The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-20
SENTENCED TO BE GARRoTED.

The Trial OF Angiolflio, tho Assassin Of
Observation-Disclosures of the Prisoner.
The Death Sentence Imposed.
Madrid, August 16.-Michael Anglo
lilo, the anarchist assassin Of Premier
Canovas del Castillo who was tried by
court-martial yesterday at Vergara,
was found guilty and was sentenced to
death. Upon hearing the sentence,
AngioliIlo turned deathIy pale and had
to be assisted from the court room.
Angiolillo will be garroted within the
prison. About 200 persons were present
at the trial. The vicinity of the prison
was almost deserted, the public being
apparently Indifferent, in view of the
certainty that the death penalty would
follow the ceurt-martial.
Angiolillo, heavily manacled, sat be-
tween two gendarmes n Immediately
in front Of his judges. On a table near
by lay his revolver and other material
evidence of the crime.
The president of the court read the
declaration of e~ye-witnesses, after
which the written statement of the
prisoner was read by the clerk of the
court. Angiolillo, in the course of his
statement, said that he left FOggia in
October, 1895, and went to Marseilles
and Barcelona where he took the name
of Jose Santos. At first he had no
thought of becoming an anarchist, but
while at Cooromina he began to be in
terested in anarchist doctrines. He
then returned to Marseilles and after
his expulsion from that city he went
to Belgium and London, where he has
spent most of his time in the society Of
anarchists. When the execution took
place at Barcelona on May 4th Of five
Of the anarchists convicted Of partici-
patton in the outrage at the feast Of
Corpus Christi, he conceived the idea
of assassinating Canovas. Without
seeking an accomplish he proceeded to
Spain and carried out the resolution.
AngiOlillO went on to say that the pas
sion of vengeance led him to commit
the crime. AS he was unacquainted
with the manufacture of explosives, he
used the revolver.
The public prosecutor described the
crime as ''premeditated MURDER" and
asked the court to impose the death
penalty.
Lieutenant Gorria, whom the court
had assigned as counsel to Angiolillo,
urged that the prisoner was demented
at the time Of the shooting and made
a strong appeal to the benevOlence Of
the judges.
While his couns vas presenting this
plea AngiOlillo listened in silence.
Then he asked permission to speak for
himself, which was granted. He thank
Lieutenant Gorria for his efforts and
denied that he had any accomplices, or
that he was an accomplice Of those
who committed the bomb throwing out
rage at Barcelona, or that he had par
ticipated in secret gatherings Of an
archSits. When he began to discuss
anarchist theories, the president Of the
court interrupted him and threatened
to stop him if he pursued that line of
remark or touched upon any matters
not connected with the trial.
AngiOlillo persisted in speaking Of
politics and Of the wars in Cuba and
the Philippines.
The president said: "All that has
nothing to do with your crime" An
giolillo replied: Il must justify my
self"
The president retorted: "That is no
justification. Moreover, you can con-
vince nobody in that, way" Angiolillo
begain again, but the president declar-
ed the trial ended and ordered the
court room cleared.
After the prisoner had been conduct
ed to his cell the judges deliberated
for an hour and then announced the
sentence of the court.