The Elbert County tribune., 1908-11-12

Ihen what fcllowedy'
"As soon as Mcclure and Flanaghan
passed me in the carriage l quickened
my pace. but they naturally paid no
attention to me. We were now close
to where the two other men were
in ambush, and l began to get little
nervous"
who fired the first shot?"
''Bevenino. He did the principal
shooting. He was an expert shot. He
was on the right side of the road go
ing up
who was shot first?"
Mcclure"
who fired the next shot?"
.Bevenino."
Where are these men now?"
''They are both in Italy They left
three weeks after the murder"
How far up the road was Villella
from Bevenino?"
about 80 yards
When did you shoot?"
Il shot from the rear. fired -four
shots altogether at the men In the
carriage. After Mcclure and Flana-
CHAN had been shot the horse started
on dead run. villella got frightened
and ran through the woods to the
shanty, where he deserted us without
warning. At one time 1t looked as IL
the horse was going to get away and
we thought we had only killed the
men for nothing. Bevenino was fleet
footed, however, and he chased the
horse at a break-neck speed. He
finally caught up and grabbed him by
the rein. He then shot him in the
head. Then we cut the strap that held
the satchel fast to the carriage, and
hurried to the woods to the hiding
place. The money was buried as well
IS the weapons, and l arrived at my
shanty little before IL o'clock. You
know the rest, how l was suspected.
and how was followed to Poughkeep-
sic. The trouble came when we quar-
relied over the division of the spoiIs
The other two men were so anxious to
get back to Italy that we took sew
eral trips to the woods and dug up
part of the money until now nothing
remains there but the silver money
and the weapons that were used to
commit the murder"
Linden determined to test Rizzolo's
story at once. The Italian told him
precisely where the money and the
rifles were buried. Linden started for
Wilkesbarre at once. accompanied by
the self-confessed murderer. They
reached Wilkesbarre at eight o'clock
in the evening. 1t was too late then
to get a train to Laurel Hill, where
the money was hidden. The night was
dark and stormy, but the detective re-
solved to pursue his search in spite of
all obstacles. He made up his mind
to walk to Laurel Hill rather than risk
by one of his detectives and the pris-
oner who was not handcuffed. When
they reached the first house on the
side of the mountain he borrowed a
miners lamp and then began the jour
ney over the mountains. Seven miles
from Wilkesbarre and two miles from
the scene of the murder, at Laurel
Run creek, they found the various arti-
cles just where Mike said they had
been hidden. He was their guide from
the beginning to the end. He knew
weird beyond the widest stretches of
the Imagination. The rife was found
as well as the silver money They
were hidden beneath a heavy rock.
The money was In a large bag, and
wrapped in the paper packages Just
as 1t came from the bank. The satch-
ell in which the money was carried by
Mcclure and Flanaghan was found in
another place, buried about foot
deep between two rocks. All OF
the things were buried in such way
the removal of a lot of leaves that
were strewn over them.
Linden directed that each article
should be put back exactly where 1t
had been found. except the coin, which
he put in a satchel and took back to
Wilkesbarre with him. Irony of fate
Mike Rizzolo was the messenger
who carried the satchel containing the
coin which was to be used as evil
dence to send him to the gallows. 1t
was very heavy. There was 1921. so
in dimes, five-cent pieces and pennies.
They walked over the railroad track
back to Laurel Run, which was
reached shortly after midnight.
Through the kindness OF telegraph
operator at Laurel Run they we're fur
nished with an engine which took
them back to Wilkesbarre.
Little more remains to be said Riz-
zolo was tried, convicted and exc
cuted. acquisitions were issued for
his accomplices. but through some flaw
in International law they could not be
honored Later however, through the
activity Of the government. both re-
ceived long terms in an italian prison.
Those who were best acquainted with
Capt. Linden's achievements in the
great mountain mystery declare that