Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-04


Up to Saturday night, April o. Garrano
DeFeo, an Italian, lived near Downer with
his wife and one child, and found employ
ment in Downer's sand wash. he was a
thrifty man, and saved a portion Of his
daily wages A friend of Feo's was Fran
cisco Abbatto, of the same nationality, an I'M
married man, and dissolute. On the night in
question Abbatto having previously hired
horse ia WiiliamstowD, called al the Fec
home, and induced Fec to 20 with him for
ride They left home about s o'clock,
and at about o'clock Sunday morning
Abbatto returned alone. He told FeO's
wife he had left Fec at Hammonton, from
which place he was going TO New York and
wanted him, Abbatto, to bring his family
to New York On Monday the woman &C.
companied him there, bat as she did not
fad her husband, and on account of Abb
batto's conflicting accounts OF his where
abouts, insisted on their return. They
came back on Wednesday, and on Thursday
Mrs. Fec caused Abbatto's arrest, the war
rant being issued by Esquire Buck, of
Williamstown The woman was also held
as witness On Friday they were brought
to Woodbury. and confined in jail and
Detective Garrison instituted a search Tor
the missing man.
The searchers were rewarded on Sunday,
when the headless body Of Fec was found
in the woods, about 20 yards off the Blue
Anchor road below Waterford, Camden
county. About 200 yards further in the
woods, the bead was found. The searchers
were directed TO the spot by buzzards
lowering over it.
1t is the opinion of detectives that as
the men were riding along. Abbatto struck
Fec on the head with blunt instrument,
then dragged him from the carriage into
the woods, where he cut off the head which
be carried further into the woods and tossed
it under a pile of brush. The body was
placed in charge of Undertaken Henry, of
Berlin, Camden county. Indications being
that the murder was committed in Camden
county, the authorities Of that county have
taken charge of the case. County Physi-
clan Jones has examined the body and de-
cided that the man was dead before the
head was cut off
The story is told that when Fec went
away on Saturday night, he had $500 on
his person. Abbatto on being searched on
his arrival in Woodbury., had Just So 90
He paid the expense of the trip to New
York and back, and must have been liberal
10 his use of the $500 10 have parted with
S597 On Monday morning the woman was
taken to Berlin to identify the body as that
of her husband. Abbatto was taken to
Camden on the noon train Monday
While Gloucester county officials have no
desire to shiFk responsibility in such mat
ters, yet with the people at large they part
with this case without feelings of regret.
On Tuesday the Camden authorities took
Abbatto over the route he is supposed to
have driven with Fec on the night before
the murder. When the party stopped at
the place where the blood clots were, and
at which place the deed is supposed to
have been committed, Abbatto broke down
and wept like child. From that place
the party drove to the BUST seed farm,
where there were evidences of a wagon
having entered the property recently. The
trio then proceeded to Waterford where
they took dinner, after which they returned
to Williamstown by way of Cedar Brook
the route that Abbatto says that he and
Fec took on that fatal Saturday. While
the party were on their way to Williams
town it was learned that man named VIM
Brown, living between Waterford and
Williamstown, had found blood covered
blanket on the road, on which the murder
ia supposed to have occurred. They also
learned that in the wagon which was hired
by Abbatto was found a pool of blood
The shoes of Abbatto, which are in the
possession of Prosecutor Jenkins, show
unmistakable evidences of blood stains.
During their tour in the vicinity Of
Williamstown, they found a portion Of
Feo's dimembered body, and the ground
showed evidences of a struggle.
C0RoNER's INQUEST.
Coroner Stem, of Camden county, con-
Quoted the inquiry into the cause of De
Feo's death, at Berlin yesterday, and after
examining many witnesses theJury brought
in verdict holding Abbatto responsible.
ABBATTO CoNFEssEs.
Late last night, assistant Prosecutor Car
son, accompanied by the Italian interpre-
ter of the Philadelphia courts, spent two
hours with Abbatto, and put him throuqh
a searching examination. Abbatto finally
confessed that he killed DeFeo, but when
and how. and his motives for the crime, he
refused to tell.