The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-15
WAS PILACCI MURDEREDf
HIS FRIEND, FORTUSYATo. CAP.
ES THE re ED M UR DERER.


six witnesses sworc His Death Wa. th.
Resuit or m Accident. and Three Now
Swear They Saw Him kuied-Di Lucci,
the Accused. Seeu- to ne n Dyn.mit.r.
BERS,RpsvrIE, N. j.. Jan. sO.-A sad accident has
occurred here. Giovanni Pilaccl slipped and fell on
his doorstep and fractured his skull Surgical aid
was summoned, but tho unfortunate man died two
days later. and was buried In the Basklng Ridge Gem.
etery. Rev. y. C. Mason oBSassac, -yhe deceased
leaves n wife and three children In Italy.
This despatch pr itcd In the Somerviiie IN. ~
local papers would probably have been oil that
would have been known about tho death of
Pilacci IL he had not hnd n good friend who was
sure that his death had not occurred In the
manner described. Although tho accident"
was apparently n simple one and liable to occur
to anybody. Pilacci's friend could not believe
that 1t had caused his death. despite the fact
that there were half a dozen witnesses who
sworc to the accidental killing. Pilacci was one
of n gang of laborers employed in cutting .
road through tho mountain near Bernardsville.
He died In n shnnty occupied by the gang near
Mine Mount on Saturday. Jan. 80. County
Physician Henry q. Wagner OF Somerville
was notified OF tho death. and he began
an Investigation. lie visited the sbanty and
found six Italians Keeping watch over the body.
DIR. Wagner found n fracture OF the skull on
the left side Of Pllacci's head near the tompls.
The Italians said this was caused by q fall.
Pilacci had started to walk down the front
steps OF tho shanty when they were covered
with leo. He slipped and fell, striking on his
head. They said that the fall made him uncon-
scious. They picked him up and carried him
Into tho house and dressed his wound. They did
not think his condition was serious enough to
warrant calling q physician. After lying on
his bunk for two days he died.
DIR. Wagner ross-examined each OF the wit
neaaea privately. and each tOlI ths arn story
and illustrated how Pilacci fell. Ho was salts
fled then that tho death was the result OF acci-
dent, and granted n death certificate. Pilacci's
friend. Michael Fortunate. n stalwart aud
wealthy, Italian contractor OF Madison. N. j..
work man. who was shaving to get enough money
together to bring his wife and family to
va too sans Careful n"f 70 ne risk t" BY. i.si Ri IN ssa
manner described by the witnesses. For
his own account. and found that Pilaeci bad
had 4 quarrel with = fellow laborer namei
tn. head with a club by ID Lucci. III Iucci. t.
T. said, has n brother who is n rich contractor A.
MorrIs,3wn. n; ! :; and every means tha, wealth
matter secret. This was Fortunnato's story. and
a week after the burial be brought three wit.
DUNCAN OF Someryilc. Di Lucci mad disap.
pesred after PilAeci,s death, and Fortunate
volunteered to run him down and bring him To
Justice; tortunnatn was deputized as a special
oflcer by Prosecutor DUNCAN and supplied with
Fortunate continued his detective work. and
10 two day. he located d Lucci in Morristown.
resting him. and Prosecutor DUNCAN detailed
two constables 10 accompany him; When tho
County Prosecutor. who examined the warrant
and snid that d! Luce! could 10: DO hold 90
20 somerviiio to have the mistake roctifed. and
s wers t inform %sTs so gore ,b Di LG m.,a 1se'issS
escaped. Fortan6a,o took up %'I tho hunt hunt
again. and traced III Lncci to Patterson.
engaged passage on the ,Anchor line steamer
Hespera. which was 20 sail for Italy at / O'Clock
on saturday afternoon. He had already left
amateur detective. hurried TO BROOKLYN. where
Bureau aud asked his aid In capturing hi Lucci.
Detective DAILY was detailed on the case. and.
.Ge cSI sy toT,unn.;o; hs went to tho
As they reached the dock they noticed three
Italians walking RAPIDLY away, and Fortunate
Look out; there is u man from Madison
Leaving Fortunate to trail behind, DAILY fol-
where he saw them talking cxritedly 10 a party
of Italians. In the crowd was a man with two
shaved and was H.T ,ry stSsnt 70 t "sq is mes'e eoDe
cealed; DAILY concluded he was the man wanted
saw the clsan.,havcn man he rushed upon him.
pimi9ning his ar,ns TO hi: side, and eIclAiminr
II was Dl Lucci sure enough. and before he or
his COMPANIONS could realize, what bad hap
s pensS p Ty T psiy han %Etis fo sna lmTgee sS ert d X:
%sstchri.. ID Lucci was taken to the Central Of
nee AMI locked M. Day threw one of the
satchels on = table with the remark that 10
m ght contain. dynamite. Detective Sergeant
Nachris opened the sstchel and found two sticks
OF dynamite. each fifteen inches long, and two
dynamite cartridges inside. Chief Reynolds
told Detective NachTis 10 throw the dynamite
and cartridges into the river at the foot OF Joral-
emon street A keen-edged knife sixteen inches
long WAS also found on Di Llcci. He said he
WINS taking the dynamite TO Italy 10 use for
blasting purposes.
Prosecutor DUNCAN. accompanied. BY an
Italian who WAS personally acquainted with Dt
IuCci. visited the Brooklyn Central ONCE on
Saturday and i~dentined Di Lucci. The latter
was transferred to the county Jail at Somervilis
yesterday. The body OF PiiAcci will be exhumed
to-day and Coroner Stillwell. Prosecutor Dun
gan. and other officials will attend the inquest
Domenico clio, who Is said to have been q wit
ness to the murder and to have helped Di Luoci
to ESCAPE, WAS arrested yesterday by Deputy
Sheriff Barcalow and locked up In the county
jail. clio was found in hiding near Norris
town. Constable Totten ALEC took into custody
the three Italian witnesses whom Fortunate