Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-28

revenge for unrequited affections. She
slipped into the store before 1t was
closed for the evening and remained
I'm her hiding place behind a lot Of
lemon boxes until after o'clock,
when everything was quiet in the
neighborhood. Then she passed
stealthily into Del Orti's bedroom,
where he was taking a nap in antici-
patton of sleepless hours after mid
night. She did the job so we'll that
Del Orti gave only grunt when she
drove the knife home into his heart.
Then she drew 1t out and plunged 1t
quickly into the side of Del Orti's
Wife, who was sleeping beside him.
She was so impatient In seeking venge-
ance that the last stroke was not
we'll directed. and Del Orti's wife
awoke with sharp cry. But before
she could scream out Magdelina
plunged the knife into a more vital
spot.
That is how it happened. In her
haste Magdelina left a side door on
the street ajar and 1t was this that
Giovanni found open when he came
with another Black Hand threat
shortly after 1 o'clock the next morn
ing. He had visited the cigar box in
the trash barrel and finding nothing
In 1t he came to the conclusion that
another threat was necessary. Dis
covering the door Of Del Orti's house
half open, he decided that the skull
and crossbones, which he had drawn
In red ink this time, would be much
more effective II left on the counter
than IL pushed under the door, as he
had been in the habit of doing. So
he stepped cautiously inside the door
and was lost from sight of the police,
VI n III
Immediately the signal was given and
there was a concerted rush from five
different directions. Giovanni heard
them coming, made a break for the
door and managed to get through be-
fore they pounced upon him. In fact,
he was half way down the block,
breathing hard and white with fright
when they pounced upon him.
don't know what Giovanni wanted
to do with that $1,000. He was Is
years old and maybe he wanted to
marry on 1t. That is one way to get
rid Of $1,000. Or perhaps he con-
templated Canal street fruit stand.
/ was told that 1t was to pay for the
passage Of his mother from Naples,
but he would hardly have required 30
much as $1,000 for that. Maybe he
wanted the fruit stand too. It ap-
pears that he came over with his
father in the steerage Of an immi-
grant ship and his father died of
tuberculosis. He told his father be-
fore he died that he could make
enough money selling papers and
shining shoes to send for his mother
But he didn't.
At any rate he was taken back to
Del Ortfs house, where they tried to
wake up Del Orti, so that he might
|f,,tn nrtJa ka no f,, D,,kT Tal
Orti could not be awakened, for rea-
sons already given, and they thought
1t best to put handouts on the boy.
He protested his innocence Of the
murder, but his tears were Of no
avail against the circumstantial evi-
dence. True, there was some discrep-
ancy between the police report Of the
time that Giovanni entered the house
and the time that Del Orti and his
wife had been dead, as brought out
In the coronor's inquest. But this was
passed over in the press Of prosecu-
ton, and the upshot Of 1t was that the
boy was sent to the state penitentiary
for life. There his Tuberculosis,
which he had contracted from his
father set in before he was 20 years
old. An effort was made to have him
pardoned, but death intervened be-
fore anything was done in the mat
ter.
All this was told to me by an old
market woman who was a good
friend Of Magdelina Leconcavallo be-
fore the ghosts got after her. One
was Del Orti, with knife wound In
his heart; one was Del Orti's wife,
with a wild look in her eyes. and one
was the boy Giovanni I guess 1t was
Giovanni who followed her to the
state insane asylum, always at her
side. pleading with her to free him
from his chains, from the handouts.
But she never did, and she died, too.
and crossbones on her gaunt bosom
(once so soft and with black hand
gripping at her throat.-New Orleans
Picayune