The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-04-24
prOther-in Tries to
Kill the Rev. James
zuCCarelli.
FIRES AS PRIEST is
AT DOOR OF RECTORY
Salvatore Musumesce, Enraged
Over Damage Suits
Against Him.
SURRENDERS, THINKING
INTENDED VICTIM DEAD
Clutching Smoking Revolver,
Runs Past Frightened Wit
nesses to Police Station.


In an attempt to murder the Rev.
James ZuccareIii, rector of st. Rocco's
Roman Catholic Church, . Bedford
street, Salvatore Musumcsce, the
priests brother-in-la,s, fired two shots
Mt Father Zuccarelli today, and then
thinking he had slain him, ran to the
Fourth Precinct police station, the
and gave himself up.
The shooting was the outcome of "A
series OF 6nmage suits, the last of which
was instituted yesterday by Father
HuccareiIi against Musmunesce, who
on Wednesday,. while giving testimony
Ia another ease, had called the priest
"assassiu."
1t was shortly before o'clock when
Either Iuccarelli was standing at the
front door of his rectory. which is on
the north side of st. Rocco's Church,
that the shooting occurred. The rec
tory proper is on the second floor. the
church school taking up the rooms on
the ground floor.
Speeds Bullets at Rector.
dusllinesce, who is an undertaken
at Il Bedford street, and whose shop
IS on the south side of st. Rocco's
Church, came out of his place and
walked up the street to where the
priest was standing. When he came to
The iron gate, which Is directly outside
the rectory Musumesce stopped,
whipped out 32-calibre and fired. The
shot passed within a few inches Of
Father Zuccarellfs head and imbedded
itself in the door janb. The priest at
once fed into his rectory and as he
slipped through the door another bullet
crashed past him. This bullet sped
through the school room and struck a
map, which was hanging on the wall
at The further end.
The undertaken thought that he saw
the priest fall as the door closed and
he ran over to the Fourth Precinct
police station. He entered with the gun
la his hand and demanded to see Cap
tain Oscar Vogel. Doorman Jonn
kress at once jumped at him and
wrested the pistol from his hand. Then
he took him to the captain.
..I shot rather AuceareiI," exclaimed
tIue unaeriaKer, and was imme diately
arrested and locked UP.
Ihe snooLing mao peen witnessed by
several persons, who later said that
not word passed between the under
taker and the priest They declared
that Musumesce's hand was trem-
bAng as ne tired 1t all happened SO
quickly that they had no time to inter-
fere and made no effort to stop Mus
umesce as he ran. They rteiephoned
tor the police ana the reserves of the
Fourth Precinct were bundled into a
patrol wagon and hurried to the scene.
Tney passed Musumesce on the way,
but did not see him,
When the police reached the rectory
they found more than q hundred men,
women and children gathered there.
Many of them were inside and they
were congratulating Father Zuccareili
on his narrow escape. The officers in
terrupted this and told the priest to go
to the station house and make charge
against his brother-in-law.
Bail Put at s2,500.
After Father ZuccareM had recited
the circumstances of the case and the
complaint had been drawn UP Mus
umesce was arraigned before Acting
Judge Yuill. He had In the meantime
sent for his lawyer, Abner Kalisch,
who told him to plead not guilty to the
charge of assault and battery with in
tent to kill. This Musumesce did
and then Mr.. Kalisch demanded that
he be released ON bail for a hearing
next Monday.
III shall not do that.n said Mr.. YuilI.
"I have sust consulted with Captain
Vogel and with Chief Weimer, of the
PROSECUTORS of1ce, and they advised me
to hoI6 the defendant without hail"
This brought a sharp reply from Mr..
Kalisch, and for q moment there was
hlf q 1c y,1
the acting judge Mr.. Kalisch reminded
Mr. Yuill that when Musumesce was
arraigned before him some time ago in
connection with Black Hand case he
had then held him without bail.
After a. great deal of argument Mr..
Yuill again got into communication
with the prosecutors office. This time
he spoke to Mr.. Mott and the prose-
outor agreed that $2.500 bail would be
sofficient He accordingly offered to
release Musumesce if bond to that
value was given. but Musumesce
could not find bondsman and had to
go to Jail.
Father zuccarelli has been rector of
st. Roccos Church for ten. years.
Speaking of his troubles with Mus
mumesce today he said:
ssThis man married my sister, but
six or seven years Rgo found out
that he was making cigars in his un-