The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-11-25
John MenteSana Charged
with Killing Edith
Pickett, Aged IA.
WAS FOUND WOUNDED
NEAR VICTIMS SIDE
On Account OF Poverty of De-
fendant State Provides Him
with Counsel.
SCORNED LOVE SUPPOSED
TO HAVE CAUSED TRAGEDY
Mother Breaks Down as She
Testifies Concerning Last Ap-
pearance of Child.

Charged with the murder of 14-year-
old Edith Pickett, of Caldwell, John
Mentesana, arrested at the time for
the shooting, which occurred Septem-
ber 5 last, was placed on trial before
Judge Ten Eycl1 and special panel
of jurors in the Court of Oyer and Ter
miner today.
He sat between Constables William
Arcularius and George Gorham and ap-
peared to take a listless interest in the
proceedings, which began with the
selection of the jury. 1t took thirty
minutes to make the selection, Charles
Pfeifer. of this city, taking his seat as
foreman.
A few Jurors were excused by both
sides on the ground of confessed preju-
dice and their unwillingness to pass
Judgment in a case where a life Is at
stake.
His Love scorned.
Soon after the shooting, which was
supposed to have had scorned love as
its motive, the prisoner tried to take
his own life, but in this he failed,
although he was at deaths door for a
long time
The prisoner, who Is about 40 years
old, was represented by John A. Bern
hard, assigned by the court to look
aeter his interests because he has no
funds.
Prosecutor Wilbur A.. Mott opened
for the State, saying that the man had
formerly boarded with Edith's mother
and was enamored with the girl On
he low r,f ha
lated, the prisoner appeared a. the
house in Roseland avenue, called Edith,
and after she went into the place
where he lived, across the way, shot
and killed her
"She was found lying on the floor
with bullet hole in her head" Mr..
Mott told the Jurors, "and she was
dead. The defendant was lying on the
floor with three serious wounds of his
own. Apparently he killed her first
and then tried to commit suicide.
Surveyor First witness.
Edward G. Kempf, surveyor, was
the first witness, and explained the
diagram of the premises back of the
judges bench.
Dressed in deep mourning, her face
hidden by a heavy veil, which she was
requested to remove, Mrs Elizabeth
Pickett, the girls mother, told about
her daughters age and repeated the
fact that Mentesana was at one time
her boarder. That he owed her for
board money was also testified to.
Ibid you see Edith go to his house?"
she was asked.
Eyes. SIR
what next?"
II heard the shooting" said the
mother.
Four shots Fired.
Asked how many shots were fired,
she said -four" as she explained the in
tervals between the shots.
Then I ran downstairs and told the
blacksmith, Mr.. Lawrence" the mother
testified uprther.
She H. hardly given this answer
when she placed her black-bordered
handkerchief before her face and wept
for several minutes. Then she an
swered few more questions of little
Importance and was cross examined by
Mr.. Bernhard.
No one was at home at the time of
the shooting, besides herself, so Mrs.
Pickett testified further as she detailed
sequent disappearance of her daughter.
There was an interval of six minutes
between that and the shooting, she
swore.
Antonina Giordana, who lived in the
same house with the alleged murderer.
testified that she heard the shots fired.
"Eda: Eda- Someone Cried.
In answer to questions by Prosecutor
Mott, Mrs Giordana swore that she
heard cries of "Eda! Eda!' and then
several shots were fired.
81 saw Edith go into Mentesana's
ROOM" was part of her testimony. land
it was then I heard the shots right
away. Then began to shout and went
out in the street"
This witness told her story in Italian,
through Court Interpreter Joseph Fed
erici.
She insisted on the cross-examination
that she was in the kitchen ironing
when Edith passed her on the way to
the prisoners room.
DR.. Edward e. Peck, in answer to a
direct question by Mr.. Mott, declared
emphatically that he did not think that
judging from the girls size and the
nature Of the wounds on her body, that
NY were self-infiicted He Is the local
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