The evening world., 1909-02-24
BRIDE WHO SLEW
HUSBAND TELLS
STORY ON STAND
Pretty Rosa Gratzione SwearS
She Was Ordered to Life
of Shame.
HE THREATENED DEATH
On Honeymoon, Nineteen
Year-Old Wife Says, Com
mand Was Given,
HE THREATENED DEATH

Rosa Gratzione, the pretty nineteen
year.old girl, who is on trial befor'
County Judge Dixie In Brooklyn for muir
dering her husband Dominica last Au
gust In their fiat at No. 2S Adams
street, Brooklyn. took the stand In he
defense this afternoon. She was tn,
first witness sworn after the prosecu
tion closed.
Dressed in deep mourning, which Sc
of strlkngly the pallor OF her mourn
full face, the young woman told thrill
ing story OF the prosecutions which. sh,
says, her husband inflicted upon her
with the effect of driving her mad. She
killed him. she swore, because he had
threatened her life IL she did not com.
ply with his orders to seek the com.
pany OF men In hotel In Mulberry
Bend, Manhattan, and give him hel
earnings,
Ordered Upon Streets.
The case for the prosecution estab.
hshed that Rosa shot her husband as
he was standing at a mirror with his
back to her, arranging his necktie
Police Capt. Plnkerton, one OF the wit.
nesses for the State, said that the gIrI
told him she killed her husband because
he had beaten and abused her and had
tried to drive her to a life OF shame.
When Rosa Gratzione took the stand
she told OF her marriage, which was
quite an event in the South Brooklyn
Italian colony. Gratzione was n barber.
The bride received in wedding presents
$500 in cash, considerable jewery and
enough furniture to comfortably furnish
. fiat.
I'VE were happy" said the young
woman, ''as long as my money lasted.
My husband would not work. When NV
money ran out, he pawned my jewelry.
And when / protested against his TAX.
Ing my wedding ring, he choked me and
hit me over the head with a revolver,
and when l tried to take the revolver
from him he bit a piece OF flesh out OF
my back.
After while We had nothing left
but the furniture. He told me he didn't t
like my relatives and proposed that we
sell the furniture and go TO Phlladel-
phia, where he would buy barber
chop and start all over. sold the fur
niture and We went to Philadelphia to-.
gether
Married TO Make Her Slave,
HE would not work, and pretty soon
our money ran out again and he beat
me- Then he suggested for the first
time that should go out and seek the
company OF strange men. He said he
married me for that. was almost
crazed and came back to Brooklyn.
"He followed me, two weeks later
and promised to reform IL would be
his wife again. l loved him. even
then. and went to live with him in
Adams street. went to work and
got 1l2 week, but my husband would
not work.
'One week after l rejoIned him h,
beat me- Then he renewed his propose
that make living for him on tn,
streets. He said he had arranged &c
put me In place in Mulberry street
When l refused he said he would kill me
81 belong to a gang, he told me, and
my gang marry women like you and the
women work for u.s. II they don't, We
kill them and ship their bodies away
and nobody knows what becomes OF
them
"He brought four men to the house
and wanted me to entertain them
When / would not do so. he beat me
nearly all night"
Shot During Struggle.
The witness said that on the morning
OF the shooting, her husband awoke her
at daylight and told her that II she DID
not do as he ordered lie would kill her
He threw rope over Eer, she said
bound her arms and legs, and threw
her on the bed, stating that he intended
10 pack her In a big trunk and shiI
her to the place in Mulberry street Sh,
wrenChed herself free and he sprane
upon her.
There was struggle, she said on th
bed, and pillow turned over, dlsplayIn,
revolver. Just then her husband
aun, entered the room and dragged hin
from the bed. Then, the witness said
she picked up the revolver, fired bllndl!
and saw her husband fall.
Her story was not shaken on cross
examination.
The next witness was her father
Frank Orrichlnto. He sworc that tn,
father and mother OF his wife were In
sane; that his wife died insane, and that
the defendant lad shown traces of men.
tal alteration. The case was then ad
journed until tomorrow.
Mother and N7ulnter Testify.
The principal witness for the state
during the forenoon was Mrs ConCetia
Maflettone, OF No. 100 York street. a
knswOman OF the slain man, whC
showed on the stand her hostility TO-
man testified that she was AZ the na'
OF the GratzIones on the morning o
Aug, .? and heard the wife say slt
meant 10 60 10 court TO get q Warrant
for her husband.
few minutes later so Mrs AlafIet
tone sNOFe, Sne was just entering thi
nat, after trip to the street, when sht
heard a shot behind her and caught In,
hiss OF a bullet whi2z!ng by her ear
AT the report DOminick who, she said
was az n mirror buttoulng his collar
fell on his face Mrs Mafettones ex
PLANTATION for her failure to run for al,
was that she thought her hair had he.i
set alre 10y the lasN o' the pistol. an,
that she Immediately became seuseles
irom fright and excitement.
Her daushter vary, twelve years old
testinci shat she was !n the rooms %
the Graiz lnes a. the moment ~ ti
killinr The xiii sad that IN his flI
nomlnIck, wLO was her cousin. crushc,
htsr 10 the n,or making her p-aeticall,