Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-21
Major MOntOOth Resurrects
the Victim of the Lib.
erty Street Fire.
SPLITTY IN FLESH AGAIN.
he Is to Be Produced at the Court
Trial Of Saitta and Mazza.
HISTORY OF THIS FAMOUS CASE
Not Dead but Only Very Sick in an Alley
Cut Penn Avenue.
NAME OF THE REAL CORPSE NOT KNOWN

'Old jack or "Splitty," the Italian who
is supposed to have perished in the wreck
of Saitta & Fugassi's Liberty street store
last December, has, phenix-like, risen from
the ashes and will appear in Criminal Court
Monday, when P. A. Saitta and John
Mazza are to be tried for causing the death
OF the old man.
Major E. a. Montooth, attorney for the
defendants, is the authority for this start
ling piece of information. at will no
doubt be a surprise TO the people in gen.
eral," said the Major yesterday, smiling
with evident delight at the coming revela-
tion, when old jack walks into court
wearing the same old rope girdle around
his waist, and appearing the same Old
jack from the top of his head
to the soles of his feet The Coroner's
jury held many sittings on old Jack, it
supposed. Ii / remember rightly, it sat on
him something like halt dozen times.
Finally those men decided that the dis
figured and charred remains were those of
'Splittv,' and with this decision planted
him in the cold earth. All winter he was
supposed to have lain there. and now like
the flowers in the spring, he comes to us
again.
Think They Sat on the Wrong Man.
"The Coroner's jury did sit on the case of
some unfortunate who was found in the
wreck OF the burned fruit store, but who it
was will probably never be known. l know
it was not old Jack, however, for 1 have
], oil H0in
spring. He has always been in Pittsburg
and q number of people were aware
OF il. Much OF the time has been
spent in the sick bed in an
alley out Penn avenue. He was in the
sick bed when the Coroner's jury was pass
ing It's decision on the charred remains of
the man, who must now go unknown. Jack
would.have been at these inquests had he
been able to be there or known they were
going on, and thus put an end to the sem
satioual stories that have risen from the
burning of that building.
at is true witness at the Coroner's in
quest identified the remains as old Jack
The testimony was very conflicting, how
ever The witness claimed TO have known
old Jack and also to have known 'Splitty.'
The informant claims to have seen the old
fellow at work for Saitta & Fugassi, even
to have been on speaking terms with him
1t is on this testimony the most stress is
laid The witness testified to having visited
* bed Of the man out Penn avenue,
but said it was not old Jack, but Split
ty,' who was seen there.
SnIitty and Old Jack Are the Same.
''It was then decided it was old Jack
who was burned. As old jack and
'Splitty' are the same this seems TO me like
very conflicting testimony"
The case attracted great deal of interest
About 80 on the night of December 10, the
fruit store of Faitta 6 Fugassi, on Liberty
street, was discovered on fire. 1t was
thought the fire was caused by a natural
Cas explosion. Just after the flames broke
ont some one who was unknown to the
police notified them that man had been
seen coming out of the building and run
niu~ down an alley. The police depart
nent was said TO have gone to work on the
case at once.
Nothing was heard of the matter until
February l. 1t was then that the men
clearing away the debris found the remains
of a man III the cellar. 1t at once became
a subject of general speculation. The
Coroner held six hearings in the case, end
ing on the 18th Of February. 1t was then
decided the remains were those of "Old
Jack" an employe Of the firm. Half a
dozen witnesses testified to having seen
man leave the building the night of the
fire. some of them testifving it was P. A.
Saitta, a member of the firm, and others
said it was john Mazza, an employe of
Saitta's.
First Finding of the Coroner.
It has also brought out that the firm had
Sl6.G insurance on its stock, and soon
after the fire had compromised with the in
Eurance company for 10000 The finding
OF the Coroners jury was IS follows:
First-That said building had been filled
with natural gas and then set on fire by said
"Gld Jack" or "Splitty.'
Second-That p 4. Saitta, of the firm of
S.itra & Fugassi was then and there aiding
said unlawful act and crime, and in our
opinion conspred with said "Old Jack" to
commit said act.
Third-Tnat one John Mazza, an Italian
also in the employ of said Saitta & Fugassi
was then and there, on said December l9,
1S9l aiding and abettinG in the commission
OF said crime.
Warrants were at once issued for Saitta
and Mazza. They were arrested and placed
under s., 600 bail each. They were charged
with maHSlauChter, arson and with setting
fire 10 the building TO defraud the insurance
company.
From that time until now nothing has
been heard of the cases, everybody sup
posing cold jack had been property
identified and the men would be tried and
convicted Major Montooth cannot see
why his men should not be acquitted of
the charge of manslaugbter. He also thinks
If they are released on that charge there
will not be much trouble in clearing them
on the other indictments.