Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-04-20
COLD FLOODED MURDER.

The Dying Victim Tells Several the
Name of His Murderer-The Coro.
ner,s Sunday Inquiry-No Doubt
That Petrillo is the Assasstn-The
Autopsy Yesterday - The Bullet
Pierced the Heart.
A cold blooded murder occurred on
Minor street, corner of Lafayette, Satur-
day night about 8 o'clock. Michael Demio
of II Lafayette street, who kept saloon
at that place, was the victim and the al
legged murderer is his brother-in-law An
CELLO Petrillo, who is now in the police
lookup. Demio with his younger brother
Joseph was out delivering beer on Minor
street. Joseph went into a house on the
opposite side of the street when Michael
went into No. 10. 1t was quite dark at
the time and thunder storm was close at
hand. When Michael came out from the
house and had reached the sidewalk a sin
gle pistol shot was heard, which aroused
the neighborhood. He fell to the walk
with thirty-two calibre bullet through his
heart and died in about twenty minutes.
The murderer was seen running up Minor
street and across the Mulberry lot. The
fact which at once laid suspicion upon
Petrillo was the statement made to that
effect by the dying man.
Demio was dead before the arrival of the
ambulance. Petrillo was arrested not long
afterwards at his home, No. SO Putnam
street, by Officers Stewart and Powers.
He affirmed in fair English to have no
knowledge whatever of the affair, and was
very voluble in his protestations of in
nocence., =. Il:
Policemen Caulfeld, McGrath and Wal,
ter were left to guard the house in which
the dead man resided. They also began a
search for witnesses and procured some
valuable evidence that will be used in the
trial against the murderer, and which was
brought out yesterday. 80.
The coroner began his investigation al
most Immediately.
He had hearing of about ten witnesses
in the city courtroom yesterday morning,
and will make this report to the city at
torney this morning. The post mortem
was also held yesterday morning at Lewis
& Maycock's, and the medical examiner
night. The bullet was extracted from the
small of the back, having nearly pierced
the body. It was fattened on one side so
smoothly, where it had struck rib, as
though it had been neatly filed. The track
of the bullet was nearly at right angles to
its course after striking the victim. 1t
struck a rib causing it to glance down
ward, piercing the heart and ending its
flight Just underneath the skin at the small
of the back.
The coroner believes he has sufficient
evidence to prove a clear case of wilful
murder against Petrillo, and said last
night that he should report that Dennis
came to his death from a pistol shot
wound fired by Petrillo.ss
About dozen witnesses were examined
by the coroner at the investigation, most
of them by means of the interpreter, Paul
dying, said that the fatal shot was fred by
Petrillo. There was no one present when
the shot was fired, except the murderer
and victim. Among other witnesses be-
side the Italians who were examined, were
Police Officers Stewart Goode and Nc
Grath of the Howard Avenue precinct.
Petrillo will be brought before the city
court this morning.
The murder was the outcome of money
trouble directly, though an enmity of long
standing had existed between the two men.
Demio was well liked in his neighborhood
and spoken of as having quiet and peace
able disposition.
The alleged murdereris twenty one years
of age and has wife and children. He is
said to make his livelihood by gambling.
On two or three occasions he has figured in
the city court, the last time being March 8,
when he was charged with breach of peace
on complaint of Demio and also with car
rying concealed weapons,a loaded revolver
being found upon him. He was fined for
both offenses. The breach of peace con-
sisted of an assault on Demio. Petrillo
was examined at length by Chief Bollman
just after his arrest.
An italian woman who, at the time of
the shooting, was taking in washed clothes
saw the two men meet and overheard the
conversation between Demio and his
brother-in-law, in which the latter de-
| manded the payment of 5000. Demio said
he didn't have his brother-in-law's money,
and then Petrillo threatened to shoot him
if the money was not forthcoming. A few
| words more passed and the shots were
fired. The police also learned that Petrillo
had been lowering in the neighborhood
during the evening apparently in waiting
for Demio.
The body of the murdered man was,
after the autopsy, turned over to the
friends and relatives yesterday afternoon
for burial, and was removed from Lewis
& Maycock's about $3.50 O'Clock.