The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-05
Meeting Called to Hear Socialist Speaker Gets
Into Row Over His Non-Appearance and
Winds Up With the Shooting Of
One Man and General
Free Fight.

Eli Corti. junior member Of the granite
statuary cutting. firm Of Novelli 4 Corti,
was =. ire stomach and mortally
soShded. at meeting in the socialist
building on Granite street Saturday even
ing, and Alexander Garetto Of los Rail-
road street, blacksmith in the employ Of
George Walker & Son, was arrested soon
after the occurrence, charged with doing
the shooting. Corti died at midnight last
night at Heaton Hospital, Montpelier, hav-
ing lived about 80 hours after he received
the bullet.
The shooting occurred at 7,l5 o'clock
saturday evening and was the outcome Of
a general discussion between socialists
and anarchists present. G. NJ. Serati ed-
itor Of III Prolefario" a daily and weekly
socialist paper published in New York, bad
advertised meeting Of the Italian socialits
section ii Barre, to occur at the socialist
building on Granite street at O'Clock, to
which all workingmen were invited. Both
socialists and anarchists gathered at the
hall TO hear the speaker, there being more
anarchists than socialists Ii the gathering.
When o'clock arrived the speaker had
not appeared and some Of the younger
men IN the hall began to ask for the
speaker and Jolly kthe socialists on his
nOn-appeafance. Some OF their elders took
up the 'j0lly' and remarked to the so
elaIists that It must be the speaker was
not coming, that be was only fooling the
socialists about coming. The glbes back
and forth Increased in vehemence and It
is claimed BY some of those present that
Alexander Garett0 reached for his hip
pocket He was warned to quit that and
he moved away towards the doorway at
the head Of the stairs. Near the door
stood ELI Corti and when Garetto had
edged his way to the door, he pulled his
revolver and shot Corti in the stomach, as
those present reported.
1t is claimed Garetto did not shoot with
the intent TO bit COrti, but fred into the
crowd promiseuously.
Garetto was not six feet away from Corti.
Two shots were fired from 50 calibre
revolver, one hitting Corti and one strik-
ing Emilio Vochini under the right arm,
but not penetrating the skin
When Cort was hit he cried
~ am shot Run for a doctor.
With this cry, every anarchist in the
hall jumped at Garetto and he was uncer-
imoniously knocked down stairs, striking
on his head and getting several bad bruises
and cuts
When Garetto reached the bottom stair
he got on his feet as quickly as possible
and ran-ran for his life up Granite street,
through West street, up Summer street,
through Elm street, across the square, into
the city building and into Judge Fay's Of
fee, where terr0rized with fear he crouched
in corner and called on Judge Fay to
protect him from the anarchists who be
said were pursuing him.
Judge Fay did not know what to make
Of the man as he was too short Of breath
and too frightened TO give any lucid ex-
PLANTATION. The Judge, however, took him
to the police headquarters down stairs to
inform Chief Brown something was
wrong, but the police had received notice
of the trouble on Granite street and had
all departed Garetto was left In the sta
tion to await the return Of some officer,
Judge Fay not knowing they had received
notice Of the trouble.
Meanwhile the police had reached the
socialist block on Granite street, but there
was very little for them to do there as tbs
hall was empty. In the cooperative store
they found two or three Italians, one be-
ing G. NJ Serrati the advertised speaker
of the evening. Mr. Serrat had been de
layed in reaching the hall and only arriv
ed at the building Immediately after thl
shooting lie went into the co-operatiyl
store. Here he was when the officers ar
rived, and not knowing who Or what wa
to blame they took Mr.. Serrati into enstodl
and returned to headquarters where the,
found Garetto, who later proved to be tn
man they wanted. Or. Iazell had beeI
called and was sewing up the cuts in Gar
etto's head caused by his unceremoniou
exit from the Granite street hall.
After the shooting Mr.. Carti was take