Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-04-21
PErRILLO IN COURT.

|
The Alleged Murderer Pleads Not
GufIty-The Case Continued Until
Wednesday-Theery as to the Line
of Defense-Funeral of the Victim
A Large Attendance.
The city court room was IN usually
filed yesterday morning with spectators,
many of them having come from curiosity
to see Petrillo, the alleged murderer of
Michael Demeo. They were obliged to
wait until another case had been disposed /
of before the object of their curiosity ap-
peared from the cell down stairs in the
lookup, guarded by Superintendent Boil
man, Detective Brewer, and Policemen
Stewart, Powers, Kelly and Nettleton.
He was not handcuffed. His appearance is
not the most prepossessing and he does
not appear over bright. His face is
swarthy even for an italian and indicates
a stubborn fixedness of purpose which
might not stop short of murder.
He was represented by Attorney Moul-
ton. The proceedings were short, taking
only few minutes for the reading of the
indictment. A plea of not guilty was en-
tered and the case continued until Wednes
day morning at 10 o'clock.
Petrillo was committed without bail to
the county Jail. The defense will un-
doubtedly set up the plia of self defense.
Petrillo, some time ago, just after his
difficulty with Demeo, which caused his
appearance in court, accosted Officer Nc
Grath and sksd him if he could not go to
Demeo's and get his wife home again. Pc
trillo's wife had left him and gone to his
with Demeo, her brother-in-law. The
officer told Petrillo of the custom and laws
of this country regarding the legal rights
of husband and wife, telling him that his
wife could legally stay at Demeo's house if
she wished to and that he had no right to
go there and take her away Ly force; also
that the divorce courts were open to Pc
trillo if he wished to get the marriage band
severed.
Demeo only owned half of the saloon in
Lafayette street. His wife was anxious
yesterday to put Demeo's brother in the
| saloon to look after her interests. Demeo's
| partner would not tolerate this, and the
brother and other relatives We're anxious
| to have the county commissioners pass
| judgment on the rights of the rejected
| brother to act as his sister-in-law's repre-
sentative in the liquor business.
The defense will probably try and show
that Demeo had weapon and that the two
men got angry over the $240 Petrillo
| charged Demeo with owing him. During
the row Demeo may have attem pied to use
a weapon, but Petrillo being trife the
| quicker pulled his revolver and shot first.
| Those who picked Demeo out of the street
and carried him to his home say he had no
weapon on him. There is a nice point for
the state to combat in the probable claim
of the defense that Demeo was armed.
| People who had some acquaintance with
Demeo corroborated the reports that Demeo
was of peaceable disposition, not quar-
relsome, and that he was by nature pleas
ant and sociable. They said that Demeo
was far better posted man than Petrillo,
the latter being quite unlettered and hav-
ing poor knowledge of the English Ian
guage.
BURIAL OF THE vIcTIM-DEMEo's REMAINS
INFERRED YEsTERDAY-A LARGE FUN
| ERAL.
The remains of the murdered Italian,
Michael Demeo, were inferred in St. Law
renee cemetery yesterday afternoon. The
attendance was large-about twenty five
or thirty hacks, besides number of car
riages being necessary to carry the friends
| of the deceased to the grave. Services
were held at the italian church on the
corner of Wooster and Brewery streets.
Undertaken Cannon had the funeral in
charge Upon The breast of deceased, as
he lay in his coffin, were several medals
indicative of societies to which the deceased
had belonged.
| THE WAsERwOMAN WHO SAW THE SHOOTING
ARRAY.
Angela Campatara, who is said to be one
of the eye witnesses of the ARRAY in which
Demeo lost his life, was seen by reporter
last evening, and related the following
story of the murder: I was engaged, sale
she, in taking in the washing from thu
line and in so doing was at the back win
dow which overlooks Mino- street. Petrillt
was on the corner engaged in an animated
conversation with Demeo. Suddenly hi
grabbed Demeo by the arm and exclaimed
something to the effect that unless he
Oemeo) paid him some money he woule
''drop" him. Demeo in reply stated tha
he had no money, whereupon Petri1lec
drew revolver and shot him. then rar
from the window and called to the people
in the lower part of the house that MAI
had been shot on the corner. Angels
Campatara, the washerwoman who saw
the ARRAY, resides at 10 Lafayette street
corner of Minor on the second floor anc
her back windows offered an excellen
view of the spot upon which Demeo wal
shot.