Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-01
WOULD DIE;
NOT MARRY
GIRL TAKES IPEcAc THINKING 1T
cARBoLlc ACID
PREFERS DEATH TO WEDDING
MURDERER
Friends and Relatives Try to Force
Her Into Marriage with
Slayer of Her Little
Sister

Fearing she was about to be forced irtc
a marriage with Samuel La Turko, the
murderer of her 6-year-old sister, Jose
phine Sanmarco, the beautiful 18-year-olt
girl whose life La Turko sought at tht
time of the shooting, tried to commit sui
eide yesterday afternoon by drinking wha
she supposed was a large quantity o.
poison.
The girl became deathly Ill and ply
sician was called To him she confessed
that she had sought to epd her life ant
showed the bottle which had contained
the supposed poison.
A small quantity of the fluid remained
ir the bottle and upon investigation the
physician found It to be ipecac.
The dose the girl had taken was large
enough to have caused her death had II
contained poison even in mild form.
When questioned the girl told the ply
sician she had procured the medicine at G
drug store a short distance from her home
at 500 Moulton street.
Asked for carboIic Acid
She said she had asked for carboic acit
and received in return the medicine she
had taken.
Back of the story told the physician by
the girl and afterward repeated to detec
tives who were sent to investigate, lies 6
tale which would move the heart of tht
most hardened.
For several years Josephine Sanmarcc
was the sweetheart of Samuel La Turko
the man now held in the county Jail or
the charge of numbering Josephines sis
ter Marie
Several times each week the young mar
called at the home Of his sweetheart ant
together they visited many Of the places
of amusement in Los Angeles.
At last their engagement was announced
and together the families of the young
people celebrated the event. The date Of
the wedding was set for July Is of thi:
year and great preparations were made
for it.
On the night of July'7 young La Turko
accompanied by his father, Frank Ls
Turko, visited the house of the young
mans sweetheart and passed severa
hours there. Whisky was provided ant
the two La Turkos are said to have In
dulged freely.
At last young La Turko noticed that hi
sweetheart was paying some attention t.
Joseph Desparit. He became enraged ant
with his father left the house.
Shoots Little Girl
About an hour later the young man re
turned and fired through a window On
of the shots pierced the breast of littl
6-year-old Marie and the child dropped
fatally wounded, in her sisters arms.
The police were called but by the tim
they arrived young La Turko had es
capped.
Patrolmen were notified of the shooting
and instructed to look out for the younl
Italian.
Several hours later La Turko was found
near the University station by Officers
and locked up on a charge Of carrying
concealed weapons.
Three days later he was recognized
while a member of the chain gang, ant
was placed in the murderer's cells, thu
little girl having died in the meantime.
Frank La Turko had been arrested soor
after the shooting. When confronted II
the detectives office young La Turkc
claimed that he had been forced to do the
shooting by his father. He said the elder
man had threatened to kill him If he die
not go In and wipe out the entire San
marco family.
This the elder La Turko denied, bu
when taken to court both were held tc
answer to the superior court and no bal
was allowed in either case.
Try to Force Marriage
the sweetheart of the young man, has re-
ceived many mysterious visits from young
Italians. 1t is claimed all these visits
have been for one purpose, namely to con
vince the young girl that her marriage
to her sisters murderer would save that
young man from the hangman's knot and
his father from a life In prison.
Bravely the young girl fought off the
efforts to make her link her life with the
man she has come to fear more than
anyone else on earth, and steadfastly she
refused to yield to the demands of La
Turko's friends.
Then influence of dark and threaten
ing nature was brought to bear on the
young woman's mother.
Force your daughter to marry La
Turko or you and all the members of your
family will answer with your lives" was
the message which was sent to her.
Word that La Turko was a member OF
an Italian society which would go to any
length to save him was carried to Mrs
Sanmarco, and fearing for her own life
and the lives of her dear ones, the woman
is said to have at last consented.
Mother Uses Influence
She is alleged to have exerted all her
influence on her daughter to wed the mar
who has yet to stand trial for the murder
of her baby child. She is said to have
continually talked to the girl of the dan
ger the entire family stood in through the
young woman's stubbornness and to have
pleaded with her to give in to La Turko's
wishes.
Constant thought and worry on the sub
ject nearly unhinged the mind OF the
beautiful young girl.
IT can stand 1t no longer; leave me
alone" she cried in an agony OF tears
yesterday morning, and throwing shawl
about her head the girl hastily left the
house.
Going directly to her room she locked
the door and threw off her outer gar
ments. Within a few minutes the sound
of groans coming from the room was
heard by the mother, who rushed to the
door and after many efforts succeeded In
breaking her way in.
Physician Summoned
Fearing that the girl was about to die
Mrs. Sanmarco hurried for a physician TO
whom she hastily told the story. With
the mother the physician hurried to the
house and within an hour the girl had
recovered from the effects Of the medi-
cine.