New-York tribune., 1911-04-07
CAM0RRA FUME AND WEEP
Prisoners Sob and Curse as the
Priest TeStifies.
COURT ADJ0URMS IN UPROAR
Vitozzi Tells the Court That He
Knows Evil Only to Combat
y as a Preacher.

Niterho April s-From the beginning
nearly four weeks ago. the trial OF tire
Camorrists W no are charged directly win
the murder Of fellow members of the or
ganizaton. Gennaro Cuoccolo and his wife.
and indirectly with many other crimes. Las
been marked by scenes of violence patncs,
real or assumed. infuriated rage and some
times indescrbable confusion The ses-
sion TO-DAY was a combination Of all. and
II ended with an abrupt adjournment.
Giro Nitozzi. tho priest. who Is known as
"the guardian angel of the Camorra." oc-
cupied the witness stand, and narrated the
story Of what he said was an Immaculate
life, told Of his sufferngs through false
accusations and the efforts Of the cara
bneers and described his martyrdom so
vividly and In so touching manner that
all the prisoners were soon in tears. and
many Of the spectators in the courtroom
sobbed bitterly
Although almost in 3 state OF physical ex-
haustion Vitozzi spoke with a vigorous
voice and at times with melodramatic ef-
feet. He charged the carabineers with hay-
ing treated him cruelty One of them had
struck him In the face he had been Sc
verely beaten. 70 the extent that blood had
been drawn. and had been kept for days
on bread and water. He ended his recita al
with most effective peroration in high
flown language and the silence was broken
only by sobbing Then one of the prison
ers in the cage shrieked and fell TO the
floor II was Minichello, who had been
stricken with svncope
Cursed Their "Execytiorers"
Instantly the whole courtroom was in an
uproar. and the men in the cage worked
themselves into frenzy. rushing TO and
fro shrieking and hurting curses against
their "executioners"
Erricone cried out: "rhe world has never
seen such cannibalsi'
Rapi shouted "Our persecution is
shame 10 civilization" The others Joined
in creating din the like Of which has sell
dom been heard IN court OF Justice
Throughout my life" testined Nitozzi
the priest. Il have been a good priest but
priests more than others come in contact
with the good and the evil The priesthood
is intended to combat what IS bad, and thus
we must. know it
II was Nitozzi who secured the release of
ErriCone. whose proper name is Enrico Al
fapo: Giro Alfano Ibelli and Rapi when
they were first arrested charged with com
plicitv in the murder Of Gennaro Cuoccolo
and his wife, the beautiful Sorrentna"
The priest went 10 the authorities and said
that he had learned in the confessional the
identity of the assassins and that the men
under arrest We're innocent He was be-
lieved, and not only secured the freedom
Of his friends but subsequently denounced
De Angels and Amadeo as the murderers.
These men had some difficulty in discredit-
ing the priest.
As he testified to-day, Nitozzl could not or
would not control his emotion He has
suffered physically from his long confine-
ment in prison, and when he was sum-
moned 10 the bar he advanced slowly, lean
ing on his cane At his elbow was his
physician. who explained 70 the court that
he would have TO give his patient frequent
stir,,,iarts 10 save him from faintins He
proclaimed himself innocent. expressing
surprise that the fact that he was the god
father of Erricone should have been used
against him.