Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-08
DOUBT lUCRET|A TALE
Police Believe Am0re and Wife
Plotted Murder.
WOMAN LOVED VICTIM
Letters Show Relations With Man
She Shot.
WELL LAID PLANS SUSPECTED
Widow Of Michael Martella Threat
ems Death to Former Friend
and Brother Acquiesces.
WELL LAID PLANS SUSPECTED

NEW YORK, August S.-George Mott,
the public prosecutor of Essex county, N
j.. said last night that, assisted by the
police OF Newark. he had enough evidence
to warrant the Indictment of both Car
mine Amore and his wife, Josephine. for
the murder of Michael MartelIa. who died
from a pistol shot wound Wednesday
night at his home, 60 Drift street. New
ark.
The developments in the case yester-
day brought to light what the police re-
gard as a well planned conspiracy on the
part of Amore and his wife to destroy
Martella.
There may have been one more I'm the
plot. 1t will be toward proving this that
the authorities will work today and make
desperate efforts. The pair spent last
night in the county Jail.
Letters Confirm Suspicious.
The wife, committed on Wednesday.
would perhaps have been tried alone for
the killing had it not been for the let
tiers given to the police by her, which she
asserted she wrote for the purpose OF
explaining the crime. These letters. add
dressed one 10 ner husband, announcer "
her brother, Dominick Valentino, and a
third to the widow of the murdered man,
were too carefully worded and too clev-
erly composed to have been the work OF
nervous and desperate woman.
Instead Of quoting the suspicious OF
ed against the husband. they had an op-
posite effect and the investigation was
continued. Within a brief time three
other letters were found in the coat which
Martella had been wearing on the day OF
his death, and these missives. signed by
Josephine Amore. put very different as
pect on the case.
They were filled with the most affec-
tionate phrases and clearly showed the
relations which had been existing between
the Amore woman and Martella.
The police traced the movements of
Carmine Amore Wednesday night, and
while they found he had spent some time
in the saloon opposite his home he had
an absence Of about fifteen minutes had
returned, having changed his trousers In
the interim.
The shooting of Martella occurred short
ly after 8 o'clock 1t has been proved
that the wife, Josephine, was not in the
house at the time Of the murder. and the
police have heard that she was In the
company Of the her brother Dominick.
Capt. Brown of the second police pre-
cinct said late last night:
Crime Fixed on Amore.
1--WE have evidence that skaters the
wife's confession 1t shows that she was
in the plot and fixes the crime ON the hus-
band
The story, as the police now have 1t, is
that Martella and Josephine Amore had
been on most intimate terms for many
neutrality-suspicious. years. Martella's wife
had at last awakened to the fact, and il
is believed that Amore. also learning 1t,
decided that Martella must die.
The wife left the house. and after hear
ing of the shooting went to the police
station where her husband was already
detained and then made the confession
She had shot Martella, she said, because
he had persisted in his attentions to her.
She had killed him to preserve her honor.
Her story nonplussed the police. Iney
believed her and allowed her husband his
liberty. All might have been as she de-
sired had she not given the police the ex-
planatory letters.
Josephine Amore is thirty-six years old
and was the favorite child of her father.
Dominick Valentino, regarded as a rich
She eloped with Carmine Amore, who
worked for her father in his bakeshop.
Shortly after the marriage he left her
and returned to his native city of Naples
She followed and brought him back.
Her parents all this time dressed in
dead to them. But there was a reconcilia-
ton, and when the old baker died he
divided his money equally between his
daughter and son, Dominick Valentino. jr.
Says She Will Kill Woman.
"They always seemed to be fond of each
other" said Mrs. Martella. but was al
ways an easy-going woman 1 was never
jealous.
when 1 was sick Josephine would come
to my bedroom and nurse me. 1 did no,
know why. She was rich and I was poor
Now l see. She loved Michael. She was
double-dealing with me.
But" she exclaimed suddenly, Il will
kill her if the law does not. I know she
did not shoot him. but Amore did and
they both should die. / will kill her.
And who will kill Amore If the law
does not?" she was asked.
Without replying she looked up into
The eyes of her young brother. Antonio
He did not speak, but he patted her re-
assuringly on the back.
The funeral Of the murdered man will
be held from ST. Lucy's Church this after
noon.