Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-03
VICTIMS WERE ITALIANS
Paid the Penalty for Numbering Eel
low-Countryman.
ALL DIED FROM STANDARDIZATION
Statement From One of the Con-
demned on the Gallows-His-
tory of the Crime.

LANCASTER. Pa. October 3.-Four ltal-
fans were hanged at one time in the yard
Of the Lancaster county Jail here today.
They were Anthony Delero. stephen Carlui,
Slvereo Rodclli and Joseph Celione, and the
crime for which they paid the death pen
atty was the murder of a fellow country
man. Plato Albamese. who was killed for
Offering resistance when the four attempted
TO rob him.
The four men were taken from their cells
and marched to the scaffold N a body, each
one supported by priest. They presented
q firm front, except Carlui. who wavered
several times. but braced up on the scat
fold. All died from strangulation.
on the scaffold Dclero. whlse right name
IS DeLorenzo. made a statement. in which
the other three joined He denied that they
went into the shack TO commit robbery,
and said Albamese attacked him with a
razor and that In self-defense he shot his
assaiant: that he called for assistance and
that CeliOne responded and also in self-de-
Tense stabbed Albamese a number of times.
History of the Crime
The crime for which the our men paid
the death penalty was one of the most
atrocious and co,d-blooded ever committed
SCOUTING To death of a fellow -countryman
while he was In bed.
A large number of Italian laborers en-
ployed on Improvement work of the Penn
Nsylvania railroad were living in shanty
at Gap. in the eastern end of the county.
Housed in the shanty on August 30. 1896.
the date of the murder, were fifteen labor
-ers among them Plato Albanese. thirty
fve years old. the murdered man. In the
dead OF the night the four men entered
the shanty and awakening the sleepers one
by one demanded their money. Most of
the surprised Italians became panic-stricken
and gave UP willingly. but when the rob
7bers came to Albanese he refused. and
procuring razor put up stiff fight. Then
0ensued fierce battle in the dark, in which
the three burglars. of them being on
guard at the door. set on their country
'man and hacked him to pieces with their
stiIettos. After Albanese was, given. his
aauietus with knives they fired into his
.prostrate body, and then fled. Procuring
y light AlbaneSe'S companions found he
was dead and his body frightfuly gashed.
The county commissioners Immediately
offered a reward for the capture of the
murderers. and detectives were soon hot
on their trail Two of the gang were cap
.tured at Downingtown. and Deere and Cell
one were later apprehended on train
going to Philadelphia. Both men had been
80 badly wounded in the fight with Alba
,nese that they had to be taken TO Bryn
Mawr Hospital for treatment before they
could be brought 20 Lancaster
Some strong influence was put to work in
behalf of the Italians, and their case was
put in the hands 0f H Frank Eshelmah
and NJ O.. Schaaffcr of this city, with
sCharIss Il. I4eRarhier of New York city,
.whJ defended Bertha Claiche. advisory
counsel. The trial was attended by rep
resentative OF the Italian cOnsu! at New
York
The commonwealth stated its case briefly
and the jury was cut very short time,
finding the four men guilty Of murder in
thu first degree. Failing in an appeal to
the supreme court an application was made
To the board u pardOns at Harrisburg, but
Il refused To take any action. Gov. Stuart
fixed the date OF execution for Thursday,
October 3 The attorneys then tried to
save the Italian muTdrrers under the spe-,
cal act % the Legislature mad 10 save
Mrs. Kate Edwards of Reading condemned
t. death for murder, but stili imprisoned
IN the Berks county Jail, but were not sue
cesSful.
Z Abandoning the attempt to save the lives
OF all four of the convicted men, the attoT-
1neys scattered petitions broadcast asking
the governor to grant respite to RJdalli
and Carlui. The petitions were laid before
the governor on Tuesday last. Yesterday
Gov. Stuart announced his refusal to stay
the execution on the ground that the
preme court had heard the case and did
mot fit to act in favor of the con-
ademned men.