The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-23
Tells STORY Of
TERRIBLE SHAME
New York Girl Accused of Muir.
der Takes Stand in Own
Behalf.

New York. May 22-Josophine Terra.
took tho stand in her own defense to-
day.
The defendant said that she came to
this country when years old. going to
live with her uncle and aunt. the Reg
Worked Like a Slave.
II did not go to church or school," she
said, for seven years after l came to
America My uncle and aunt would not
thing. washing. scrub6ing. everything.
and sometimes there were ten. eleven,
sixteen boarders In tho house."
Recalls Day Of Tragedy.
do you remember one winter morn
Ing when you were about 1lA years old?"
she was asked.
The girl replied that she did, that her
aunt had taken her to the uncle's room
THAT is what am on trial here about
she added.
Woman Faints in Court.
AS the girl told OF hor uncle's treat
ment O woman spectator tainted and the
court proceedings were interrupted by the
resulting commotion- Tho girl hesitated
In giving her testimony, saying that she
was ashamed to speak It,
She said that her aunt had forced her to
obey her uncle and had beaten her, break
ing q stick during one OF the whippings
and making the witness so sick that she
went to bed.
Held Like Prisoner.
The girl said that she was never per
mltted 10 play with other children and
was forbidden to talk English or asso-
ciate with the boarders in the house She
said she wanted to go to her mother, but
was not permitted to
Continued for Years.
The witness said her husband was led
to suspect what her relations with her
uncle had been because OF a remark
her uncle's mistreatment covered period
Of about six years. and that IL continued
up TO and including the night after her
civil marriage of Terranova-
Deserted by Husband
She told of the circumstances which led
her to kill her uncle. Gaetano, and her
aunt. Conettn. She said that her hus-
told her that she was no longer his wife
and thcreupon left her
Heard Voice of Murder.
She remained alone during the follow
Ing ten days subject, she said. to the
Influence OF ballucinations, in which her
uncle appeared. Whenever he appeared q
voice said. XIII him. Each night, the
witness continued. she would dream or
imagine that she was in the presence of
God, and there again she would hear the
words XIII your uncle
Turned From Former Home.
AT the end Of ten days, the girl said.
she went 10 her mothers house and was
turned away. The the mysterious voice
became more insistent and their direc-
tions more pointed. telling her to buy a
knife and n revolver and Kill When
armed and on her way to their house for
this purpose, she said. she had crossed
herself three times and prayed to know
whether she was doing right. She con-
fronted her uncle, calling him Traitor"
and he replied. You are an outcast."
Did Not Remember Attack.
She remembered little OF her attack,
but asserted that she began to stab when
her aunt came between her and Gaetano
She did not remember which one she
struck first.
Under cross-examinatlon by Assistant
District Attorney Ely. the witness said
that she had been unable to run away
from her uncle's treatment as she de-
sired 10. Her aunt. she said. had told her
that there was no harm in her relations
with Gaetano. The trial was adjourned
until tomorrow