Amador ledger., 1908-07-31
TRIAL OF A. BORELLO
ON A CHARGE OF ARSON
In the Destruction by Fire of the Summit Hotel,
on Suffer Hill.

The evening of the ninth. the day
after he was arrested, he was taken to
the district attorneys office about
eight, and remained there until about
eleven. lie remem bered that during
the course of the conversation he was
repeatedly told by Gregory, Vicini,
Connors and once in the rear office
by Giovannonl, that it would be
better for him to make complete
confession of the whole thing, SO he
and his brother would not get into
trouble. During the evening he
wanted a drink of water and was
taken by Vicni to the hallway.
While he was out of the room Vfcini
renewed his offer of freedom. But
he refused to make statement Gre
CORY showed him piece of paper
upon which was the name of his
brother, Marco Borello, asking him IL
he recognized the writing, which he
readily could. Gregory then told
him that his brother had made a
clean breast of the whole affair and
the signature showed him was attach
ed to the confession. When shown
the copy of the alleged confession of
his brother, he stated that it was a
yellow paper, and not on white, as is
Gregory had told BIN if lie did not
make a statement, his brother would
get into serious trouble aud get four
teen years, and thinking by this was
meant false swearing, he decided to
make the statement. He wrote the
letter to his partner at the Verdi
hotel at the request of the sheriff;
the latter stating he wanted to catch
this fellow Margo. Before he was re-
turned to his cell, and also on the
following day he was told by both
the sheriff and the district attorney
that he did not need a lawyer, and
if any should call to see him to have
nothing to do with them. The
prosecution did not cross examine.
Domenico Manzo, one of the men
accused Of arson, was then called by
the defense. He admitted that he
had gone to the Verdi hotel OIL the
night of the eleventh, but for no
particular reason. and had been told
by the proprietor that he had received
note asking to have him (Manzo)
wait until later in the evening to
meet some one. he waited around
tor awhile, and not paying much
attention to it had left the place, but
had returned and was arrested later
that same night, He was taken to the
by Gregory and Vicini. When he
arrived in Jackson he was taken to
the district attorneys office and told
to confess the whole affair. lie said
that he was offered $40 and $40 at
different times, and 500 when he
made the confession. He was repeat
eddy told that they did not want him,
but it was Lepori they were after.
He was not cross-examined by the
prosecution.
Marco Borello, brother of the de-
PENDANT, and one of those held for the
burning of the hotel, was the next
witness. dis testimony showed that
he had been arrested the day after the
fire, for what he did not know. lie
had been made repeated offers of
freedom if he would make a con-
fessIon.
ID. b. Spagnoli, who had been EN-
ployed by Mrs Marco Borello as attor.
ney for her husband, appeared at the
jail one day and asked permission to
consult with his client. He said he
was showed away by deputy sheriff
Connors, who told him there was no
one there who wished to see him.
Sheriff Barnett of Alameda county
was witness for the defense. BY re-
terring to memorandum he found
where the defendant had been placed
in his jail in Oakland on the eleventh
day of February under the name of
Agostino Borello, alias Ray RowelI,
and had been finally taken out on
February IA, though Gregory and
Vicini had called for him some hours
after they placed him in the Jail,
aud according to their conversation.
intended to take him to San Fran
cisco for the purpose of assisting in
the arrest of another man under sus-
piciou fol- the same crime. lilo had
also detailed man to assist in the
arrest of q. Lepori, whose home is in
FruitVale