The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-27
WOMANWITHEVIL EYE CHOKED
MURDERER FORCED H4NDKER-
CHIEF DOWN MEN THROiT.


Tier Dead with Her Eyes Open-MOney
Gone Prom COFset--End Of Nights
CarousM with New Italian sweetheart.
The people Of the tenement at 50 Spring
street will make the sign Of the devil =
horns no more at Maria Durso or hiss
siettatore at her. She was found murdered
Yesterday morning in her fat on the third
Aoor. strangled and robbed, II was true
she had the evil eye. her neighbors say,
but they will not speak III OF the dead.
As 10 the murderer, the police have few
traces. merely the story OF a scared little
child, the dead woman's daughter ROsina,
mi few paper flowers that the stranger
took to the flat. lie was the last Of Maria
Durso's Investments in men.
Seyen years ago, with her husband and
baby. Maria went TO the six story tenement
an Spring street. She wasn't much over
gparking eyes, red cheeks and full figure.
There were many men who firtOd with her
eaily on the summer nights when everybody
was in the streets. Some Of these went to
the house while Antonio Durso was away
digging in the streets and he heard about
IT, Quarrels followed, and then Antonio
packed up his things and left.
Soon ftsr men began to 90 occasionally
70 the house and drink with Maria at night,
buying Chant when money was plenty and
the cheap red wine OF California when there
was little TO spend. They are a decent lot
IN the tenament, and the women used to talk
70 Maria about these matters. But she
would stare at them 50 fiercely With her
black eyes and cut them 30 sharply with
her tongue that they let her alone after a
time and took what revenge they could
by calling her jettatore, poss sssor Of the
evil eye, than which there are few things
more Insulting to most Italian folk.
Luigi Ducci appeared about then as her
husband, without sanction Of priest or magis-
trats. LUG was not fond OF work, but the
woman toiled very hard, making enough
at the Washtub and at odd jobs to keep
him, herself and the child RosinA. She
kept her Eat clean and prettily furn.n bed
with q red and green carpet on the floor,
red and green paper on the walls, pictures
OF the saints and the Madonna and good
oak furniture, polished until It shone. She
sent RoainA to school every day and kept
the childs clothes In nice order. Ducci
went away, becauss even Maria couldn't
tolerate his lazinesS and because he wanted
ell the money she made and she wouldn't
give it.
II was much the sams with Andrea Spo-
Eito. Andrea was q sport whospent Maria
money on his clothes, bun he did what
Ducd neglected 30 do-he married her IN
jersey City before Mayor Pagan on Jan.
"a, 1907. Not long ago Andrea got tired
Of her and took his younger brother 70
the house, finally disappearing himself The
younger brothey took over Andrea 'sposition,
marriage and an.
% Tuesday night young sposito brought
another man home with him, tan Italian
with curly black hair, q surly fellow who
suffered, particularly when the wine did
not come fast enough and be got angry.
little Rosina couldn't give much descrip-
ton Of this man, but the fact that be
suffered was fixed indelibly In her memory.
There was a supper m tho fat. Maria
cooking and singing and the men eating
most Of the food and drinking heavily OF the
wine. Little Rosina was tired and her legs
are very fat and short, but she made many
mother giving her the money each time.
Early In the night young Sposito went
away, leaving the tall Italian with the surly
temper. Rosina made more trips TO the
wineshop, but about Q O'Clock she went
10 sleep In a chair. The man wanted TO
send her out again, but Maria objected
and they had b quarrel; the child remem-
bers that. The mother picked up the
little girl and put her TO bed with her clothes
on.
About half past ? O'Clock In the morning,
Rosina awoke in the big featherbed and
stretched out her arms to see II her mother
e. Vns there. The child found she was alone.
1tiwas stu In the front room and Rosina
grew frightened. She slipped out OF bed
and opened the door between the big parlor
and the tiny bedroom. Her mother was
lying on the floor, fat on her back staring
at the ceiling with wide open eyes. The
table was covered with empty wine bottles.
The bureau drawers had been pulled out
and their contents emptied on the carpet.
Some Of the things on the mantel had been
knocked on. Rosina didn't understand
that her mother was dead, but these things
terrified her and she screamed and ran into
the hall. In a few seconds then the tene-
fnent was busting with excited folk.
For a moment the police, who soon were
numeTo"s In and alto the houss. were puz-
Eled. Maria hadn't been killed with knife
and there wasn't a mark or bruise on her
face. But they saw between the lips Of the
dead woman the corner Of a white handker-
chief. Pc ioemAn Duke5hire attempted 20 pull
II out. Then they understood what had killed
Maria. The handkerchief had been damned
into her throat and the man with the cut
tongue had knelt on her breast and held her
90 the floor while she strangled to death,
not making a sound.
Maria's waist was open in mont, exposing
her corset On the inner side Of the corset
were two pockets which had been turned
inside out From little Rosina the police
and Coroner Scholer learned that Maria
carried a good deal OF money in these
pockets-money she had saved in years Of
hard work Rosina said at first 1t was
100000 Then the child thought II was
500.
All the detectives Of the Mulberry street
station and several Central Office men are
trying to find the tall Italian with the stutter-
ing tongue. They found in the room two
lunches Of paper flowers, roses and violets
that the man bad given TO her mother
Rosina said, and they think therefore that
he was a maker Of paper flowers and that
II ought not he hard to run him down sooner
or later. They are looking also for both
the SpOsitOs