The Globe-republican., 1902-11-13
CHAPTER XIV.

ian, SINKING again into MS chair
And you are further charged with
the attempted murder of the child,
Alice Graviscourt, whose body you
threw into the East river on a certain
night, and on the same day you filed a
certificate of death of Alice Gravis-
court of smallpox
Good heaven." gasped the CULVER
ing wretch His face was palIid. his
eyes staring, his manner that of a
man beside himself with fear.
The superintendent paused, giving
the Italian few minutes in which to
recover.
After the pause the superintendent
turned, and, looking the scoundrel full
in the face, he said:
Now, SigmOtta, you see we know
all about you How would you like to
spend the remainder of your days in
a dark cell in Sing Sing prison?''
excitement, and exclaimed:
1t is all lie! 1t is all liet''
rs it?'' replied the superintendent
Sigmotta cried out in his fear and
Now listen to me while 1 read you
two little documents have here Did
you ever see the original of this?''
He held the portrait of Charles
Graviscourt's wife before Sigmotta.
Yes, yes, 1 knew her. he whis
pered
Now LISTEN
The superintendent then proceeded
to read the statement of Antonio Sig
motta, and the wretched brother of
the trapeze actor sat shivering and
quailing the damning sentences
were hurled at him in the superintend-
ent'S stern voice.
By the time Byrnes had finished
that statement the wretch in the chair
seemed ready to die of fright.
Now listen to this said the super
intendent, and he continued to read as
follows:
The sworn statement of Luigi Dambo
before me, -, the Prefetto
of Cag1iari, on the Sth day of - in
the year IS.
compelled by the obligation thus put
upon me by my fear of future punish
ment to tell the truth, do declare that
this is the true statement of my con
nection with the murder of Pacho
Ma1igni, and the affairs in which he
was an actor.
Il became attached to Maligni's cir
Gus in New York, and knew no person
connected with it save my employer,
and him only in the sense named.
after a few days of the exhi bition
at Madison Square Garden, in New
York city, 1 was met by Italian,
who gave his name as Tortoni, who
offered me a large sum of money if 1
succeeded in killing the girl, Nita Bar
1otti, in some way that would not
drag him into the matter made one
attempt by cutting the rope of the
trapeze on which Nita Barlotti acted
in the hope that her weight might
cause the other strands to break, and
thus she would be killed by the fall.
The severed rope was discovered, for
the girl did not appear that night, and
new rope was substituted for the
one I had cut.
ttOn the following night I tried fire,
and saturated the ropes of the trapeze
with oil, and when Bar1ott was aloft
1 set fire to them, but she was saved
| by Maubikeck, the LionTamer, and a
man from the audience whom I now
| recognize as Signor WiIberton.
ION this same night some person
| fired at Maligni and shot him in the
| cheek.
1.-The next day Ma1igni and the girl
| we're missing, and was Tortoni-
Il kept myself secreted, knowing
that the affair would stir up the police,
| and l saw neither Maligni, Barlotti
| nor Tortoni for several days
Then it became known to me that
| Maligni had taken passage for Europe
| with Barlotti and that he had plenty
| of money, and would, perhaps, return
| to Sardinia and settle.
Il sought TortOni and found him.
He told me that he had fired the shot
| at Maligni, and that he wanted me to
follow the Snowman to Sardinia, and
| there compete Ine WOIk Indl ne anC
| l had begun in New York Tortoni
| Informed me that MaHgni was in pos
| session of certain things contained in
a red tin box which were most essen
tial to him, and l was to get the box
| at all hazards The murder of Maligni
/ would avail nothing unless the box
/ and its contents were obtained
Il came to Sardinia and awaited an
| opportunity At last it came. / had
obtained an entrance into the Villa
| di Maligni by bribing some of the
| servants, and one night 1 killed Ma
/ 1igni and seized the box, which found
/ lying the table in his room, but ii
was empty
/ ''I would have killed the girl, too
| but the American had taken her away
/ and I could not find her in her room
/ where / went Immediately after Kill
| ing Maigni-
There is nothing more for me &c
| say I am the murderer CT Pacho Ma
| Iigni for which 1 was to be paid by
| fortoni, of New York
| Again 1 swear that the above state
| ment is true, and may Jesus and the
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