The pioneer express., 1911-03-17
Light May ee Thrown on Murder
q Gotham Detective
Lieutenant.

inquiry into their personal records.
The prisoners are charged with tn,
assassination of fellow members In tn,
Camorra. Gennaro Cuoccolo and hi,
wife. Maria Cutinelli Cuoccolo, popu
larly known as the Beautiful Sor
rentina." Behind this charge are al
legations of numberless murders ant
robberies perpetrated by what is per
haps the best organized and most des
perate criminal society of modern
times. The real purpose Of the gov
ernment is to rid the country of thii
band. It is believed that evidence
will be brought out that will throw
light upon the assassination Of the
American detective, Lieutenant Joseph
Petrosino, at Palermo, in March, 1909
after he had been sent to Italy by the
New York police department to secure
information regarding Italian crimi
nails.
It was Petrosino who arrested En-.
rico Alfano, better known as Erricone
the alleged actual head of the Ca,
mora, after the latter had fed ia
New York City.
Sieuth Was Marked Man.
The American officer sent Errfcone
back to Europe and he was taken into
custody at Havre. Petrosino's death
is believed to have been the price paid
for running down the man who for
years had defied the authorities of his
own country.
The murders of the Cuoccolos fol
lowed by revelations made by one of
the Camorrists, Gennaro Abbatemag-
gio, resulted in the present prosecu-
tion, which was ordered by King Vic.
tor Emmanuel and presented by Sig.
nor FAM, the minister of Justice.
An enormous crowd gathered in the
vicinity of the former church of San
francesca which has been transformed
into court of the assizes. Other
crowds surrounded the mediaeval
monastery of Gradi, now penitentiary
where all except two of the prisoners
have been confined, and the prison of
San Lupara, in which the informer
Abbattemaggio and the one woman
prisoner, Maria Stenardo, have been
held.
There was much excitement when
the vans transporting the accused ap.
peared from under the arched doors Of
the prison. The procession proceeded
to court amidst angry murmurs of the
people. Precautions were taken
against an attempt to free the pris.
oners who had many silent sympathiz-
ers in the throng With the driver
of each van were seated policeman
and carbineer. Another solder sat
just inside the door. Mounted car.
bineers surrounded each van. When
the doors of the court were opened
as many of the crowd as could rushed
in occupying every available place..
The crowd in the square before the
court building was so great that a
company of infantry was called out
to reinforce the carbineers; and police
in maintaining order.
Priest Sits by Prisoners,
Within the attention of the onlook.
ers was absorbed by the appearance
and behavior of the prisoners. Giro
Vitozzi, the priest, who once secured
Erricone's freedom by telling the au.
thorities that another man had con
fessed to the murders under the seal
of the confessional, was allowed, when
the proceedings opened, to sit outside
the prisoners cage. Abbatemaggio
! was permitted the distinction of being
the only one of the prisoners to GO
from prison to court without hand
cuffs.
When the jury had been sworn
President Bianchf questioned the pKis
oners closely concerning their careers
This examination concluded, a mass oi
| documents were presented by Caval
Zero Santero, kings procurator, VIC
has charge of the prosecution.
The most interesting paper which
figured in today's proceedings was. {
report from the New York police de
partment concerning the arrest of Er
ricone in that city and what the Amer
ican detectives have been able to lear
about him and his associates. The re
port was signed by Joseph Petrosinc
The defendants originally numbere,
43. OF these three are fugitives. wh,
have been released under surveillanc
and one, Giro Alfano, a brother of FL
ricone, died in prison. 4.
Three hundred and thirty witnesse
for the state were offered and 600 70
the defense. The court ruled that onl
$50 of the latter should be called.
HUGHES WILL INVESTIGATE.
; Head Of Commission to Study Postae