The San Francisco call., 1905-04-13
Two Men Who Knew Tortu-
rici Are Ordered to Keep
Silence or Prepare to
Meet Fate Of Vilardo
WIFE OF FUGITIVE
C0NSULTS ATTORNEY
Woman Receivers From the
Strain of Severe Ordeals,
but Says That She Prefers
to Remain in the Jail

Keep your mouth shut, or your head
will come off, too" This grim warn
! ing, written in red ink, has been re-
ceiyed by several who have been as
sisting the police in the search for
Pietro Torturici, wanted for the brutal
murder of Biaggio Vilardo.
Joseph Cerghirino and Victor Vac
caro-, proprietors of the resort at 81
Montgomery avenue, where Torturici
was seen Friday afternoon, each re-.
ceived warning from>the organization
that plotted the butchery of the un-
fortunate Sicilian The missives came
in the general delivery and were un-
signed. A roughly drawn skull and
crossbones was scratched in the lower
corner of each. The handwriting is fine
and delicate, apparently that of
woman.
Cerghirino and Vaccaro are certain
that he letters are not the work of
practical joker. The pair were filled
with terror when they took the missives
to Chief of Police Dinan and begged
for protection. The Chief is certain
that the warnings were penned by the
midnight assassins that decreed vi
lardo's butchery. He gave the saloon
men permission to arm themselves and
presented each with special permit to
carry weapon until they can get one
from the Police Commissioners. Take
no chances advised the Chief. Shoot
If necessary, and shoot first"
Day and night the warning is whis-
pered through the Latin quarter, Keep
your mouth shut, or you will lose your
head, too Those who know some
thing of the inside of the Vilardo case
do not go abroad late these nights.
LETTER FROM HER MOTHER.
Detectives are al work trying to trace
the source whence these written
and verbal warnings come. But they
have to deal with a band of men who
have terrorized the entire Latin quar-
ter While the sentiment of the Italian
Americans Is decidedly against this
band Of organized assassins, the word
Malta carries with it such nameless
terrors that they are too frightened TO
give the poll any assistance.
Chief Dinan is determined to stamp
out this gang once and for all, but the
detectives have been unable to locate
their new meeting place. Their lair at
North Beach, where Vilardo's doom
was settled, has been deserted since the
edict was carried out to the brutal end.
Their present gathering place is as
eagerly sought as Torturici.
Rosa Torturici, who showed signs of
breaking down from the strain of the
ordedls she has been through, was COM
forted by letter from her mother yes
terday. The missiye was sent from
Independence The old woman knows
nothing of the great trouble her daugh-
ter is in.
1t was a missive such as any fond
mother would write to her daughter.
1t inquired about the baby, the pretty
Catalina. and gave the hundred and
one little bits OF advice that mothers
give to daughters Mrs. Torturici
frightened wonderfully when she read
it and kissed it again and again.
Attorney John A. Spinetti, who has
volunteered his services to defend Mrs.
Torturici. visited her at the prison
yesterday and held long consultation
with her. He will not attempt to have
her released on writ Of habeas cor
pus for two. reasons If he did so, she
would instantly be rearrested and
charged with murder. Besides the
woman has no place to go to. Her
husband is a fugitive and she herself
under suspicion of being an accom-
plice in the butchery of Vilardo, she
could ask no one to take her in. She
is satisfied to remain in the prison, she
told her attorney and the Italian Con-
sui, who also visited her. Little Cata-
lima is used to the place and both are
well treated Attorney Spinetti de-
clares that he will not permit his client
to be put through any further ordeals
In the attempt to extort a confession.
BABY is JAIL SUNBEAM.
Little Catalina Torturici, the pretty
child of the fugative, is the sunshine
of the Jail. She is just able to toddle
around and moves about on her un-
steady little legs, stretching out her
tiny hands in a friendly manner to
everybody. She has the face and dispo-
sition of a cherub.
1t is whispered darkly through the
Italian quarter that Crispino Vilardo,
brother of the murdered man, has
taken up the vendetta against the fam
lily of Torturici. vilardo is helping the
police with all his power to locate the
man who struck down his brother from
behind and the men who plotted the
crime. 1t is necessary that Crispino
sVilardo be closely guarded, for the men
who decreed his brothers death are an
gered at his fearless attitude and if the
opportunity is given, Crispino would
undoubtedly share the fate of his
brother
The funeral of Biaggio viIardo win
take place to-day from Castagnetto's
undertaking parlors. 1t was intended
to have the ceremony take place yes
terday, but the brother postponed it.
Coroner Leland has fixed the date Of
the inquest tomorrow. A jury has
already been selected and has viewed
the mangled remains and visited the
spot where the trunk was found.
Mrs, Torturici was visited last night
by two Sicilian women, neighbors of
hers on Green street. They brought
presents to little Catalina and words
OF cheer to the mother.
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