Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-17
TW0 ITALfAss $ SENTENCED.



In the United States District Court,
on Tuesday, Judge Bradford sen
fenced Giuseppe Speciali and Michael
Costello, the Italians who recently
pleaded guilty to passing counterfeit
money at Dover, the former to is
months and the latter to 10 months
imprisonment at hard labor in the
prison at Trenton, N. j.. and each to
pay 1000 fine and costs of the prosecu-
tion. If the maximum punishment had
been imposed, each would have been
sentenced to Imprisonment for 40 or so
years and required to pay penalties
amounting to from Sl5, 600 to $40, 600,
as several offences were charged against
each.
The men were arrested at Dinah's s
Corner, near Dover, in the latter part
Of July, by Detectives Shartzer, Walls
and Barber, and arraigned before
United States Commissioner Smith in
this city Immediately afterward, and
each was held for the September term
of court to answer the charge of coun-
terfeiting. True bills were found
against both of the men and at first
each pleaded not guilty, but subse.
quently both pleaded guilty, the plea
being accepted by the government. At
the time of their arrest and shortly
afterward some counterfeit money was
found in circulation in Dover and more
was found buried on the farm at
Dinah's Corner Appliances for manu-
featuring money were also found ON
the farm and the evidence was very
strong against the men. Other men
who had left the place were also sus-
pected, but all eluded the officers ex-
cept the two men mentioned above.
Before sentence was pronounced Mr..
Vandegrift reviewed the cases, stating
that an Indictment had been found
against each of the men at the Septem-
ber term of court charging them with
violating Section 5457, United States
Revised Statutes, which referred to
counterfeiting gold or silver coin. He
said that the maximum punishment in
each case was 10 years Imprisonment
and 5000 fine.
Mr.. Knowles asked for clemency in
behalf of his clients. He said that
white they had pleaded guilty evidence
could have been produced to show that
they were not the principals, the prin-
cipals having escaped. He said
Special came to America few months
ago with few hundred dollars, which
he expected to invest in some business
to make a living for himself and his
family. He was met in New York by
the parties referred to, who induced
him to so to Dover. place he had
never heard Of, and invest his money.
AT the suggestion Of those parties he
went to Doyer and negotiated for the
purchase Of small farm, making a
payment thereon. The parties who in
duced him to buy the farm nltsle fire.
quent visits to his place, and it could
have been shown that the men arrested
did not know what was going on there.
Mr.. Knowles claimed that he could
have proved that the men who visited
the farm had the key to the cellar,
where the counterfeiting is supposed
to have been done, and that when the
strangers went to the farm they re-
quested Special and his wife to leave
tho place, temporarily, and that while
thus in possession tho counterfeiting
was done. The men arrested had had
counterfeit money, which had been
given to them and on tho advice Of
counsel had pleaded guilty. Mr..
Knowles said, however, that he believed
his clients were innocent of the crime
to which they had pleaded guilty, and
that they were the victims of circum-
stances. Referring to Special, he said
ho really occupied the position of hav-
ing turned States evidence, as he had
assisted the government in an effort to
locate the couhterfeiters. Concerning
Costello, he said he had been engaged
in Dover as a laborer on the farm and
knew really less about the counterfeit
ing alleged to have been in progress on
the farm than Speciali knew.
Mr.. Vandegrift said the government
had no objection TO the court being
lenient, in view. of the fact that the
men were ignorant and did not realize
the gravity of tho crime.
Each of the men, in reply to the
courts question as to whether there
was any reason why judgment should
not be pronounced. stated that he had
wife and children and asked for
clemency. The judge in imposing SEN
tence pointed out the gravity of the
crime and called attention to the fact
that it was formerly punishable by
death.
The third Italian, who was recently
indicted on the charge of counterfeit
ing, has not been captured, but it is
supposed that he is in hiding in one of
the large cities.
William f. Hazard OF Lincoln and
Mice Mauaia n Carlhnurn nf Milford