The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-02-24

The inquest touching the death OF
Antonio Esporito, the italian who died
Monday night from pistol shot wounds
alleged to have been caused by one
Antonio d'Agostino, in the home of
the former last Monday morning, was
opened by Coroner Vincent at the city
hall this morning.
The first witness called and examin-
ed by the county attorney was w. J..
AWty, M. D., who was called to see
deceased a few hours before he ex-
pired, and who made tn post mortem
examination last night. The testi-
mony of the doctor fully described the
condition he found the man in before
he died and the conditions divulged
by the post mortem examination The
doctor described the two wounds he
found on the body, and said they were
evidently caused by pistol shots. He
extracted two bullets, one from the
region of the left chest and the Sec
ond from the muscles of the back. Ha
described the entrance and course of
the bullets, and gave it as his opinion
that death was caused by internal
hemorrhage. a result of the wounds
inflicted by pistol shots. Witness
found, the skull. BRAIN heart and all
a normal condition. The man was a
good healthy specimen of manhood.
DIR. Darrow testified to conditions as
he found the deceased to have been in
after his being brought
to Moorhead from Di.--orth, the
method of his treatment and his or
dering that he be sent to the Moor
head hospital.
Eye Witness Examined.
The next witness called by the coro-
ner was Sam Solvatorio who was in
the home of the deceased at the time
Of the shooting He was examined
by County Attorney Johnson through
the medium of an interpreter. In sub
stance the story of the occurrence
told by the witness was that d'Agos-
tino was at the home of the dead man,
and sitting at a table writing a letter.
Also present was Mrs. Esporito. When
the husband of the latter entered the
house from the outside all looked sur
prised. Esporito Immediately moved
towards Agostino. ordered him to leave
and struck him a heavy blow on the
side of the face causing him to reel
over and getting up to his feet Agos-
tino pulled his gun and fired two shots
causing Esporito to fall to the floor
During the excitement which followed
ths door of the shanty opened and
several men entered. one of them
taking charge OF Agostino. Witness
said the latter was standing erect
when he fired tho shots qt his victim
Mrs. Esporito was in the witness
chair late this afternoon and practi-
cally corroborated the witness Sam
Solvatorio. The woman was asked
very plainly If she was the wife of the
dead man and she swore positively that
she was his legal and lawful wife.
Other witnesses were called. all Ital-
ians, and they gave versions of the
trorblc and the relations between the
deceased and mis- assailant.
Murder in Second Degree.
The preliminary hearing in the case
Of the state VS.. Agostino will probably
be held tomorrow. The complaint
in the matter was prepared by the
county attorney and it charges muir
der in the second degree which upon
conviction means life imprisonment
To make 1t murder in the first degree
there must be premeditation and de-
liberation and those two factors are
not in this case.
A story told by Italians from Dill
worth in Moorhead, last night was to
the effect that the woman who has
been referred to as the wife of the
dead italian is not his wife at all
that his wife, with two children. have
been left in Italy and that for some
reason they cannot be admitted to
the United States. The woman was
present at the inquest and was neatly
attired In deep black and sna dis
played more or less grief.