The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-02-11
Prosecutor and Witnesses
Scout the Accused
Wife-slayer's Story.
VERDICT WAITED FOR
BURNING OF BRIDE
Jury Today Settles Fate Of Man
Accused of Crime to Col
lect Insurance.
JUR' FAINTS AS
STATE SUMS UP
Leo's Own Testimony, in Which
lie Denied Guilt, Merci=
lessly Attacked.


Michael Leo, charged with burning his
1s-year-oId bride, Angelina. to death in
their home, 275 Morris avenue, last
March, SO as to get a $500 insurance,
will be in the hands of the struck jury
that has heard the story of the tragedy
dor the last two days In the Court of
oyer and Terminer late today
The jury viewed the Leo premises
early in the day.
James J. Van Order, of Caldwell
suror No. z, tainted In his chair as
Prosecutor Mott was summing up this
afternoon and was prevented from fall
ing to the floor only by the fact that
Foreman Moses Plaut was seated d.
fectly in front of him. Dr. Frank Dey-
lin, who happened to be in the Court
House at the time, worked over the
juror, who was taken into the judges
private room. A recess was ordered,
during which the court was aired.
Prosecutor Mott in his opening said:
mo one but a perfect brute would
have committed a crime of this kind"
He will follow with a full summing up.
Counsel Have Tilt.
Before Mr.. Mott began he and former
Judge Thomas S. Henry, who, together
with Judge Simon Hahn. is defending
the prisoner. had q lively argument
over the fact that Mr.. Henry insisted
that the word Outrageous" which he
said Mr.. Mott had used yesterday, in
connection with Witness Louis s.
Whites testimony did not appear on
t'7e records.
Leo put in fiat denial yesterday
afternoon and swore that he not only
did all lie could to save his wife's life,
but burned his hands in doing So IT
vas because he had the insurance on
her in the Prudential Insurance Com
tstrlN, and that there were certain sus-
picpus circumstances about the fire
that Leo was arrested and spent nearly
q year in Jail On the charge of murder 4
Tho prisoner today showed some
eigi's of concern as to his fate. He
again sat under strong constabulary
guard.
Prosecutor Mott had few more wit
aesses today. They included Detective
Sers mt William p. Teed, of the
sheriff's office, who testified that Louis
White, one of the neighbors, did say
that when he first saw the burning
woman that she was on the porch of
the house, and Detective Cordano cor
toborated Teed.
Others called in rebuttal to Leos own
testimony were John Gallino and his
wife, besides. Richard NJ Pearce, the
undertaken, who buried the woman.
The Gallinos repeated their story that
Leo did not ask them, as he had testi-
fled, 10 send a letter to Angelina S
mother, informing her of her death.
While Undertaken Pearce insisted that
his testimony that Leo was looking for
the cheapest kind Of a burial for his
wife, was positively true.
Mr.. Henrys summing up began
shortly before II o'clock. He called at
tention to the fact that his client had
been in Jail for nearly year, and de-
clared that the evidence was wholly
circumstantial.
While Mr.. Henry was summing up
and as he referred to the sufferings of
the fatally burned woman Leo broke
down, tears coming to his eyes.
Cnlls 1T Question of Dollars.
What is the main object of the
prosecution" asked Mr.. Henry sharp
ly. 1T is to save the Prudential In
surance Company the sum of $2,500. It
is safe to say that if the Prudential
nad Deen totally u1SlntereSted and there
had been no insurance on the life of
the deceased woman there never would
have been prosecution.
'Is the question of dollars and cents
to be considered in this case? I hope
not If that is SO it is a sad COM
H1entary to be written upon Jersey JUS
tice"
Before going over the evidence in de-
tail, Mr.. Henry said that Mr. Mott had
gone too far when he used the word |
"outra ge'' yesterday and was guilty of |
misconduct in doing so. This he called |
"a violation of decency' and said that |
he had practised at the bar for many
years, but had never before been so in
suited by either a prosecutor or assist
ant prosecutor.
He quoted Shakespeare in the further
course of the summing up and taking
up each thread of the testimony, care
iully wove it into an armor of innocence
on the part of his client
According to the present program
Judge Ten Eyck will not charge the
fury until late this afternoon.
u-f-ss xx-..a r1-...rsf~.. fu..t.