The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-02-11
Leopold caflero,s Sentence COMMITTED.

Leopold Caflero's Sentence COMMITTED.
Acting upon the recommend alton Of
the Board of Pardons, Gov. Blan-
ehard committed Leopold Caiero' 5
sentence from death to life imprison-
ment at hard labor and the Italian
was taken to Baton Rouge Tuesday
afternoon by Deputy Sheriff Lucien
Acosta and placed in the state peri
tentiary to commence serving his term.
In the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug.
10, 1908, Cafero shot and killed his
paramour, negress named Louisa
Leblanc, because the woman had sew
cred her relations with him and re-
fused to consider a reconciliation.
The tragedy took place at Fannie Mer-
ritt's home in St. Patrick street, Ca
6ero having shot down the woman as
she attempted to leave the house and
then emptied his pistol into her pros
trate body. After the crime Cafero
made his way TO his grog-shop at the
corner Of Houmas and ST. Michael
streets and concealed himself in the
loft. The building was quickly sur
rounded by officers and Deputy Sher-
il James McCray assembled into the
loft and placed the murderer un-
der arrest. The grand jury investi-
gated the case the following Saturday
and returned q true bill against Ca
flero. He was arraigned in the dis
trict court Monday morning, the case
being assigned for Friday. August %.
After being out all that night the jury
came IN at 10 o'clock Saturday morn
ing and returned verdict of guilty
as charged, which carried with it the
death penalty. A new trial was asked
for and denied, after which an appeal
was taken to the Supreme Court, but
tina body affirmed the verdict OF the
jury. Joseph CadePo, brother OF the
prisoner and one OF the moss progress
i've and respected citizens OF this town,
began the circulation OF Q petition TO
the Board OF Pardons asking that the
sentence be commuted 10 life impris-
onment. The petition was signed by the
presiding judge, every member of the
jury that convicted Ca6ero and large
number of prominent citizens Of the
town and parish. About two months
ago the pardoning board acted on the
petition and unanimously recon-
mended that the sentence be COM
muted, and on Tuesday Gov. Blan-
chard notified Sheriff ST. Nj artin that
be had carried out the recommends
ton OF the board. Under the law a
prisoner whose sentence is commuted
from death to life Imprisonment is en-
titled to his freedom after serving fif-
teen years, II his conduct has been ex-
emplary during that period. Cafero,
however, waived this right in order to
furnish an added argument for COM
mutation OF sentence and he will there
fore spend the balance of his days in
the penitentiary. Governor Blanchard
emphasizes this point 10 the following
unmistakable language contained in
the order OF Communication directed to
Sheriff st. Martin and now on file in
the Office OF the clerk of court:
whereas, the Attorney General
states in the third reason assigned by
him for recommending the commute
ton that Ca6ero, by asking that his
sentence be committed, had abandoned
any claim or right to which he might
thereafter be entitled for the shorten
ing OF his imprisonment, it is ordered
that the penitentiary officials take no
note of Cafero's term OF service with
any view OF his eventual liberation, it
being the intention that the prisoner
shall remain at hard labor in the PEN
itentiary during his natural life. -