The Paducah evening sun., 1910-03-28
RESCUED FROM
WHITE SLAVERY
BRUTAL MASTER OFTEN SLASH.
ED HER WITH DAGGER.
Catherine Moore Inhumanly Forced
TO support Her Captors-Tied
With Rope at Times.
BOSTON GIRL is TERRoRIzED

the back room of a small apartment
on the ground floor of the tenement
house at No. 225 Jackson street,
Hoboken detectives found an IS
year-old girl imprisoned yesterday
morning. She declared in court that
she had been lured from her home
in Boston by the man and woman
who were in charge of the place and
that they had held her captive for
two months.
The girl, Catherine Moore, of No.
1858 Laborne street, Boston, bore
the scar of a razor cut on her left
cheek and declared that Anthony
Romani, alias Belli. had inflicted the
wound. She also said that Belli, as
the man is known in Hoboken, had
often thrust the point of a dagger
into her limbs to compel her to do as
he directed.
The girl said she had been tied
with rope at times. A rope lay on
the floor near where the girl was
found.
Detective Joseph cornelli obtain
ed the information which led to the
raid on the apartment. Belli and
the woman kept a small candy store
in the front room of the apartment.
but the police say their real business
was carried on in the rear rooms.
where Catherine Moore. the white
slave" was found. Cornelli had a
talk with Belli, which convinced
him, he says, that the girl was held
against her will. The raid, under
Chief Hales, followed.
Belli and his wife opposed the
police, but Cornelli subdueed. them
by drawing his revolver. The girl
could not be found in the front
room, but on pushing through to the
rear Cornelli came upon a locked
door. He quickly battered 1t down.
Trembling in corner crouched
Catherine Moore, fearful, she said
later. that Belli was coming in TO
either torture or kill her.
Overjoyed at Rescue.
The girl was 80 overjoyed when
she learned that the police had res
cued her that she kissed Cornellis
hands and then sank to her knees
and offered a prayer of gratitude
Every time Belli came near the girl
she shrank from him and implored
the policemen not to let Belh injure
her. Even In the court room she
could not tell her story when the
eyes OF Belli were upon her.
1t was a pitiful narrative, indeed
that the girl related when she was
made a witness against Belli and his
wife in Recorder McGovern's court
The girl had aged greatly under heI
treatment.
81 lived with relatives in Boston.
she said. "Belli and this woman
she Is not his wife-came to live
next door and made my acquaint.
ance. They were nice to me and
learned to like them. BY promises
of securing me good employment
they got me away from home. Then
began my life of misery.
"Belli turned to be a brute. My
clothes were taken from me, and
was put in a disorderly house.
could not escape because l had no
clothes. Once, when ! tried to get
away. Belli caught me. He held me
by the throat and drew a razor
across my face. l think he tried TO
kill me. This scar. stretching from
ear TO mouth, Is the result of that
razor cut.
81 cried great deal and many
times refused to do Belli's bidding,
but he was so cruel that ! feared
him. He would use the point of a
dagger to stab me in the legs and
arms when / rebelled. II there was
anyone present he would jab the
dagger into me from behind, so they
could not see his action.
"All of the money ] made / had TO
give to Belli or this woman"
Recorder McGovern held Belli and
the woman in $4,000 bail each for
trial and the girl in 1000 bail as a
witness. The charges against Bell
and his wife are that they conduct
ed a dlsorderly house and operated