The Detroit times., 1909-06-28
BLACK HAND PLOT
/ DRIVES WOMAN To
KILL MAN
~ Swore To Kill My Husbands
Murderer" She Says-Fires -Four
Bullets Into Her Victims Body
He Is Dying.
Woman Waited Year for Vengeance
II Am Glad; / Hope He Will
Die" She Declares.

NEW YORK, June 2S-After wait
Ing for whole year for vengeance.
and after having been tod by the po-
lice that they could not lake hand
In the case Mrs. Louisa La Bartia, a
widow, aged 20 years. today mortaily
wounded Dominica Versagia, aged -.
The woman husband was killed just
year ago today and she believed
that Nersagia had Killed him To-Day,
she waited tor him at the corner and
as ne passed on his way To Work, she
shot him four times, one shot follow
ffIg another in quick succession, while
u thousand men, women and children
on their way 10 work In the factory
district ran IN all directions. The un
conscious youth WAS removed To y
hospital where IL Is declared that ne
has no chance to live. The woman Is
In JAIL where She declared stoical!y
that she is satisfied with what she
has done
Mrs. La Bartia had a new revolver
rconcealed beneath her apron and wait
ed until her victim should pass When
Versagla saw her he threw his haHG
TO his hip pocket as II 70 pull Il re.
Nolvcr But the woman. who had
studied other plans. and was not TO be
cheated. She was quicker than he.
Stands over Victim.
Her first shot struck aim In the
abdomen and ne turned to run. Mrs.
La Bartia fired again The second bui.
. let entered his side, ;hird IN his
. back he toppled over The woman
stood over him and fred a fourth shot.
Ii penetrated his left hand. She was
about TO pull the trigger ;or the NTH
time when Morris Becker sprang for
ward and knocked the weapon from
| her hand
There was the Widest panic on the
corner At the sound OF tAe first shot
' the human stream OF factory empioyos
broke and the crowd scattered IN ali
|-uirections. When Nersagia fell, the
crowd closed in on the pair and 1t
was with difficulty that the police were
= able to get the boys BODY into an am
bulance.
At.he police station the woman tol1
| her story.
MY husband and | came from Res
' gio, Italy she said quietly. "Nersagia
| also came from there He was tailor
| In Reggie and my husband was an
umbrella maker. They knew one an
. other but were not friendly.
soon after we moved TO New York
my husband began TO receive threat
enlng letters Then one day he was
shot In a doorway near our home
That was just a year ago ! was lert
penniless. Ny little baby died because
| could not take care Of u. This was
the sixth baby that had buried.
Swore to Kill Him.
Then | swore 10 vow to kill the
murderer OF my husband. | searched
everywhere for clue. For year
have had no other aim in life A few
weeks ago an unsigned letter came 10
me. II said
"'Your husbands slayer IS Dominica
who used TO come and take him out
at night investigated 1 found out
that Jrsagia was member OF the
black hand and that the letter spoke
the truth.
81 went to the police. showed them
the letter and told them what | hac
found out. They said thSy could do
nothing. They would not even arrest
Versagia
Then | bought revolver. | prac'
ticed every day so that | could hold
my hand steady | found out where
Versagia lived and that he passed thai
street every morning ! went there
today and shot him. ! am glad OF 1t.
I hope he will die"