The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-01-27
Many Were Called in Black
Hand Cases.
EXPERTS CANNOT AGREE
Some Doubt About Author
of Letters.
The Trial OF the Fourteen Slclilans
nt Toledo Is Nearing the Close,
Tiioug Much Time will Probably
be Taken up With the Arguments

"Who wrote the Blacg Hand letters
upon which are based the 10 counts In
the indictment against the IA Sici-
lians now on trial for conspiracy?
This question has led to remark
able situation In the federal court as
the result of the diametrically opposed
handwriting experts employed in the
case.
william @. Pengelly. the govern
ment's $50-a-day expert, took the
stand Monday and said That 1t was his
professional opinion that the letters
were written by salvatore Lima
Pippino Galbo. Cologero Vicario and
Giuseppe Ignoffo. He based his opin-
ion upon a comparison OF the Black
Hand letters introduced as evidence
with business letters signed by the
same men.
yesterday another expert, DR.
Henry ID. Gould. of Cleveland, college
professor, author of textbooks, and
bank note and documentary grapholo-
gist testified for the defense.
DIR. Gould applied his miscroscope
to the same letters passed upon by
Expert Pengelly. and unhesitatingly
gave II as his professional opinion
that none of the letters were written
by the defendants as charged by the
prosecution. Whise on the stond DR.
rntlI IL,
of the exactness of his methods in
determining the authorship of hand
writing.
"a feature of yesterday afternoons
session was the appearance on the
stand of Maria Cira, of Bellefontaine
who testified to the good character OF
Cologero Vicario. When asked he,
relation to Vicario, she replied:
81 am Charles sweetheart" While
being questioned as to Vicario's abb
sence on one occasion In Dennison,
Miss Cira was asked: Didn't you get
a letter from him every week or so?'
to which she replied: "Why. I got a
letter from him every day" Addi-
tional interest was, lent to Miss Cira's
testimony by the fact that her father
met violent death several years age
at the hands of one of his country
men, who was suspected of having
carried out Malta edict.
"Salvator Demma, alias Sam Demar
took the stand in his own behalf. and
explained frequent visits to Columbus
by stating that he had a sweetheart
there. He said he was invited to
come to Marion March to settle a
disputed account between himself and
Vincenzo ArrIgo He went to Marion
and stayed there about three hours
Explaining visit to Pittsburg in
March. he said he went there to sec
an Italian doctor.
MANY character witnesses were put
on the stand by the defense. among
whom were: Herbert Clark. butcher;
Charles Il. Carnahan. baker; George
]. Buer, baker; and David C. Myers
postmaster; all of Dennlson; Michae
Il. Rosen, and DR.. G.. Cont, of Pitts
burg; Henry +. Hopkins. grocer OF
lCincinnati; James A. Miner. livery
man; DIR. Robert w. Chalfont. Ear
N. Smith, bank cashier and Mrs. Mary
Cira. of Bellefontaine: Thomas Nc.
Mahon. grocer; George Stouden. Goa
dealer: Alfred C. Stokes. conductor
Tracy ID. Kepple, hotel keeper, all OF
Meadville, Pa.
Miss Anna Jackson. stenographer
of the federal court at Cincinnati
testified as to testimony given by
Postal Inspector ]. +. Oldheld at Q
preliminary hearing.
| marion was well represented by III
bankers and merchants at this morn
ing's session of the trial. They were
here to testify to the good character
of Salvatore Rizzo and Giuseppe Ig
noffo and the Lima brothers.
| c. ID. Schaffner. bank cashier ex
amined the threatening letters re
ceived by John Amicon. OF Columbus
and gave as his opinion that the,
were not written by Salvatore Lima
| on cross-examnation he ADMITTED
that the letters contained certain let
ters of the alphabet that were slmila
to those made by Lima.
Troy Zachman. another cashier, ex
Generated Giuseppe Ignoffo from tn
authorship of letter to John Ami
con. Earl Sykes, a bank clerk, wal
questioned about the letter, but HI
did not qualify as a handwriting VIII
ness.
"The following Marion people testi
fed this morning as 70 the good char
Iacter of the Marion defendants
Thomas Clary. blacksmith; ID. IL
Lincoln. banker; Edward Malloy. gro
Ger; William C. Beatty, merchant
John c. Salsberry. druggist; John ID
Gunder. grocer; DIR. ID. o, Weeks
physician Martin II. Kirchner, flou
dealer; David Martin. grocer; Elme
schoenlaub. ticket agent; r. w
Mayer. freight agent, and Josepl
Rataglia, section hand and compan
ion of Salvatore Rizzo. Toledo Blade