORK;
in search Of the briber. It may
| be possible that the interpreter did not
properly give Sica's answers. If the MUIR
| der occurred six months ago before six
O'Clock in the evening il was IN broad day
light. The hearing was postponed until
the arrival Of the Deputy Sheriff from
| New York.
IS IT THE NAFIAf
The accused is twenty-nine years old. of
small stature. with cheek bones promin-
| ent in q broad face
| Slca is a tall, full raced man. with HAIR
dishevelled and wears huge red muf1er
about his neck.
| The evidence thus far produced gives
| no motive fol- such a murder. IL Is limited
/ that if the man was murdered il was the
work of one of the Malta assassins-
| PasQuale Coiro, a relative of the ac-
cused, is reported missing for the past six
months.
On April %. 1859, a free fight occurred
at No. IS Colgate street in which knives
and pistols were freely used Antonia
| Coiro was arrested at that time for as
sault and battery on Antoine De Luro.
| De Luro was also arrested on a charge or
manslaughter. IN the fight the latter
threw cup which struck and killed
| little child.
| Chief OF Police Murphy is Of opinion
| that Siea's crooked story must have ref
erence 10 this fight.
The cellar at No. IS Colgate street Is
/ still guarded by two policemen, and the
street in front Of the house blocked by
curious denizens of the neighbofhood.
The digging for the body has not yet
/ been commenced
Deputy Sheriff Coiro captured the man
K whom Sica mentioned as about TO skip
back to Italy. He was arraigned in the
Tombs Police Court this morning. but
the New York police authorizes refused
/ To hold him