Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-19
FOUND THE MURDERER
In an Italian Prison Doing Time for
a Different Crime. ..
CLEARING AN ELK COUNTY CRIME.
Two Murders Committed Year Ago and
No Clew Until Now.
NEWS GATHERED FROM THREE STATES

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l
BRADFORD. PA, April 1S.-Cablegrams
and letters received by the Elk county au-
thorities from Naples, Italy, have cleared
up the mystery surrounding two murders
in that county over year ago. Some time
early in January, last year, the body OF an
unknown italian was found in lonely
lumber camp near Falls Creek, BLK county.
The man had evidently been murdered,
then fire built, and an effort made to hide
the crime by burning the body.
On Friday, the 23d of that month, the
body of another italian was found two
miles below Ridgway in an old cabin. Two
bullet holes in the head showed that the
man had been murdered, but the surround
ings offered no clue. The man lay in an old
deserted cabin and had evidently been dead
several days. A deposit slip in his pocket
show ed his name to be Close Cupalio, and
that he had S1O0 in the Brockwayville bank.
He was railroad laborer, as was the first
victim, but here the investigation ceased.
The Murderer in an Italian Prison.
The Elk county commissioners offered
reward for the apprehension OF the murderer
of Cupalio, and many efforts were made to
earn the $500 offer, but without success. The
two murders happening SO closely together
aroused suspicion that they had been com,
mitted bv the same man, and there was Wild
talk of Malta doings, but nothing could be
learned to substantiate this, and the matter
dropped for time.
The second murder had about dropped out
of public notice, and the sad fate of the un-
fortunate foreigner had been about forgot
ten when there came from Naples the start
ling information that Cupalio's murderer
was an inmate of an Italian prison. The
alleged murderer had for several years been
a fugitive from justice in his native country
prior to his departure for America. After
coming here he worked on several railroads
throughout Northern Pennsylvania aEd was
known as Louigi Pioletti He was wicked,
unscrupulous man. and his companions
were afraid of him. He went to Italy I'm
mediately after the murder of Cupallo and
was there arrested on the old charge which
was still pending against him. While IN
prison news of Cupalio's murder reached
Italy, and Pioletti, who was known to have
been a companion of Cupalio's, was interro-
gated concerning the matter. He admitted
that he knew something of the killing
Pioletti Knows All About 1t.
He said that on the evening of January %,
1891, he and Cupalio were in the shanty at
the mouth of Mill creek in Elk county
They were waiting for train, when they
were suddenly attacked by an armed mob.
He stated that desperate fight ensued, in
which his companion was killed and ne
escaped. His story was investigated by the
Italian officials, who at once communicated
with the officials OF Elk county.
The story of the armed mob was found to
be fake, The facts of the case were looked
up Piolettfs sudden departure from this
country after the death OF Cupalio. his inti-
macy with Cupalio and the possession OF
money which could not have been acquired
by his own efforts rs laborer during his so
journ in America, together with the con ira
tiictory statements, all pointed conclusively
to his guilt 1t is thought possible that the
Falls Creek murder can also be traced to him.
Steps are being taken to bring him back TO
Elk county in order that the murder OF Gu
palio may be avenged.