The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1905-10-19
MQIdkDgk, h|e t0nIunH.
By SEWARD w. HOPKINS,
Author OF Jack Robbins Of America" ia the
China Sea- Two Gentlemen of
Hawaii" On a Palss
Charge" Etc.
o.,yIIsA., 1925, by Roarnr Bo.s..'. seza

c>yyrieh,, 1925, by RoaRRr BoxNsz's soxA
CHAPTER XIV.
Good heaven!" murmurcd the Ital-
fan, sinking again into his, chair.
sand you are further charged with
the attempted murder of the child,
Alice Graviscourt, whose body you
threw into the East river on a certain
night. and on the same day you filed a
certificate Of death OF Alice Grayis-
court of smallpox"
Good heaven!" gasped the culver
ing wretch. His face was pallid, his
eyes staring, his manner that OF a
man beside himself with fear.
The superintendent paused, giving
the Italian a few minutes in which to
recover. r.
After the pause the superintendent
turned. and. looking the scoundrel full
i'll the face, he said:
Now. Sigmotta. you see we know
all about you. How would you like to
spend the remainder of your days in
a darl; cell in Sing Sing PRISON."
excitement, and exclaimed:
1T is all a lie! 1t is all a lie!"
rs it?" replied the superintendent.
Sigmotta cried out in his fear and
Nov listen to me while I read you
two little documents l have here. Did
you ever e the original of this?"
He held the portrait of Charles
Graviscourt's wife before Sigmotta.
Yes, yes, l knew her." he whis-
pered.
Now listen"
The superintendent then proceeded
to read the statement of Antonio Sig
notta, and the wretched brother of
the trapeze actor sat %shivering and
quailing as the damning sentences
were hurled at him in the superintend-
ent's stern voice.
By the time Byrnes had finished
that statement the wretch in the chair
seemed ready to die of fright.
Nov listen to this" said the super
follows:
The sworn statement of Luigi Dambo
before me, - -. the Prefetto
of Cagliari, on the Sth day of - in
the year 18-.
Il, Luigi Dambo, being sworn, and
compelled by the obligation thus put
upon me by my fear of future punish
ment to tell the truth, do declare that
this is the true statement Of my con
hection with the murder of Pacho
Maligni. and the affairs in which he
was an actor.
Il became attached to Maligni's cir
Gus in New York, and knew no person
connected with it save my employer,
and him only in the sense named.
After a few days of the exhibition
at Madison Square Garden, in New
York city, I was met by an Italian,
who gave his name as Tortoni, who
offered me a large sum of money if I
succeeded in killing the girl, Nita Bar
lotti. in some way that would not
drag him into the matter. I made one
attempt by cutting the rope Of the
trapeZe on which Nita Barlotti acted,
in the hope that her weight might
cause the other strands to break, and
thus she would be killed by the fall.
The severed rope was discovered, for
the girl did not appear that night, and
a new rope was substituted for the
me | had cut.
"On the following night I tried fire,
and saturated the ropes of the trapeze
with oil, and when Barlotti was aloft
l set fire to taem, but she was saved
by Maubikeck, the Lion-Famer. and a
man from the audience whom l now
recognize as Signor Wilberton.
"On this am night some person
fred at Maligni and shot him in the
cheek.
''The next day Maligni and the girl
were missing. and SO was Tortoni.
Il kept myself secreted. knowing
that the affair would stir up the police,
and l saw neither Maligni. Barlotti
nor Tortoni for several days.
Then it became known to me that
Maligni had taken passage for Europe
with Barlotti. aud that he had plenty
of money, and would, perhaps, return
to Sardinia and settle.
Il sought Tortoni and found him.
He told me that he had fred the shot
at Maligni. and that he wanted me to
follow the Snowman to Sardinia, and
there complete the work that he and
had begun in New York. Tortoni
Informed me that Maligni was in pos.
session Of certain taings contained in
a red tin box which were most essen
tial to him. and | was to get the box
at all hazards. The murder of Maligni
would avail nothing unless the box
and it's contents were obtained.
II came to Sardinia and awaited an
opportunity. At last it came. | had
obtained an entrance into the Villa
di Ma]igni by bribing some of the
servants, and one night I killed Ma
Iigni and seized the box. which | founG
lying on the table in his room, but il
was empty.
81 would have killed the girl, too
but the American had taken her away
and I could not find her in her room
where I went Immediately after kill
ing Maligni. =,
There is nothing more for me tx
say. I am the murderer of Pacho Ma
ligni, for which | was to be paid by
.fortoni, of New York.
a. roS,N ~rr,ro =, fhDt f11 1,>,, ak-4.