The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-31
BREssI's WIFE.
She Is an Refuses to Credit
the Story of His Crime.

New York, July 31.-Gradually a
number of facts concerning Gaetaeno
BreSSi, who aSSaSSinated Humbert of
Italy, are being brought to light. He
was a native of Tuscany, Italy, and
came to the United States five years
ago. He was not a naturalized Ameri-
can citizen though his wife is of Ameri-
can birth. Bressi left Paterson, N. J.,
on May %, sailing for Havre by the
French line steamer La GaScOgne- He
told his wife that he was going to visit
his birthplace in Italy to look after a.
little property that belonged to him.
But he sailed under an assumed name
Branch GreSSari. His wife says she
received letter from him since he ar
rived in Milan, but he said nothing
about killing the king. She refused to
SaSSin even when the newspaper re-
ports were shown her. 1t was only
when the assassin in Milan confessed
his name and glOrified in his crime that
his wife believed.
Mrs. Bressi lives in Hoboken. When
shown copies of the papers containing
the dispatch describing her husband
and giving the date of his birth and
other facts, she exclaimed:
My God, can it be hei I cannot be-
Ieve it. 1t is hardly two months since
he left me, and it was only three days
ago that I got a letter from him telling
me how happy he was and how soon
he expected to be home.
I am an American woman. My
maiden name was Sophie Neil. met
Bressi about three years ago in a
weaving factory here in West Hobo
ken. We worked together in the same
factory. knew he was a socialist and
all that, and was opposed to kings and
queens and capitalists, but my husband
would never kill anybody Intentionally.
He was not strong. He was never Vio-
lent. He was afraid of a mouse. He
would not have had the courage to
commit such an awful act. And yet
+J,a n +ol1o 1T
rectly. 1 even see how they got the
name of Angelo Bressi. That is his
brother. He is captain in the Italian
army. Some called him by that name
here. Poor Gaetaeno! I am afraid
this news will kill me.
MY husband was of an unusually
quiet disposition He said very little
to others, even keeping his business af-
ticed that he was particularly quiet
and that caused me to think that he
had something on his mind.
IF he was connected with any band
or organized body of socialists or an
archists 1 know nothing of it. He never
mentioned any such organization to
me. I have heard him tell of this
young man Sparendio who murdered
the foreman of Wideman's dye works,
in Paterson, and then killed himself a
few days ago, but I do not believe that
my husband was on intimate terms
with him. He may have known him
signify out as my husband never
brought him to the house do not think
they were intimate"
Eressi's most intimate friend in West
Hoboken is Rafael Magnon a. fellow
countryman, living at 718 Cortland
street. When asked to give up a pho
tograph of the assassin he refused, say
ing:
1T would be as much as my life is
worth to part with that photograph
This part of West HobOken is a perfect
nest of anarchists. Were it known
that I had given you information re-
garding Bressi I would have a knife in
my back before I was twenty -four
hours older"