The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-11
KILLING OF VINAZZA,
Coroner j. F. Saltry Conducted an
Inquest in the Case in the
Court House Last Night.

Coroner j. +. Saltry conducted an in
quest last night in the case of Luigi
Ninazza, whose dead body was found
near the stockade surrounding the
William A. colliery at Lackawanna on
the morning of July I. A large hole
was found behind Vinazza's right ear,
where evidently a bullet Of large cali
bre had entered. An examination of
the head by Coroner Saltry failed to
reveal the bullet however.
The principal witness last night was
Betteto Giuseppe who was with Vim
azza when he was killed. Giuseppe
has been in this country since April
%, and even through an interpreter it
was difficult to get his testimony. He
contradicted himself several times, evil
IDENTIFY because he misunderstood the
questions.
Giuseppe has known Vinazza for
eight or nine years and their friend
ship has always been close, he said.
On June 80 they came to this city and
remained here until or o'clock, when
they went to Bellevue and remained
until 9 o'clock at night with friends.
During the day they had six or seven
glasses of beer apiece, but were not in
toXicated. They got on a trolley Car
after leaving Bellevue and rode to
Midtown and started to walk from that
point to their boarding place at Con-
MELTON. On the way toward the Will
liam A. colliery they met two other
Italians, and they all walked along to-
gether until they reached the homes
of their two companions near the
breaker. when they separated.
The witness and Vinazza continued
their journey, the latter few steps
ahead but they had passed on only
very short distance from the point
where the other two Italians left them.
when a shot was fired from behind and
the witness felt a bullet whiz along his
head and tear the leaf of his hat. He
was dazed and frightened by the shot
and fell to the ground, but a moment
later got up and started for home. He
has only the vaguest kind Of an idea
of what happened from that time until
the next morning. He does not remem-
Der having heard any shot other than
the one that struck his hat, and did
not see his companion shot or observe
him fall. They had no words or quarrel
with anyone. When asked if he went
to see the body the next morning he
said he "dd not have the heart to CO."
but later in the day saw it in the un-
dertakers in this city.
Giuseppe said he did not have a re-
volver that night and had never owned
such a weapon. Neither did Vinazza
have a revolver that night or at any
other time. When they started for
home that night Vinazza had between
Sc and 81 on his person. When the
body was found there was but fifteen
cents and a cheap silver watch which
Giuseppe said the dead man had car
ried for some time in his pockets. A
five chamber revolver containing emp
ty shells was also found in the clothes
of the deceased.
Ranchette Deminico and Paterna
Umberto, the two men who We're the
companions of VinaZza and Giuseppe
along portion of the road, said that
when they reached their home they bid
their companions good night and en-
tered the house. No sooner were they
inside than they heard shot, They
rushed to window, and looking out
toward the colliery saw the flash of
four or five shots fired from the top
of the gates in the stockade. They
were afraid and did not go out to in
vestigate the cause of the shooting.
The inquest will be resumed tonight
at p. m.
Attorneys c. p. O'Malley and Nj. ].
Martin We're present at the hearing as
the representatives of the coal and
iron police under arrest. The jury con-
sists OF Jonah Hapgood, John c. Roche.
d. C. Thompson. j. f. Mitchell, John
Tierney and Daniel Dougherty.