The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-09-14
THREE CHILDREN
ENT|CEO AWAY
AND SHOT
One Dead and Another Will
Probably Die
STRANGE CRIME AT UTICA
Victims of Shocking Deed Found in
Morning After Night of Tor
ture and Fear.

Utica, N. Y, Sept. IA dastardly
crime was uncovered in this city early
yesterday morning when milkman
passing through an isolated section
discovered the bodies of three young
Italian children under culvert near
st. Agnes cemetery One child, Ter
esa Percopia, aged 8, was dead, Fan
ME Infusino, six was unconscious
from loss of blood from two wounds
in the arm and Freddie Infusino, her
brotner, aged 2 1-2 years was help
less. The entire Italian colony num-
bering over $4,000 persons, has been
thrown into a state of excitement.
The crime is believed to be Black
Hand outrage and the entire police
force and detectives of the city are
working on the case, together with
three bloodhounds owned by the New
York Central railroad. Two suspects
are under arrest and are being ques-
tened by the police officials.
The children had been missing
since Sunday night and their parents
and friends had been searching the
Italian section and the nearby locality
for them When making his rounds
during the morning the milkman
drove over the viaduct spanning the
ravine, which had been used as a
dumping ground, and discovered tne
eldest of the three children lying on
the ground partially concealed by old
trees. He descended into tne gully and
found the three children in pool of
blood and lying close together. He at
once notified the police who sent
word to the parents of the children
that they were in tne culvert about
mile from their homes. The police
then hurried the two living children
, to Paxton hospital, where it is said,
Fannie Infusino canot live, and be-
fore losing consciousness was able to
relate her story to the police.
According to the story of Fannie In
fusino, a man approached the children
while they were standing in front of
the Percopia home Sunday afternoon
from which place the children started
with the Percopia girl and asked her
to accompany him. She cried to the
other children: Come on. He is my
godfather" The smaller children
started with the Percopia girl, but
were fearful to dc so until reassured
by the stranger
The route taken by the man and the
children led through the culvert and
thence to an isolated spot in the rear
of the cemetery. This place is screen
ed from view by a clump of woods on
one side and the cemetery on the
other When the lonely spot was
reached the Italian pulled revolver
from his pocket and shot he Percopia
girl through the abdomen. AS soon
as he had killed the eldest of the trio
he turned the gun on the lnfusino girl
and MORALLY wounded her in the aD-
domen. The boy had begun to shout
and cry and the Italian turned the re-
volver on the lad. His aim was not
as good as the previous ones but the
boy was wounded in the arm. Tank
ing that he had killed all rhree the
man hurriedly made his escape. The
children lay at the mouth of the cul
vert during the night. The Infusino
girl was unconscious during the great
er part of the night, according to the
boys staement and he was too scar
ed to go for aid.
The news of the finding of the bod
les nearly crazed the entire Italian
colony who Immediately rushed to the
scene The Infusino children are the
daughter and son of Ercolo Infusino,
keeper of a small store at 42l Bleeck-
er street. The Percopia family lived
upstairs over tne Infusino family, be
ing their tenants. While the Italians
are reluctant to discuss the crime, it
develops that there have been Black
Hand threats and that Mr.. Infusino
has been in fear of vengeance because
of failure to comply with some de-
mand recently made.
When the children were missed on
Sunday night it was thought that they
had been kidnapped and several hun
dred persons joined in the search
This was continued throughout the
night and when no trace of them was
found it was believed they had been
taken from the city. The news this
morning. excited the greatest demon
stratlon. Stores In the Italian sec
ton were closed while the proprietors
went to view the CHASTITY spectacle.
The news circulated with great rapid
lily and the police held back the cur
ious crowds with difficulty.
Vengeance was threatened the per
petrator in case he could be found.
The arrest of tne two suspects
shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday
morning again threw the colony into
frenzy. but the police hurried the
men to the police station by circuit
GUS route.
Chief of Police Brophy at once or
dered every available man on the
case. More than a score of officers
were detailed to duty in the Italian
quarter in an effort to gather evidence
i'm the case. The man, apparently,
was known to the Peropia girl, per
sons in the vicinity of her home stat
ing that they had seen him purchase
candy for her in nearby stores. His
name was not known to either of the
Infusmo children. though they had
previously seen him. The police were
offered the use of the bloodhOunds
which recently found a man lost in
the Adirondacks. and the bloodhounds
,suaaA set upon the trail which led