Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-03
DUEL PLOT TO KILL
Police Say Supposed Adver-
saries Aimed at Third Man.
WEALTHY ITALIAN VICTIM
Aged Importer Badly Wounded
While Seated on His Own Step.
ATTEMPT MADE TO LYNCH
Police Have Difficulty Saving One
Shooter From Mob-Believed to
Be Black Handlers.
WEALTHY ITALIAN VICTIM
ATTEMPT MADE TO LYNCH

PHILADELPHIA, August 3--Shot by
two men who pretended to be dueling In
the street in front of his home. at the
northwest corner of Sth and CHRISTIAN
streets, last night, Frank Cuneo, seventy
three years old. a we'll known importer
and one of the wealthiest men IN Phlia-
delphia's Italian colony, was seriously
wounded, and is now in the Pennsylvania
Hospital, with but little chance for re-
covery
The police, who captured one OF the
men, are confident that the shooting was
the result of a deliberate plot, and was
not an accident as it appeared on the
surface. Their theory is borne Out by
number of persons who witnessed the
affair, all of whom say that the two men.
instead of firing at one another, pointed
their revolvers toward Cuneos doorway,
where he was sitting.
The prisoner is Ernest NolpiniSta, thirty
four years old, of $40 Christian street:
Since his arrest he has persistently re-
fused to make a statement. The other
man, who escaped. after being notify pur-
sued by an excited crowd, is supposed to
be Salvatore Marine, address unknown.
Shot on Own Doorstep.
Cuneo was sitting in the doorway or his
home shortly after o'clock last evening
when two men stopped on the street dl-
rectly in front of him and drew reviewers.
They paced off distance of about twenty
feet and began to fire.
As the shots rang out in the crowded
thoroughfare there was a scattering OF
the neighbors. who fled in panic. The
men each fired a shot in the air accord
ing to spectators. and appeared to be tax
ing care not to injure one another. Then.
it is said, both men deliberately swung
their revolvers around and pointed di-
rectly at the doorway where Ounce sat.
Four shots were fired at the door. two
of them taking effect. One entered Gu
neos arm and another penetrated his
stomach. inf1icting a dangerous wound.
AS soon as Cuneo was seen to drop from
his chair the men ceased firing and began
to run down the street.
Mob Attempts Lynching.
At the first sound of the shots the i'm
porter's son, Frank Cuneo, jr., ran to the
door, just in time to see his father fall
from his chair. Immediately suspecting
a plot. he called to others in the house
and informed the neighbors to catch the
fleeing men.
crows swarmed out upon the street
and seized Volpinista. He was dragged
about by the mob and there was an at
tempt made to lynch him. His clothing
was torn off and he was badly beaten
before the police arrived. A riot call
had been sent to the 9TH and Carpenter
streets station and a detail of policemen
was soon on the scene. They drove the
crowd away from Volpinista and took
him to the station house, afterward turn
ing him over to the police of the Cd and
Christian streets station.
Meanwhile, the other man, supposed to
be Marine, ran down the street with
the throng in pursuit He fired his re-
volver at the crowd. keeping his pursuers
a distance. and disappeared. The police
sent out a dozen special men In civilians
clothes to capture him.
Little Chance for Recovery
Cuneo's son pressed a wagon into serv-
ice and took his father to the Pennsyl-
vania Hospital. An operation was per-
formed on the wounded mans stomach
but the surgeons were unable to locate
the bullet. On account of Cuneo's adj
vanced years, the shooting is likely to re-
suit fatally.
An attempt is being made by the police
to trace the shooting to one of the nufner
Gus secret societies of the Italian section.
either the Black Hand some similar
sinister organization. 1t Us believed that
Cuneo incurred the enmity of some of
these bands, either by his wealth or some
act of which the police have no knowl-
edge. Members of Cuneo's family are
unable to throw any light upon the shoot
ing, and declare he did not receive any
threatening letters as are customary liz
Italian crimes of vengeance.
That the shooting was plot is declared
by the police to be evident from the fact
that all witnesses agree that the two men
fired directly at the doorway and took
good care not to wound each other. The
police say that Volpinista is known to
have been connected with some of the
secret societies. and they have discovered
that the man who accompanied him is an
other notorious person. whose name, they
say, is Marine They expect to capture
him today.