The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-06-10

The city court hearing for Charles
Pelky on the charge Of stealing $50
or more from John Scampini's house
on Smith street last Sunday developed
into a school Of languages today. The
respondent couldn't understand much
Of anything but French, while one Of
tie complainants, Mrs. scampini,
could understand italian and French
but no English and others made a
tumble Of the English language.
French and Italian interpreters were
summoned to straighten out the lin
guistic tangle, before the hearing could
proceed
Pelky, still wearing cloud over one
eye as the result Of the hard treatment
received when captured by several pur-
suers who had been told that he was
the robber, was represented by NJ. Nj.
Gordon, while Grand Juror Davis prose-
cnted. The witnesses except the one on
the stand were excluded from the room
during the taking Of the testimony.
Nineyears old Mary Scampini, daugh
ter of the complainants, told her story,
testifying that she could speak both
English and Italian and could under
stand some French She said that
PelISy came to her house Sunday and
that he went straight TO the bedroom
while she sat reading the Boston Ameri-
can, that be opened the bureau drawer
that he extricated some bills and then
skipped" Meanwhile she had told her
mother who was in the barn washing
her boys head, and Mrs. Scampini
tackled the man who threw her down
and again skipped" Mrs. Scampini
called to her husband who was across
the street at neighbor's and John
Chased the skipping man, together
with several others.
The little girl understood that her
father and the otherman rot some
money from the mans clothes, but as
long as the court didn't want hearsay
evidence that was excluded. She fur
ther testified that her father and the
other men brought hte man back and
held him in the barn until the officer
came. Mary pointed TO Pelky in the
court room, che man with the sore eye
she called him. and said he was the
man who astole the money and skipped
The defense tried to get the little girl
to admit that Pelky had rolled up some
bottles Of beer in his coat, but Mary
stoutly maintained that she didn't see
any beer,
Other witnesses heard this forenoon
were Mrs. John Scampini, John Scampini
and Patrolman Carrie. The first two
we're the complainants against Pelky and
their line Of testimony followed that
which their daughter had given Mrs.
Scampini being unable to speak English
was given an interpreter. Gus Gregoire,
who translated the questions to her in
French, The four witnesses took up the
entire forenoon session, and adjourn
ment was made until this afternoon at
1880. when the state resumed.
The hearing will probably continue the
entire day.
AT the resumption of the hearing this
afternoon Angelo Scampini was called to
The stand and testified that when he got
to the house Pelky was in the kitchen.
He said that PellSy said that he took
The money and that he guessed he was
srazy and a fool. Pelky said he would
give M the remainder Of the money the
rext morning Witness stated that Pei
" did not appear to have been drinking.
Witness said that ne thought that he
punched Pelky couple Of times.
John Bossi was next called to the
itand and stated that he saw Pelky in
he house after he had been brought back
ind saw some money taken from his
,iothes. also that he found two-dollar |