New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-12
SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
AN ITALIAN BANKER MYSTERIOUsLi
MURDERED IN THE STREET.
HAD JUST oUARREII.ED WITH A DRUG CLERK.
WHO is UNDER ARREST OVER GAME OF
CARDs-PoILCEMEN THINK THEY SAW
TIID FATAL SHOT FIRED.

RDS-POIICEMEN THINK THEY SAW
T1IB FATAL SHOT FIRED.
Vincenzo Garagus an Italian banker. thirty
three years old living at No. 52S Broome-st.
and having his office at No. 526ik in that street.
was shot and killed in front Of his dwelling last
night. the bullet piercing his heart. Lawrence
Priore. drug clerk. twentyseven years DID,
employed in the drug store at No. so Broome-
St. arrested and locked up in the Macdou-
gal-st police station, charged with the murder
No adequate cause for the shooting has YET
been discovered by me police. however. and the
weapon with which the crime was committed
cannot he found
Garagusi was prominent among the Italians
in the neghborhood. He lived with his wife anu
four children on the first floor of the house IN
front Of which the shooting occurred. AL the
time of the shooting Patromen Crosby anu
Jones OF the Macdougal-st. station, were stahu-
ing together at Broome and Sullivan SITS. about
fifty feet away from the house. They heard
the report OF a pistol and on looking In the
direction from which :he report came heard
second shot ana saw the flash of the powder
Both ran across the street in the direction from
which the shots came. and saw Priore enter the
drug store in his shirt sleeves. Crosby ar
rested him just he entered the store, pehs
shots.
Meanwhile. Patrolman Jones had gone 10
Garagusis house Just inside the door he found
the dying banker lying on the floor on his back
gasping for breath The policeman ran out
quickly and called ambulance from 81 VIM
cents Hospital In the drug store at the time
were Dr. Pasquae Gilbert. the owner or th'
establishment. and his brother Giacomo. Both
hiirr l.
side to see what had happened. He heard from
some bystanders that the banker had been shot'
and went to him. The physician pulled MS
clothing from his breast and found a bullet
wound over the heart. lie saw at once that the
wound was fatal but hastened into his drug
store for a bottle Of ether. When he returned
to the bankers house. the man was dead, and
his body had been removed into the family liv-
ing-ro
The prisoner was taken before his victim'
but, of course it too late for identification.
Priore denied his guilt. and said that he knew
nothing about the shooting He was searched
on the spot but no revolver was found upon
him. and none was found in the drug store.
Priore took his arrest coolly. and. having put
on his coat accompanied Patrolman Crosby
to the station house.
Policemen Crosby and Jones say they are
positive that PriOre did the shooting, and assert
that they saw him fire the second shot Last
night. however the only cause which could be
found for the murder having any degree OF
adequacy was that the two men had quarreled
over games Of cards and that Priores defeat by
the other might have angered him more than
he could stand without having revenge This
was explained by DR. Gberti. The doctor said
that the two men had often quarrellsd over
cards the latest trouble between them having
occurred just before the shooting took place.
According to Or. Gilberts story. he. with his
brother. Garagusi. and Priore. played cards for
beer in the drug store last evening. Priore lost
and Garagusi won. After the game Priore went
out for a moment. on his return he accused
Garagusi of having drunk the beer. and said
that he would not pay for it. Hot words passed.
and Priore went out again While he was gone
| a daughter Of the banker ran In To say that her
mother wished 10 see her father. GaraGusi left
the place, and just after he had gone the people
in the store heard the two shots fired.
Although two shots were fired at the time OF
the murder. such n superficial examination OF the
body as the police able to give disclosed
only a single wound, which went to its mark
lust over the heart. rigid search Is being
made for the revolver with which the shooting
habit Of keeping a revolver in his room. and
that II was a .;}S-calibre weapon which would
apparently correspond with the bullet which
penetrated the mans breast.
d;aragusi had been In this country for thirteen
wears. 4 widow and four children survive him.
He was popular and greatly respected among
his fellow -countrymen. and there was much
mourning in the neighborhoOd when II was
learned that he had been killed.