The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-05-31
Her Cruel Uncle in a Dream Says
Woman
ON WITNESS STAND.
She Said That She Was Subject to Hale
Inclination, a Voice Commanding
Her to Kill Him" Dreamed
She was In the Presence
Of God.

In Nav York last week Josephine
Terranova took the witness stand in
her own behalf at her trial on the
charge Of having murdered her aunt.
The defendant said that she came to
this countey when eight years old,
going to live with her uncse and aunt
the Rsggious. She Is an italian girl
who tol5 one Of the most awful tales
OF depravity and tne part OF her un-
Gle and aunt, whom sue finally killed
for the great wrong they had dine
her.
II didn't go to churoh.or to school.
she said. for seven years after l
came to America. NJ aunt and un-
Gle would not let me. I wanted to
go. I did every thing, washing, scrub.
bing, everything and somssines there
we're ten, eleven, sixteen hosrdLrB In
TIE house"
'Do you remember one winter
morning when you were about eleven
and half years old?' she wss asked.
The girl replied that she did; that
her aunt had taken her to the uncle's
room that day. That is what I am
on trial here about" she added. Aa
the girl told of her uncle's treat
menu woman spectator tainted. The
girl hesitated In giving her testimony
saying that she vas ashamed to speak
1t.
Sne said that her aunt had forced
her to obey hsr uncle and bad beat
her, breaking q stick during ons of
the whippings, and making the witt
ness so sick that she went to bed.
The girl said she was never permitted
TO play with other children and was
forbidden to talk English or associate
with the boarders in the house. Sha
said she wanted to go to her mother
but was not permitted to-.
The witness said that her husband
was led to suspect what her relations
with her uncle had been, because OF 8
remark which the latter made. She
declared that her uncles mistrea5-
ment covered a period OF about six
years and that it continued up to and
including the night after her civil
marriage to TerranoVs. She told OF
the circumstances which led her to
XII the uncle, Gaetano, and her aunt,
Concetua. Sne said that her husband
after listening to her confession told
ner that aha was no longer his wife
and thereupon left her. She remain
ed alone during the following tea
days, subj ct, she said to the influence
Of halluciuatiops In which her uncle
appealed. WheneVe- be appeared q
voice said kill him." Eloh night,
the witness continued, she would
dream or imagine that she was In the
presence of God and there again she
uould hear the words kill your un-
Gle" a-
At tho end Of ten days, the girl
salu she went to her mothers house
and was turned away. Then the mys-
terious voices became more insistent'
and their directions more pointed.
telling her to buy a knife ana q reVol'
yer and kill. When armed 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 confronted
her uncle, calling him TRAITOR" and
be replied: "YoLare an ou5,ast."
"Sne remembered little of her at
tack, but asserted that she began to
stab when her aunt came between her
and Gaetano. S1e DID not remem-
bsr which one struck hrsJ. Under
cross examination the witness said
she had been unable to run away from
her uucle's treatment, as she desired
to. Her aunt, she said, had told her
that there was no harm In her rela'
tions with her uncle. Justice Scott,
who Is hearing the clse, questioned
the girl ab ut the voices she claim.
ed to have heard, and she told MIN
that they came like ringing IN the