The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-26
'LANNI WAS CAPTURED.
He'Was Located by Officer Sword Of
Pawtucket.
ARRESTED IN MASSACHUSETTS,.
Oficer Monroe OF Providence Assisted In
the Capture-seen Sunday Evening But
Not Recognized-Msttso In Court to-day
Fuller Details Of . Horrible Crime.

Matteo Lanni, the murderer, was ar
rested yesterday afternoon at the Italian
settlement just over the Massachusetts,
line from Broadway. Pawtucket. While
the detectives and officers in this city
wer working on what seemed to be good
clues and securing the woods within the
city limits and vicinity, the man they
were looking for had ed them and
was father away than they supposed.
All the officers detailed in this city were
working faithfully but the murderer was
not here.
Sunday evening as Officer Swotd of the
Pawtucket police force WAS patrolling his
beat at the corner of Park aud Carnation
streets, Pleasant View, he noticed three
Italians making their way towards the
Italian camp just over the line in Attic
boro. on Broadway. The faces of two OF
the men were familiar to the officer, but
the third man was stranger. lie ap-
peared to have on a wig, and the officer
strongly suspected that he was Matteo
Lanni, the man who murdered his wife in
this city Sunday afternoon. The descrip-
tion sent out. however, did not seem to
fit in number Of respects, and the officer
did not attempt to interfere with him.
Yesterday forenoon, however, when the
officer came to read more correct de-
scription Of the murderer, he became con-
NluceQ tu6J buc man lie tldu secn was tue
man wanted. He accordingly telephoned
word to police headquarters in this city,
and Officer Munroe in company with a
man who knew Lanni and could identify
him, started for Pawtucket. They went
TO the Pawtucket station, where the
patrol wagon was hitched up, aud ac-
companied by Officer Sword they started
for the Dago settlement.
This settlement is situated about 300
feet OF Broadway, just over the Massa-
chusetts line, and is reached by q dirt
road. 1t consists OF long cheap build
ing which serves as a sleeping apartment
for about thirty Italians, and a number
OF huts, constructed of brush aud mud,
where the cooking is done.
When the officers arrived at the settle
ment the men were all away at their
work, and with the exception OF couple
OF sick men they saw no one about the
premises. The huts and the other build
ing were searched, but with the same re-
suit. The officers were on the point Of
giving up the search for the present when
one OF them happened TO look back in the
direction Of one of the huts, which they
had already searched, when the very man
they were after appeared in the doorway.
He tailed exactly with the description,
wig and all. and was furthermore recog-
nized by the man who accompanied the
officers. He was taken without any
police station, where word was sent to
Capt. Marston of this city, who at once
started for Pawtucket with q team.
Lanni was searched at the Pawtucket
station, aud y bank book and a memoran-
dun book, each bearing the name II
Matteo Lanni, were Iound upon him.
Further investigation brought to light
a knife sheath. probably the sheath OF the
knife with which the murder was COM
mitted. He pretended he could not speak
English. but talked quite freely with an
interpreter. The murder he con fessed TO,
and said he killed his wife because she
had another man. He was not sorry, and
felt no remorse SO far as she was con-
cerned, but he felt some concern for the
children, as he would probably have to be
shut up, and they would have no one to
care for them. He gave his age as ~
years.
Detective Haberln OF the Pawtucket
police force upon seeing the man was
surprised to find that he was the man he
had noticed himself Sunday evening,
going across Trinity square in Pawtucket.
He was in company with two other Ital-
ians, and these two each had bundles
under their arms He took no notice of
him, aud in fact didn't even have the
murder brought to his mind at all, SO far
was he from tallying in any respect with
the description sent out.
Capt. Marston reached Pawtucket soon
after 4 o'clock, and about 4:30 started to
return with the prisoner. He was taken
to the police headquarters in the City
Hall, where he remained for an hour or
more and was then removed to the Central
police station for the night and guard
placed over him.
The Sixth District Court room was
crowded this morning by people curious
to witness the arraignment of Matteo
Lanni. Court Officer Pullen had a hard
time keeping order in the room and al
most wore out his knuckles on the rail.
ing, as he raped vigorously for order.
AT length, mucn to the relief Of the as
sembly Judge Cook called the Italians
name in stentorian tones and a moment
later Lanni entered the room in charge of
big Officer Martin and Warrant Officers
He is an nsignifcant-appearIng man of
weak aspect, and seemed thoroughly
alarmed by the strange proceedings OF
the court. Troubled with an afIiiction
early in life which caused the loss of the
greater part OF his hair, ne was almost
bald, and and as he stood up before the
bar OF justice he looked too weak and
broken uD to be the author of such das-
tardly deed as murder. The warrant was
read to him by the judge and he was re-
quested to plead to the charge Of murder.
For one brief moment Lanni hesitated
and then, through his interpreter, plead
ed mot guilty" lie was remanded to
Jail to await trial Oct. Z.
Immediately after his arrest Lanni was
taken To the Pawtucket station, and
while there confessed to the murder He
claimed that his wife had been unfaith-
full and said he had no regrets at having
killed her. lie admitted that he was
sorry for the sake Of the children. He
stated further that for two years or more
his wife was intimate with another man
and he was determined to put stop to
the proceedings.
He had put the man out OF the house
several times, but said that his wife
wanted him TO stay. There was no
trouble Of any consequence until last
week Sunday, when he made up his mind
to settle the affair. For some reason he
was unable to accomplish his purpose and
postponed IL a week. On Sunday after
noon Lanni and his wife were invited to
party but the woman did not care to go.
Lanni said that he then took the chill
dren and went out with them. After he
had left the house his boy told him that
man Luigni Cicciari was In the house aud
Lanni Immediately returned To the house.
Late I'm the afternoon he said that he had
some words with his wife and then he
struck her with the knife three or four
times After that he left tha hous an