The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-14
DESPERATE ASSAULT
ON A PUBLIC STREET
Viuceuzo Rossi Used His Knife With
Terrible Effect.
JOHN CAPONE WAS HIS VICTIM
The Blow Was Evidently Aimed to
Kill but CapOne Dodged His Head
in Time to Save His Life..Sus.
taincd a Painful Wound on the
Face, However, and Fell Bleeding
to the Pavement.

John Capone, an Italian baker in the
employ of Joseph Cassesse hau II
close call from being murdered at 1.3o
last evening at the corner of Penn ave-
nue. and Center street. NincenZo KOS
81, an Italian shoemaker. came up De-
hind him made furious slash OF a
knife at his throat. The blade cut a
deep cash five inches long from Ca
pones left ear around in semi-circular
shape to the corner of the mouth. IL
cut almost through the flesh of the
cheek.
Capone is % years old and has a wife
and three little children. His old
mother makes her home with them.
Rossi is about the same age as Capone,
but is not married. He lives with his
brother, Peter Rossi, who lives in one
side and Capone in the other of II
double tenement house in Raymond
court between Spruce and Linden
streets. Rossis number is 229 and Ca
poneS is 23l
After Rossi did the deed he made
his escape The wound was inflicted
with a pointed knife used by Rossi in
cutting leather, and it was almost as
sharp as Il razor. He came up with u
cat-like spring behind Capone and
aimed for the throat but the latter felt
the stealthy movement and lodged MS
head quickly from the blow In time to
save his life.
WOUND BLED PROFUSELY.
Capone fell Hat ON the sidewalk and
the blood from the wound gushed our
and bestrewed the sidewalk as II hair
dozen murders had been committed
Some passersby picked him up and car
ried him to Harris drug store. Dr.
Longstreet was sent for and he re-
sponded quickly and stopped the flow
of blood then afterward he sewed up
the cut, bandaged the wound and Ca
pone walked home: but when he got
home he was very wean and had to go
Immediately to bed.
a Tribune reporter called at the
house at $50 and found Capone rest
ing comfortably reading a book. He
said that he had been told that Rossi
was promised $500 if he would do some
serious harm to Cacone. Mrs. Capone
or Capone's old mother. any one IN the
family. The money would be paid by
Peter Rossi, Vincenzo's brother. mere
has been bad blood existing between
the two families for some time.
The reporter asked Capone what was
the cause of it and he said he didn
know, that he never did anything TO
him to warrant i'll feeling. Yesterday.
he said. he was at work ana When ne
came home in the evening his wife told
him that Rossi had been carrying beer
from the saloons nearly all day ana
was drinking it with some companions
assembled in Rossts
Mrs. Capone crossed his path on one
of his trips with the beer pail and he
called her vile name and also threat
ened, she said, to do something to the
family before many days She paid no
attention to him and 1t angered him
so that he scOwled fiercely. When her
husband came home she told him.
CAPONE WAS FOLLOWED.
After supper Capone dressed up in
his Sunday clothes and started out to-
ward the fruit stand at the Coyne
House for a paper of tobacco. As soon
as h left the house some one, he said,
came out of ROssi's house.
As he was turning W. Center street
from the court he casually looked
back and few PAGES behind him was
a man. Even this did not arouse his
suspicious. 1t was dark and the wind
was blowing gusts of dust up the
street When he got to the sidewalk
on Penn avenue he heard rapid foot
falls behind him and some one Kissing
out vile words. This warned him and
he turned and lodged his head but he
got the blow across the cheek.
Capone sank down without a scream.
but the deed was witnessed by several
people passing at the time and they
saw Rossi flee down Center street with
all possible speed. He went in the di-
rection of Hyde Park. 1t was just the
time when the day officers had gone off
duty and the night squad came on,
and on that account the would -be-as-
sassin had time to escape. The police
secured the city for him, bur it is evil
dent that he is in hiding some place.
and Will keep SHADY until he learns
that he did not complete the Job.