The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-23
MURDER MYSTERY
STILL UNSOLVED
Malta Theory Finds Supporters
Among Many Police Off
Gals and Others.

With Antonio Calderone, the princ1-
nal suspect in the Battalia murder case
in custody, the authorities are now
confronted with the problem as to what
mart he took in the deadly affair. was
he Battalia's assailant, and if so, what
motive did he have for Staying Bat
talia. who had accompanied him to the
Franklin avenue bridge at an hour
when both knew it would be deserted?
Why did Calderone, Battalia and the
alleged third man go to the Franklin
avenue bridge? AS far as has been
discovered they had no objective point
when they left the Minnehaha street
car at the corner Of Franklin and
REIMBURSEMENT avenues. Did they
then voluntarily resort to this place to
fight a duel, or was the victim lured
to his death at the hands of mem
bers of the Malta?
Who started the fight, Calderone, the
unknown or Battalia? Was there
sudden quarrel and did Battalia as
sault Calderone and was he repaid with
the twenty-four terrible stiletto cuts,
two of which pierced his heart?
Calderone's lips are sealed, and the
other living participant in the en-
counter has not yet been found. At
torney F. L. McGhee, by whose orders
Calderone is maintaining strict Sc
crecy, says that the state must prove
that Calderone is Battalia's slayer, and
declares that he is anxious to find the
third man, whose story he wants.
Looks Like Mafia's Work.
To support the theory that the Malta
is behind the crime, evidence has been
found which inclines weIl-informed
police officials to accept it as solution
of the otherwise inexpHcable mystery.
Calderone and Battalia had been
frineds, and Calderone said yesterday
that he had never had any serious
personal difficulty with the dead man.
Indeed, so familiar was Calderone with
Battalia, that on the morning of the
day on which Battalia was murdered,
Calderone gave Battalia's brother $40
to send to Calderone's mother in Sicily.
Was Battalia then condemned to
death by the Malta and were Ca1derone
and the unknown and others of whom
no trace has been obtained selected to
perform the terrible deed? The de-
creeS of the society would have been
more powerful than the strongest ties
of friendship, and if drawn a man
would have been compelled to execute
his orders at the pain of suffering HIM
salt a similar fate to that melted out
to the condemned man.
Battalia was, 1t had been shown, in
clined to adopt American ways and
had even decided to join the Masons.
Did he incur the enmity of this society,
and was his death ordered and were his
slayers selected by lot or some other
manner?
BattaIia Armed Himself.
Before leaving his home on the night
of his death Battalia armed himself
with a revolver and a stiletto, as if an
ticipating trouble. He left his home,
saying that he intended going to a
lodge. Instead Of going there he met
Calderone and a third man with whom
he went to the Franklin avenue bridge,
where he met his death.
Everything about the scene of the
murder indicates that there was
deadly struggle, and the mutilated con-
dition of Battalia's body speaks strong
ly of malice on the part of his slayers.
Two stiletto thrusts were found
through the heart, and one of those
was twisted, forming triangular cut.
Though Attorney McGhee has said
that Battalia and the unknown third
man met Calderone at a place pre-
viously designated by Battalia, this
statement is not accompanied with
sufficient explanation to render 1t ten
able. If Calderone was to have gone
with Battalia and the third man on
some legitimate business beyond the
bridge, why does not Calderone or
Attorney McGhee make a clear state
ment? Mr.. McGhee was questioned
closely on this point by a G o b rep
resentative, but replied that ne would
not reply to the inquiry.
The only solution, as far as facts
have at present developed, is that the
murder was instigated by the Malta.
When Attorney McGhee was asked in
reference to the Malta story, he re-
Piled:
"I think it good explanation in
view of the facts that have so far been
published
Italians Are Excited.
Considerable excitement was caused
yesterday in the Italian colonies of
both cities, when the delivery of CAL
derone became known. Heated dis
cussions in the Italian language were
heard among groups of the country
men of the slain man. Though they
are dfsinClined to discuss the affair at
length, they remark that they are
pleased that Calderone has been To-
Gated
The Minneapolis, police are going on
cerned in the murder of Salvatore
Battalia, and are after Humbert Cal
derone, supposed to be an elder broth
er of Antonio Calderone, who is now
In confinement at the county jail.
Conductor A. D. Soucie, of the Min
nehaha line, yesterday identified An
tonic Calderone as one of the three
Italians who Wednesday night rode
from Washington and First avenues
south to Twenty seventh and Franklin
avenue, within three blocks of the
bridge. He had previously identified
Battalia's remains
The story Of Benjamin Patterson a
freight brakeuen that he allowed an
italian about forty years old to ride to
Omaha, leaving Friday morning, that the
man was much excited and had a wound
on his neck, fits in with this third man
theory.
While the Minneapolis Italians deny
that they knew of Calderone having q
brother, the st. Paul Italians think that