New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-21
TELLS PART IN FRAUDS.
OFFICIAL CONF'ESSE.S.
Conscience Dsf0es Life Insurance
ferut to Testify against Italians.

startling testimony given before Magis
.yate Zeller yesterday in the Harlem court at
tbe examination of Joseph Trepani. Italian
Undertaken. who is accused OF being one of the
,,d Of swindlers who robbed life insurance
,-,fanies cut of large sums in recent years
A. the end Of the examination Trepani was held
!, 5000 hail for the grand jury. Five other
,,-isoners in the case are TO be examined next
r,nrs5ay. They are Emilio Cirino Michael ].
pssca Dr. Albert Loewit. DR.. Francis Mucci
.,d Fabric D'AIessio. Bartholomew Chrome who
res one OF the leaders Of the swindlers. and is
believed TO have made hundreds of thousands Of
,o,,srs ont Of the frauds, was arrested and held
81 $4,000 for examination. but ne forfeited his
,an and fed from the city. II is believed that
10 went back to Italy.
T,enuty Assistant District Attorney krotel
spr-nrsed counsel for Trepan yesterday by pro-
sueIns as q witness Francis B. Foster. Of No.
ees Colun1bus-ave, for years an agent OF the
r-nion Central Life Insurance Company, Of Gin
,nnatf Foster had made confession. detail
t,r the methods OF The swindlers. and admitting
,ba, he shared in their profits. He repeated
,,sr- Of the confession the witness stand yes
-srsav In A severe cross-exa mination he adj
,i-+e5 that he had deserted his wife and chill
6ren. and vas living with another woman. but
he declared that it his conscience, rather
fear OF lNillSiliilSitN, tAasNN maui A'A-@-
ssrs 10 the District Attorney.
Mr. KroieI said last evening that he probably
,orid 1ry 10 have Trepani and his associates in
the frauds indicted Immediately, and would not
,-s,- for the examination next Thursday He
r,bsrly will take the case before the grand
Jury early next week
The confession OF Foster declares that he was
led into taking part in the frauds innocently at
est and that he determined to make confess
iop ,,hen he was satisfied that the Italians
nbo we're perpetrating the frauds would not
.+on At murder TO carry out their plans For
,iors Of his confession are the following:
aid all the business in carrying out, success
f}9,44ai lie insurance Company OF Cincinnati, IN
which $40 Goo was actually aud by .S arnong
or fraudulent proofs of death and diNloeo ailoIs
ne <pindlers The principal consplTators asS So
sqph Trepani Chrome had parptT sl were held
sG- Second-a-e-. where the meetings. t5 I'M
-rsnsni is an undertaken. and had an once AZ NJ
l First-ave, and in his place ait lne ni t We're
ATTAINED by him carry out the insurance Irau1S,
esTy in 1900 i have been for many years ne ne
chief soliciting agent OF the on!9qh b ~ has a
branch Office in this city: This company 5i gq -
large amount Of business in the Italian dls' oG by
ir1e ia regard 10 the death of Antonio Cerlnsti.
He was insured IA f Or that there was anything
wrong in this mans death until IrepAI 1i hlIv
taker saEe m me no This MADE me suspicious
ana asked few questions ana S To5IS q allow How
ls ~ which thew were interested in TO pass the
company theTs wenio t6 oI me fhat everything
IN -sg51- hut that ! could aid them in getting
SHORTY alter This received notification Of the foe
s t16o know now that fraudulent proofs of death
80 submitted in this case, but at that urne
dc aS' s kaGT Tre t Tiig gave me sioo
soon after this received notice OF the 0e4tn "a
-r-lo mas
ZION Central company. L know now that bog US
nof IF death were made in this case. got slee
Then came the death of Anna NJ Astellt IA WI
was insured for 1000. passed this claim All rien'
and got 500
Continuing Fosters confession tells OF the
dickering over the claims in the Tra1noorulo
case and SAYS $500 was promised to him Tor
each 5000 policy that was collected, and that
there were ten policies. Describing the 1oentln-
cation Of the body, the confession says;
II was agreed that was 10 go TO the .,i home Of
Trsmboruio. at No. 800 East one-hunGTe d no
o;-h+,- seco~d-st and see the body 1 went to the
room It was dimy lghIeG ~ ta old mans
face II had been fixed I'D so as TO give II q
The sp7eaTarce Of the face ] could see 1t was
old and ii was not me man g. % n oiicS-
la the Union Central COMPANY, mace pa!aioe 20
Maria D'Alessio. made raIst leehIih nun 81
his bndv and Chrome and Trepan botn assured
me that that would be all that was necessary 70
9g5 I in tbe @tser business OF the proofs Of
death and the affidavit of friend ana We Woudf q
eef the money We went from the mouse OF
Tramborulo TO the barber shop and Trepanl tola
ne that this insurance business was me olsse -
thing I'M the city. and that if would STICK 10
them they could collect on hundreds OF pohcles.
ness Cor the last years and never nave mace
~r- mistake The insurance people are easy. ana
n can fool them every time. and We can carry inls
business on for ten years more II Is the biggest
money maker that ] know OF.
Fosters confession tells of the disturbance
caused 6y the digging up Of the Tramborulo
body and says the conspirators assured MIN
that everything would come out right il he Kept
his mouth shut anL did not admit receiving
money from them. After Cirone's arrest the
confession says, il was arranged that CHROME
should jump his bail and run away, so that all
the blame should be laid him.