Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-10-29
Grippe TELLS OF THE MURDER
Saloon Keeper Describes How Words Led to Death of
Barbuto-Diadato Had Revolver in Inside Pocket
Accused Had threatened the Dead Man and There
had Been i'll Feeling


Judge Ralph Wheeler on Thursday
in the criminal superior court handed
down his decision on the motion of
Attorneys Shields and Thayer for an
arrest of Judgment in the case of
State VS.. Abraham Fox and others, and
overruled the motion. The accused
were found guilty of buying stolen cop
per wire and sentenced to Fights
months in jail each. The motion for
the arrest of judgment was argued this
week. An appeal viii be taken.
Murder Case Delayed.
At Q o'clock Thursday morning the
court came in for the resumption of
the case of state VS.. Donninick Dada
to. charged with first degree murder,
it being alleged that he shot and killed
Alphonse Barbuto in a saloon in New
London on May q of this year.
When court opened Assistant Clerk
Norman informed the court that he had
recsived a telephone message to the
effect that. Juror Larkin of Lisbon had
been sick all night and would not be
able TO be in court until noon. A re-
cess was taken until 11.50 O'clock, when
the juryman showed up. and the muir
der case was resumed. Dr. Braman
was not cross-eXamined. DR.. II. NJ.
Lee was then called, he being the med
ical examiner of New London, and he
loon about IL o'clock on the night of
May 81, and found man on:the floor
with a sheet over his head. He saw
the body later at the undertaker's
rooms, where he put the clothing in a
sealed bundle. The clothing was shown
and the bullet hole and blood stains
shown. An autopsy was performed the
next day and he described the course
of the bullet. Death, he said, was
caused by the bullet and shock, it be-
ing instantaneous. He had to dig the
80 CALDER bullet from the backbone
with a chisel and knife. He was
shown the bullet and said it fitted the
revolver. The man was in perfect
health and there were no powder marks
on the coat which he found. Accord
ing to recent experiments made by him
he said that it is necessary to hold
revolver not more than sixteen inches
from a person in order to have the
powder marks show on the clothing.
He was cross examined at length.
At the afternoon session Policeman
Corcoran of New London testified to
hearing the slot and going to the sa-
loon. He found Diadato being held by
the Grippe brothers back of the sa-
loon. He took the pistol, one cartridge
having been discharged, and arrested
Diadato. At police station Diadato
told Policeman Jeffers that the re-
VolVer belonged to him. The man VINO
was shot was on the floor of the sa-
loon.
Heard Diadato Threaten Barbuto.
Mary Mareno, aged 32, a native of
Waterbury, was called. She was di-
vorced in New Haven ten years ago.
She lives at 20 Shaw street. New Lon
don, and Barbuto boarded with her
four months previous to going to board
with Grippe. She had known DADA
to a year, but he never boarded with her.
About a month before the murder she
heard Didato say to Barbuto: Me fix
you by and by" She didn't think Bar
buto heard the threat, rs he was pass
ing through a yard of the witness on
his way home, and Diatdato was at Is
Shaw street. She declared that Bar
buto was not her lover, and that she
didn't break up a knife that he car
ried or borrow an axe to break up a
knife. She denied that Diadato beat her
because Barbuto came to her house.
She saw Barbuto there morning, aft
ernoon and evening Of the day Of the
and he always had coffee and
dinner there. They had can of beer
as Barbuto came there most every day,
but she did not tell him of the threat.
The interpreter was sworn at this
point, and Rafaella st. Angelo Of New
London, cousin of the accused, was