The herald., 1898-07-21
Vl6NOlO TELLS MS TALE
SHE ALWAYS CARRIED AkNIFE
Various Occasions Upon Which She
Threatened His Life and Chased
Him With Knife or Ratchet

Him With Knife or Ratchet
A strong defense Is being put In In the
vignolo trial, and after the testimony
given yesterday the situation looked far
brighter for the defendant than at any
time since his arrest. An attempt has
been made to show that the dead woman
had a knife and was shot while in the act
of making a murderous attack upon her
husband. The witness who, it is alleged.
picked up the dagger near the dead body
Is not on hand to tell his story. but corro-
borative evidence that the dead woman
was, while in her cups, a quarrelsome,
vindictive shrew, and that she habitually
went armed and had upon at least three
previous occasions attacked vignolo with
deadly weapons, was adduced in plenty.
At the opening of court e. H. Burnett.
superintendent Of the West Coast Fer
tilizing works on San Fernando road, was
the first witness called. He testified to
having seen dagger or knife lying on the
seat of the carriage in which a woman
sat, whom he was told was Mrs. vignolo,
one day when she, in company with an
other woman, drove to the works after
some bone meal. F. H. Brakeshuler.
deputy constable, swore to having wit
messed an alteration between Vignolo and
his wife some three years ago on North
Spring street. She then told her hus-
band that she would kill him If he came
to their room. Joe Hunter was put on the
stand and swore that he had at numerous
times seen Mrs. vignolo when she had
both a gun and a knife on her person.
He described tho knife as a six-inch, dag
ger-like weapon. Jas. w. Hellman testi-
fed to the general peaceable. honest and
respectable character of the defendant,
rs did several other witnesses.
w. s. Ballestero, barber. was put on
by the defense, and said that in the latter
part Of May last he. with two compan-
ions. while standing on the corner of
Sixth and Wall streets, overheard an al
tercation between Mr.. and Mrs. Vignolo,
who had just come out of a saloon near
by, and stood on the opposite corner from
the witness and his friends. At this
time Mrs. Vignolo abused her husband
with the most vile language imaginable,
and told him she would fix him yet. This
testimony was corroborated by two other
witnesses.
At IN. m. court reconvened, and s. Wig
nolo, the defendants brother, was placed
ON the stand. He heard Mrs. Vignolo
threaten her husband with violence and
death several times, and once, when they
were visiting, when he was conducting a
saloon at Newhall, she ran behind the
bar, grabbed a gun, and snapped 1t twice
at her husband, but it was not loaded, so
did no harm.
He swore that he had seen the knife or
dagger which Mrs. vignolo carried many
times, and that she said it was her best
friend and she would yet fix her husband
with it. She sometimes carried the knife
In her stocking, and sometimes it was VI
her sleeve.
The clothing worn by deceased was
introduced in evidence and filed as an
exhibit. Several character witnesses were
heard, all giving the accused good repu-
tation. J. w. Witherspoon Of Garvanza.
who had known Mrs. Vignolo for many
years, swore that she stated in his pres
ence on First street in this city that she
would kill her husband.
The defendant, George Vignolo, then
took the stand. His evidence was given
in a clear and cool manner. and covered
6ll the tl1N0 1IO1n AAlS AhoAA iA6O " <AAAAS
McShane, the deceased, in '93, to the time
of her death. He stated that he had lived
here twenty-seven years, was city assessor
from 1888 to 1884, had been engaged in the
grocery business and liquor business at
different times. Mrs. Vignolo first threat
ened his life in 1894, while he was running
. road house on Washington street.
There she chased him with a bread knife
and at another time threw a Ratchet at
him and cut his head. After their place
burned down on Washington street and
when they visited his brother at Newhall,
the scene occurred as has already been
given.
Shortly after their return to this city he
left her end went on ranch near the Sol
diers' Home, but she kept coming to see
him, and finally he returned to her.
In 1895 he made several trips to the City
of Mexico. where he worked for a time.
The first time she did not accompany him,
but did so on the second trip.
From Mexico they went to Guatemala,
where he was at work. She came in one
evening drunk, and, drawing gun. shot at
him, but missed, and bystanders took the
weapon from her. They remained in Guat-
cuudld Ouc ulOntli, anu lctuiuCu " Las
Angeles. He then related how she had
repeatedly run him otuof different room
ing houses at which they stopped with a
gun, knife or something equally dangerous,
and told of the affair at Casterra's bar.
which has already been given.
He left the woman again in 1897, telling
her that he could not live with her or sup
port her II she was going to carry on in
such manner and make money by such
methods as she had. been employ
ing. He then packed up his things
and went to his fathers place.
She went to the Berlin, on Broad
way. July IA he heard she was going to
San Francisco and to Guatemala, and later
he received two letters from her while she
was In the latter place.
The first intimation he had Of her return
was the receipt Of a message saying that