The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
MANY HAD MOTIVES TO KILL.
POLICE PIZ/LED BY TIE MI II
DER or PIETRO SiIERNO.
lie Is said 10 Have Anronted Many Women
and II Was Predicted That He Would
get His Medicine" soon-IIis Partner,
Pappetane, Held ON slight suspicion.

Pietro Salono, an Italian butcher. was
murdered in his Williamsburg shop some
time early yesterday morning. His partner
Francesca Pappetane, il held on dim
suspicion. Why Salerno was killed il
plain. but the manner Of the killing il a
tangled mystery. From the view Of de-
tective interest, it is rather an unusual
case.
Saerno was a man Of unusually disre-
putable character Since be- opened his
butcher shop seven months ago, he had
been making trouble among the Italians
Of the district by his attentions 10 married
women Three months Of that time he
PASSED in jail. The wife of his partner never
| came near the shop, so much did she fear
! SaleIno and his reputation. II has been
said in the ucighborhood for weeks that
Saleno would get his medicine before
/ long.
Friday night he left the shop at about
! s O'Clock From that time on he drops
! out of sight until yesterday morning when
some early customers, wondering why the
shop was not open peered in and saw him
/ living against his front door. The police
forced an entrance.
Salerno had been knitted and was about
three hours dead. The first slash had
nearly cut away his right cheek, 1t cleft
his face from brow 70 throat. The second
had entered his right breast and finished
tho work He was in his shirt sleeves.
When they lifted the body, however, they
found that he had been shot also. ne
bullet had entered his right side, making
bad wound, but not necessarily a fatal
one.
Salerno lived alone in two rooms back Of
the shop On his bed lay his coat and waist
cont They had been pierced by the pistol
shot. His overcoat, which lay on the other
side OF the bed, showed no bullet hole. The
front door was closed. but unlocked. The
key lay beside trunk, as though he had
tossed it there after unlocking the door.
This then, ia the order of events as the
detectives pieced them together
Somewhere. in the early morning, he was
caught and shot probably III some house
while he was carrying his overcoat on his
arm. He managed TO staggerr home, un-
lock the door. close it behind him and get
To his bed. There be stripped Oh his coat
and waistcoat and tried to attend TO his
wound.
While he wes doing this the avenger
who had l-cn following. caught Tim
Wounded and cornered he made a dash Tor
the butcher shop 10 get weapon. Tie
murderer heat him in the race for the knife
rpck and killed him before his own counter
A keen, six-inch trimming knife With which
the job was probably done IL missing from
the store.
The murderer it Is assumed, taking the
knife with him, escaped by the buck door.
This must have been the order Of events
but when they came 10 LOOK Tor me muir
4 derpr the ua.lCc were confused by the
numher Of peorle with motives. The crowd
which gathered as soon as the CRIME was
known was frank in the opinion that Salerno
got his desserts.
Pappetane. the partner was found AZ
home lie was questioned closely through
an interpreter. and his answers were a
little mixed At fms be said that S1leInc
carried the only key to tho chop. Then
when the police showed that they had
found two keys. he admitted that he ownrd
one, but hndn't been carrying il. lie said
that he reached home at O'Clock Friday
night His wife said that he reached home
after O'Clock. Although these discrepan-
ces are slight, Capt. Hayes Of the Bush
wick avenue station decided 20 hold him
ast night the police gave 1t out that they
were on the trail Of man with good
strong motive for killing Sa'emo.
After her husband had been taken away
TO ian Signora Fappetane scrubbed ~
the shop. took her place behind the bloch
and went on wi,h the business.