The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-03-02
ERMINIo eIoNINI.
His Custodfans Confident He Is Suffer-
ing for Another's Crime.

show that Erminio Gionini, who has
served eleven years of a life sentence in
the penitentiary at Walla Walla, for
the murder of a fellow Italian, George
Ricco; is innocent, and that the respon-
sibility for the crime rests upon DR.. O.
F. Candiana of the Cascade Locks. The
story is told by the alleged murderer
himself, but in such manner as to inn
press every listener of his story with its
truth, coupled by his model department
while in Jail.
Gionini at the time of the murder
could not speak word of English. Ac-
cording to his story, he had been living
in Portland with colony of Italians
and got acquainted with Candiana,
whose services were valuable as an in
terpreter. Candiana decided on build
ing ''potato starch manufactory' near
Cape Horn, on the Columbia river,
which subsequently turned out to be a
blind for an illicit distillery. George
Ricco was one of the hands employed on
the work, and frequently carried $500 or
81 900 in his pockets.
Gionini had lost a wallet containing
valuable papers and Ricco volunteered
to search for it. In the direction which
he took there was a mesa, and a person
moving on it could be seen from the
river below if one chanced to look up.
An hour or more after Ricco had left,
Candlana came up the river in boat
with two fishermen, landing in front OF
the cabin. Gionini was observed by all
three playing with a little black spaniel,
which was the especial property of no
one, and of which he was very fond.
When Candiana landed, the two fisher
men proceeded across the river to the
Oregon side. They had been engaged
for some weeks in stealing from the rail-
road construction party then at work,
quantities of giant powder and material,
which they were storing, with Candi-
ani's help and advice, on the Washing
ton shore. When he reached the cabin
Candiana asked what Ricco was doing
up in the woods. Evidently he had
seen Ricco from the river. Gionini told
him. Candiana went inside the cabin,
and soon after walked off in the direc-
tion taken by Ricco. In less than 10
minutes Gionini heard the discharge of
firearms, and dreadful suspicion
flashed across his mind. He rushed
into the cabin and pulled out the
drawer. The pistol was gone.
Three-quarters of an hour later Candi-
ana returned with the spaniel, which
had followed him. His eyes were in
famed with excitement, and his actions
betokened the mental condition of a man
who had committed a crime. Gionini,
scarcely less Mortified, accused him. He
denied the charge at first, then confessed,
at the same time covering Gionini with
the six-shooter, and saying, 81 have
three shots left in here, and if you don't
swear by your God and your honor that
you will never inform on me, I'll kill
you" Gionini raised his hand and
swore. Candiani told him to go to Port
land. Later in the evening Gionini
walked out east from the cabin, with the
little black spaniel following him. The
dog had witnessed the murder. It led
him instinctively to the spot where the
murdered man was buried be-
meath a thin layer of freshly-turned
dirt. Upon scratching a little of
it away, a human limb protruded
and he paused to investigate no further.
In the evening, unobserved, he again
opened the drawer in the table. The
pistol was back in its place. He put it
in his pocket, thinking only of the
danger of being murdered in the night.
He did not sleep. Next morning he
came to Portland.
Not until the day of trial, April l,
1888, did Gionini succeed in procuring
attorneys to defend him, and at the last
moment they were appointed by the
court. His defense was helpless. Cir
cumstances and Candiana were COM
bined against him. He was convicted oi
murder in the first degree and sentenced
by Judge Hoyt to be hanged I'm
pressed by his steadfast demeanor
by the undinching manner in
which he gave the truthful evidence
that convinced himSelf, the attorneys
who were called on atthe last moment
to defend him, and some of the best
|, citizens of Vancouver, united in an at.
, tempt to save his life. The result Of
their persistent labors in his behalf was
, five reprieves and eventually commuta.
tion of the sentence to Imprisonment
for life, granted by Governor Newell.
ANOTHER STATE EMENT.
. Today's Orogonian contains veritable
, retraction of the foregoing article. 1t is
in the form of letter from Mr.. A. B.
, Ferrera, well-known citizen of Port.
land, who has been acquainted with DR.