Morning journal and courier., 1892-11-15
THE PENALTY PAID.

Angelo Petrillo Expiates His Crime
on the Gallows-He Dies Shriek1ng
for A1d-ssPoltce! Police!'' Were His
Last words-Death Due to Strangu-
latiOn-His Courage Remains Until
an Hour Before His Execution-In-
TERED In st. Lawrence Cemetery
How the Murderer Spent His Last
Hours On Earth.
The second execution in this county
within the past thirty-fve years took place
in this city yesterday when Angelo Petrillo
was hanged in the court yard of the county
jail for the murder of Michael Dimeo, his
brother-in-law, in April. 1891. The con-
demned man suddenly weakened about an
hour before the time set for the execution,
and his loud outcries of terror resounded
throughout the jail and were even heard
by the number of spectators who assembled
on the sidewalk on all sides of the jail
premises. The drop fell at 1890 O'Clock,
and at 1856 the body was cut down and
life was pronounced extinct. Death was
due TO strangulation. just after the trap
was sprung one of the spectators tainted
| and was assisted to the outside of the en-
clO6u1e Dy Oucer DOnuelly.
The last half hour before the time of
execution was one of intense excitement.
| At 10 O'Clock the press men and physicians
were allowed to pass down through the cor
| ridor past Petrillo's cell and take up their
positions in the court yard. the physicians
| being at the foot of the scaffold and the
spectators in the jail enclosure. They be-
gan to crowd up to the gallows, and
| deathly silence came over the people.
At 1921 fearful shrieks were heard to
issue from the corridor in which Petrillo's
cell is located, and those present at the
| gallows knew that the procession was be-
| ing formed. Two minutes later Petrillo
| cried out in desperate manner, and the
deputies had to hold him, so violent had
he become. As the procession approached
the gallows Petrillo cried, "Police, police,
police" and continued this until the drop
choked his utterances. He was assisted
to mount the gallows by the deputy
sheriffs, at the same time crying ''police."
| He WAS seated in the chair aud Father
Mayeur held q CROSS to his lips, but he
| turned away and cried out again. The
look on the mans face was pitiful, and he
had to be held in the chair to prevent his
falling to the platform. Deputy Sheriff
Peck placed the black cap over his head
|
were reciting the prayers.
Pond stamped on the button and Petrillo
dropped at least six feet. The knot slipped
under his chin and he slowly strangled to
death. At the end of four and three
quarter minutes he heaved sigh and from
that time he sighed about every fifteen
seconds. There was no twitching of the
body. In ten and one-half minutes after
the drop fell there was no sign of pulsation
of the heart or pulse At 1861 he was
Ing twenty five minutes.
Previous to being placed in the casket
the body was thoroughly examined by the
physicians. The vertebre of the neck was
not dislocated. Death was caused by
strangulation, but the features as usual il
cases of strangulation were perfectly calm
and clear from discoloration. The body
was then placed in broadcloth casket, OF
the plate of which was "Angelo Petrillo,
, aged twenty-six years, after which it wal
, taken to st. Lawrence cemetery, where /
!, was inferred.
, Angelo Petrillo leaves wife and tw,
children. The older child, boy, is yer,
, low with scarlet fever and is not expected
to live.
: THE MURDERERs LAST NIGHT.
1t was midnight when Petrillo lay down on tn
little cot in his cell. Keeper Hotchkiss and Deg
3 | uty Brockett, who have been with him most O
| | the time since the watch was set. stayed wit
him during the night. Father Alussi, his spirit
{ | ual adviser and his almost constant companio
, | The jail officials and those who have Studio
Petrlllo closely say that a man never passed hi
| last hours on earth more coolly than this prii
| oner.
Through the night he slumbered as soundly a
. | tired babe, and shortly before yesterda
| morning aWOk0 strengthened
! eye was as bright and clear an / his appearance
as calm as if his depar ture from this world wer
| years of instead OF hours. OF those In the ce
: | he was by far the most cheerful, and chatte
t and joked as if he were the happiest man in tn
Shortly after he put on the neat black sui
: which had been provided for him. On sein
: joked and even danced. Soon afterward PetriiI
. walked upstairs to the little hapel where mas
TWO Sisters Of Charity and half dozen reporter
8 were present. During the ceremony Petrill
/ he went forward and received communion.
Aer asr ne Joined ed again in prayer With II
Chapel and Went BACK to his ee WI" Here a
=, partook heartily Of a breakfast of ham an
GEES toast, cofres and side dishes He the
4 whiskey. This, too, was granted him and
g About $3.50 Raw Leonce Mayeur of the S
q | Louis French church was ushsred into Petrillo
n cell: The prisoner received him cordially, al
If | rived.
- At $40 Sheriff Tomlnson entered the cell wit
10 the death warrant. While he slowly read
n Petrillo stood touching his arm and reading ii
n paper over his shoulder He smoked his Gig
a unconcernedly at intervals. There was not
., suspicion of moisture in his eye nor did he d
81 play a trace of feeling. AS the sheriff SOW
d read the words ''To he ng by the neck until dea
dead, dead" Petrillo repeat I'd in a LOUD laug
ing voice, dead, dead, dead-ha, ha! ha.' ii
l. voice was like that of an ms lne man. This
ID continued for some time and it finally BEGAN
AZ necessary to give him ny perdei mic Injection
~ morphine to quiet him.
When the reading OF the warrant was finish
a. and the sheriff left the cell, he again engaged
q. prayer with the priests until the time for Il
=. march to the scaffold.
IL Shortly before 10 o'clock Petrillo wrote in
N cell the following letter on scrap OF paper wi
a lead pencil:
! 10 Angelic Petril!o Nato nellie ammo miIls OF
" cento serlanto sci, MOI 20 nellie mile otto cen
pit Novanto DUE 10 sOno morto condento addio.
ID sono in Parad' me Firmo 10.
\ ANGELIC PETRILIO,
- New Haven Jail,
y Whalley Ave
W The translation of this is: 81, Angelic Petr
"a born in 1866, am dead in 1892. l am content
- die and bid you farewell. am going to heave
10 am sure of it,