Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-18
FRANK NAPOLE THE SLAYER Thus He Confessed and the Coro-
 ner's-Jury So Decides. STATEMENT OF DEFENDANT Napole Thought SheroIa BurgIar-The Gssnd Jury Will nvestigate--Can-
 epa Released.

accompanied by a State Herald report CT, went to the premises where Sherota, the Italian, was killed Sunday night by Frank Napole, another Italian Alice, the young wife of Frank Canepa, who was held on suspicion. had charge of Can epa's store, which adjoins the fruit stand that was occupied by Frank Napole. Three or four other women were with her in the rear of the store and few idle visitors were standing and sitting in front They watched the coroners jury with considerable interest and some at tempted to offer theories of the killing to Coroner Dusenberry, but their opin- ions were promptly but politely declined by that official. The spots on the floor which Chief Mcdonald and Captain Don elson believed were blood spots covered with oil were closely and minutely exam ined. An oil tank stored in the center of the floor and spots of oil were noticed scattered plentifully throughout the place. The jury and the State Herald re- porter after painstaking investigation, could discover no difference in the oil spots except here and there where grape rind has been crushed a darker stain appeared. Nothing suspicious was discovered in Napole's place and the jury returned to the coroners office in the court house, where they heard the state ments of Frank Canepa and Frank Ma pole Canepa's statement was as follows:
 Frank Canepa
 My name Is Frank Canepa. I live on the corner of Twenty-fourth street and second avenue. I run a small grocery and fruit stand. John Sherota was my clerk. He went away last Sunday about 1 o'clock and returned about o'clock. As soon as he came in the front door I saw he was drunk. He said good even Ia txun kat nd n the free well at the corner of Morris ave- nue and Twenty-fourth street for the purpose of bringing me some water.
 After ten or fifteen minutes l heard John coming-calling to me to catch him." catch him" He had a negro in front of him. I caught the negro and stopped him. The negro wanted to know why I stopped him and I told him be- cause I wanted to see what was the mat ter. John was very much excited, and put his fist in front of the negro's nose.
 John made great deal of noise. I warned him that he might get arrested. From the negro I learned that John hired him to bring the water from the well. John claimed that the negro push ed him down. The negro says he threw John down because John cursed him. When I heard the circumstance like 1t was l told the negro to go home and or dered John in the store John went off after some more water and came back cursing me in Italian saying you ras- cal, coward" and I will shoot you. You are low down, etc., and lots of people who heard him got inside.
 I begged him to go lay down or he would have to go to jail He said that I allowed a negro to jump on him. and he cursed me again. Then I grew mad and excited that a clerk of mine should come in my store and insult me that way; so slapped him with the palm of my hand and the back of my hand and-told him is he did not hush I would take him by the neck and throw him out. John said, "Oh, Frank, know we are good friends, and he went off and sat in the corner of the store about five minutes. Then he went away. to get glass of beer, he said, and that was the last I saw of John. He went away about o'clock.
 He has worked for me long time He had no money. I paid him $1 a week and his board. He drank whisky great deal, but was faithful to his work when sober. did not know him before he came to this country, but he told me that he had wife and children in the old country. After supper about S:30 o'clock my wife had gone to bed.
 Very little business was going on, so Frank Napole came in front of my store and sat there talking till about 10 o'clock.
 Napole asked me when I went to close up if I would open the door for John if he came back, and said yes, because the weather was cool.
 Then Napole said he would keep open little while longer, as he might get nickel or two. Then I looked about my premises and began to undress. AS got in bed the clock struck 10. l went to sleep and was awakened by knocking on the front door. I got up and called, but got no answer. Then asked in 1tal- ian: Is that you, John?' Still no an- swer In very little while I heard loud humping on my window toward the yard and l recognized Frank Napole's voice calling me: Frank. Frank, get up, for Gods sake. I thought there was negro under my bed and I cut him, and I'm afraid 1t was John My wife was asleep and woke up and asked me what was the matter. I did not want to scare her. She is but child. So told her Ma pole had negro in his bed or something of that sort, and-I went to see what was the matter. I dressed in hurry.
 we went together in the back way of Frank Napole's place. I was in front of him. I saw a body lying down on the floor in Franks place. made him strike a match and he said. Yes, it is John He seemed to be very sorry that he had done the deed and was excited. told him in a few words not to be uneasy. that I was going after 8 doctor I said that if an officer should catch him he need not be uneasy, because he was not guilty-thinking John was a negro when ne cut 0lIn. Tdu tO SdIlOTu ubo telephoned.
 Met an Italian.
 "I believe I met Joe Mesicomo's bar clerk at the telephone. I asked the col ored boy to telephone for the ambulance They said they would not send 1t unless the city was first notified.
 Then we telephoned to the police and the officers came. Frank Napole was standing outside. He asked me if found a doctor and told him no. but to be easy and somebody would come. He staid like man. When the officers came they took the body and arrested Frank Napole. I then went to my bed. My wife woke up and asked me what was the matter and said, oh, nothing; go to sleep Next morning I told her Frank Napole had killed John. There was blood on the bed, and on the wall little sprin- kles of blood. It looked like blood was on the sheet. My wife and get along very well. When we were married twenty eight days she went away and staid away sixteen days Now and then we have tri- vial disputes like those that occur in any, family"
 Frank Napole was next examined. He testified as follows: