The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-05-23
q TALKED
WITH GOD"
SiCiIian Girl Makes Remarka.
bic Plea For Life.
DIVINE VOICE TOLD HER
Prisoners Terrible Story of Her
Wrongs Recited In
Court.
DIVINE VOICE TOLD HER

NEW YORK, May - Seventeen
ycar-old Josephine rerrlnova. ON trial
for the murder of her aunt, went on
the stand aud gave tie Jury the history
Of her life with Goetano and Concetta
Riggio. her uncle and aunt. whom she
stabbed to death on the night Of Wash
ington's birthday in their home at VII
liamsbridge
1t was the story of unspeakable
wrongs heaped upon her and OF the
swift and terrible retribution she
wreaked upon her unnatural relatives.
Strange voices She declared, com
manded her to kill She Is On trial be
tore Justice Scott in the supreme court
who almost as soon as tie defendant
began her testimony ovewuled Prose
cutor Elys objection. saying.
she may as well tell the whole sto-
~"
The girl wife, with sparkling eyes
aud flush mantlng her cheeks walk
ed with swift and buoyant step 20
the witness chair Her manner in re-
plying to the questions Of her counsel,
former Judge Panleri, was easy, con
yersational ana animated. She spoke
rapidly. IN excellent English in girl
4 lsh musical voice and made her re
plies without hesitation until, embar-
rassed by the searching questions, she
protested against telling the details Of
the outrages perpetrated ON her by
/ Reglo. turned away her head with
deep blush and asked that she might
speak through an Interpreter
Mr. palmieH gently urged her to
continue the recital in English Her
demeanor ut this point was that of
well bred and modest young girl, and
one found il difficult to reconcile the
horrible story which fell reluctantly
/ from her lips with her innocent aud
nns0phlstcuted appearance
/ The prisoner in telling of her brief
| happiness made a pretty picture and
an appealing one yet in the sun bright
smile with which she greeted every
question there was a suggestion of the
uncanny. Both judge and jury listened
10 her dramatic story-a story perhaps
unparalleled In criminal annals-With
/ HE most absorbed and kindly interest
leaning far forward as one would do
TO catch every word OF an entrancingly
Interesting dramatic recitation. No
professional actress could have told
story ringing the changes on every
phase of human emotion more artistic
ally. more effectively
In firm. clear voice the girl related
her story from the time the RggioS
her uncle and aunt. who had stood
sponsor for her at baptism in Italy.
semi for her To come to this country
when She was ten years old TO the day
seven years later when. driven insane
by the shame and degradation they
had forced upon her. she stabbed both
4 To death.
She sat erect in the witness chair,
/ holding her handkerchief in one hand.
In her gray skirt and white waist she
made rather an attractive picture.
Il am seventeen years old, she said.
II was born in Italy. My father, he
die when | am four years old. re
member about coming to America. On
the steamer coming over fall down IN
a faint and am sick three days. My
aunt and uncle wrote to my mother
saving they would send me TO school
and give me II home. They started me
10 school. but they didn't let me stay.
Long go. maybe thirty or
thirty.tive days in all About sis
months after land here they stop me-
from going to school and stop me
from going to church did not 90 to
church for seven years. ! want TO 90
10 church and school | cried TO 20
but they wouldn't let me-" she conclud-
ed. with simple pathos and outspread-
ing gestures of her strong brown hands
Il work all the time. | get up Mt 4
or o'clock. and all the time | work
until II or II o'clock. wash and
scrub and cook and make bread and
do all the work for all the boarders
sometimes eleven, twelve or thirteen
once sixteen boarders."
Then the girl hesitatng. bluShing
ana faltering, told how her ruin had
been accomplished by her uncle when
she was eleven years Old with the
counsel and aid Of the aunt As the
unSpeakable. unprintable narrative fell
from the lips of the prisoner the wom-
on in the court p0ked their heads for
ward the better TO catch every word
of the hideOus story There were no
sounds in the chamber save the voices
of the girl and her lawyer Several
times. replying TO some question, Io-
sephine, with her cheeks burning, said
II don't want TO say-I'd rather not
tell that
1t was only after a great deal of
hesitation on the part of the witness
That Judge Palmer got her to tell of
the nameless crimes of the uncle
The court proceedings were interrupt
ed for a moment by a woman who
tainted. She quickly revived and was
taken out. Then the examination went
on.
O. Did you suffer with your head
after he mistreated your A. Yes, my
head would ache and could not see
good,