The sun., 1910-06-15
SAYS HE JUST MISSED SSO,OOO
ACCETTA SURE MRS. STELLE Was
ABOTT TO MAKE 4 WILL
when she D,ed IN chicago. just AFTER He
Got Out 0G Jan-The IOung singer
Back IN Little Italy-He aaW No
Hack Hand ringer IN the shooting

when she Died IN Chicago, 5uat After We
Got Out OG Jail-The YOung singer
Back IN Little Italy-He aaW Nc
black Hand Finger IN the sho0ting.
An arrest for murder. two days In a
Chicago jail and finally beQuest Of t2S,-
OOO all having come 70 Edgar r. Aocetta
since little Italy last saw the young real
estate man. singer and civil engineer
in his ONCE In Mulberry street just north
Of tho Bend caused the neighbOrs and
clients 10 elbow their way into the tiny
Office yesterday when Mr. Accetta -Stelle.
which n now his legal name. returned
% town.
Accetta had little 10 say about his own
Affairs and still leas about the unusual
friendship between himself and the
elderly Mrs. Fannie Surdam Stslls. whom
once he sued for breach Of promise and
who died suddenly. a. already told In
tbs Sun. in her apartments in the Palmer
Houss. Chicago. a week ago last Monday
night. Aooetta was quite sure. however,
| that the $500 bequeathed him by Mrs.
Stelle would bs turned over n him soon
and equally sure that Mrs. stells was
about 20 make another will IN which she
would leave 70 him the greater part %
her fortune Of s5OO.OOO. when her sudden
death prevented Il.
Acoetta is we'll built good looking
man between thirty and thirty-iive years
old 4 great shock of dark brown hair
rising upward In Wavy pompadour makes
him appear taller than he is. He dresses
very we'll. On little finger. which he
sticks out daintily when he picks up his
telephone receiver. is a snake ring with
diamond eyes and around his other fingers
here and there wind other ieWelled rings.
Acoetta says he came TO America twelve
years ago from Italy. where his father
still lives.
I was an engineer before came here
he said. and when ! arrived here had
some money. nart of which | spent on a
year ~ study at the Massachusetts, Insti-
tuta n Technology. ! never pnctised
engineering in this country
/ Il has been told how Aooetta Whils
singing with a quartet in an East Side
restaurant eight years ago won the ad-
miration Of Mrs. Stelle. who had inherited
i KoOOO from her father. samuel Surdan.
L "A Chicago hardware merchant. Acoetta
-svs that when Mrs. Stells invited him 20
I sing Al musicale in her apartment at
the Croisic soon after she had heard him
sing IN tho Second avenue restaurant he
sang for her and her guests Because |
| Love You
/ since that night Mrs Stslle and Acoetta
have heen together great deal except
4 for the temporary break in the friendship
IN lspi. when Acoett brought suit for
$4,000 against Mrs. Stells for breach Of
/ promise. a suit that resulted in an agree
ment between the litigants that t7s.OOo
was to he paid 10 Acoetta upon the death
/ Of Mrs Stelbe.
! The words Law Once appear on the
windows u Accetta's Mulberry street real
estate oiice An interviewer asked Ac-
cetta Yesterday whether he has he on adj
mitted TO the New York bar. He said he
had been and that he practises law nov.
Mrs. stelle. he said. had started him out
in New York and had fitted out his present
ofiice for him.
Il went 20 Chicago a week ago last
Friday he said. because Mrs. Stelle
had sent me word that she wanted % see
me. She was staying at the Palmer
HOUSE, and ~ when got IN Chicago on
saturday night ! went % the Palmer
House also aud put up there.
4 talked with her IN the Palmer House
for some time and late at night ! went
alone tO an Italian restaurant ] knew Of
about two or three miles away from the
hotel While | was having supper a man
named Catalani. for whom had handled
some real estate about five years ago,
, came into the restaurant and walked over
O. speak % me.
when found out who he was I had him
at down az tho table with me. Soon after
this "A man whom Catalani knew came In
and Catalani called him over 20 our table
We sat there chatting until about O'Clock
4, shs morning. Csta!sai and his friend
seemed 10 be on the best II terms.
When | started back 70 the Palmer
House Catalani volunteered 10 guide mo
acrnss town for two OF three blocks 10
show me where % get a car. He and his
friend and !. all of NJ stu on the best of
terms. had walked only about two blocks
when the man flrthest from ms suddenly
pulled out a revolver. killed Catalani and
ran away. A. I was kneeling over Cata-
lani trying o. do something FOR him the
, police came up and arrested mo.
-h isn't true that Mrs. Stelle saw an
aooount of the murder and my arrest In
q Chicago paper and that the reading %
| 4 brought On her fatal attack Of apoplexy.
! During the two days | WAS In jail she
didn't know anything about my arrest.
b Az soon az ] was released on Monday
( night I hurried 10 the Palmer House 20
b tel her Of my experiences. She already
, had been stricken and was unconscious
when got n her rOOms.'
Nlra STEELE whose first husband. AleM-
7 ander Stells, died about thirty years ago,
p leaving her, Il n said by her friends q
4 fortune almost Rs large a. the ons shs
Inherited from her father. had the mar
riagn 90 her second husband, the lnte DR.
! Edward Bradley Of West Thirtieth street,
% annulled soon erlthsIcoupls were mar
I ried In 1907. Mrs. Stelle left no children.
Accetta said yesterday that he believes
4 the bulk Of her estate Will 20 % a brother
! of Mn. Stelle and other relatives. Ac-
Cetta will sing no more In restaurants
, but will continue, he says. 10 handle real
r living In Manhattan h his only relative
! In this country.
I Acostta was asked about the Chicago
: stories that Black Hand extortioners
o. had Threatened him and that the bullet
I which killed Catalani really had hern
meant for himself He laughed at the
/ notion.
: 4 know perhaps 5000 Italans.' he
{ mis, -and ! never have been threatened
Z and never have had a hit ~ trouble With