Amador ledger., 1910-12-23
SAMPO MURDER
TRIAL FINISHED
jury Renders Verdict of
Second Degree
Murder

On Friday last George Callandra
testified that he saw the three men in
a struggle in the street opposite his
residence, and went out to them. De-
PENDANT and Cont we're attacking Pts
toni. Defendant struck deceased with
the rock after he got to them. D.
Burdisso was also another eyewitness
of the affray. Hesaw defendant strike
deceased with the rock, and took the
rock from him, and dropped 1t in the
roadway. He then accompanied Pts
tonti to his room at Cavallero's and
put him to bed. He did not think at
the time that he was so badly hurt.
Drs. Endicott and Griffin, conducted
the autopsy on the body of deceased
the day after the affair, testified that
all the vital organs we're in healthy
condition, except the brain. A frac-
ture of the skull was found back of
the right ear; the scalp was cut, and
on the inside of the skull opposite the
fracture found large blood clot, al
most as large as baseball; the injury
was inflicted by some blunt instrument
and could have been inflicted by the
rock produced. Death was caused by
cerebral hemorrhage from ruptured
bloodvesseI caused by the blow that
fractured the skull. The injury would
have resulted fatally even though pro-
fessional aid had been called promptly.
Dan Bona, deputy constable, said
that he arrested defendant at his
home in Amador City on the goth of
November, at six o'clock in the morn
ing. Said to him, Jack, you fellows
had fight out in the road" and he
replied, 81 think we did, Saw de-
PENDANT and his brother and Cont out
side Cavalleros on the 10Th between
IL and IL o'lcock; they did not say
they were looking for him, to have
those in the house arrested; Pistoni
was not with them; saw him after
wards in bed, and Burdesso and j.
Zarzotti were in the room, apparently
attending to him.
This closed the case for the prosecu-
ton.
Ernest Spagnoli, in his opening
statement said they expected to
prove an alibi, that the defendant
was at some other place at the time
the crime is said to have heen COM
mitted. If they should not be able to
establish this to the complete salts
faction of the jury, he hoped they
would consider it, and give it such
weight as to raise REASONABLE doubt in
their minds, and give the defendant
the benefit of the doubt by verdict of
acquittal.
Louie and Tom Ferrarl were called.
They were present in the Cavallero
house at the time the trouble started
and played an Italian game Gale mora
with fingers preceding the trouble.
George Sampo, brother of defend
ant, and also under arrest. was next
called. He claimed that he was in the
house all the time the alleged homicide
is said have taken place, and that de-
PENDANT and Cont were there also, but
admitted on cross examination that
defendant and Cont went out about
fifteen minutes before ten and re-
manned out for about twenty minutes.
His account of the starting of the
trouble was that Eva Cavallero had
promised to dance next with him; that
when he saw her dancing with Piston!
when as he claimed it was his turn, he
asked her how that was. Plstoni said,
"What is the use of dancing with you,
you can't dance. - This riled up Sam
pc, and general scrimmage ensued.
He said he was in the house of
Cavallero from the time the dancing
commenced until he went out with de-
PENDANT to see for the constable, ex-
cept the time the crowd were fighting
in the back yard; that he was not on
the road between Cavallero's and
Gazzero's saloon until he started TO
look for George Sampo to go home;
that they went home by way of New
Chicago.
Mrs Sampo, wife of defendant, was
examined, and stated that she was
present when her husband was ar
rested. No conversation occurred be-
tween the two at the time. Her has
band came home on the night Of the
10Th about twelve or half past.
Stefari Cont, the co-defendant, tes'
titled that he came to the county in
September last. from Oakland, and
had been in the country two years.