Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1911-01-13
Superior Court.

short calendar session held at p. M,
Monday, Marcus II. Holcomb, Judge,
q great deal of interest was manifested
when States Attorney Charles T..
Searls stated that I'm the case Of State
VS. Sabatino D'Amato, who stood In.
dicted for murder In the first degree,
the accused was prepared to change
his plea Of not guilty to the charge Of
murder In the first degree to q plea OF
guilty on the charge OF manslaughter,
and that rs the state was utterly nn-
able to prove any malice aforethought,
the States Attorney was willing to &C.
cept such \ plea. Continuing his ex-
PLANTATION of the attitude of the State,
Mr.. Searls said:
This man was indicted by the
grand jury for the crime OF murder In
the first degree for the death of one
Angelo Ramelli, which occurred In
Putnam On the nth day Of October last.
Now, as | understand 1t, the facts
which think the State can prove II
the case should come to trial are these:
This man who was killed (Ramelli1
was working here In Putnam in the
construction Of sewer, and among
the other men so employed here was
DAmato, the accused person, who
was boss In charge Of construction
gang of Italians at the time.
ION the evening In question, these
persons met, that is, the person who
was killed, man by the name of Co
lossi, a brother of the man who was
killed, | think brother Of D,Amato
and possibly one or two other Italians,
about o'clock, at the boarding house
where D'Amato lodged. They were
there some time and during their stay
there, they drank some beer. Whether
they drank anything stronger, do
not know. Finally, about 7.30 In the
evening, they left. | do not under
stand that they left together, but the
man xho was killed. his brother. and
colossi left first, and later the accused
and one or two other Italians left.
Their object was to go to the moving
picture show which was being present.
ed that evening. As they came out Of
the lodging house, upon the main
street Of Putnam. Elm street, ~ II Is
called, certain people occupying houses
near the place heard loud talking In
Italian, more or less discussion or use
Of words, the purport Of which they
did not understand, and that Is about
all the English-speaking witnesses
know about 1t. Taking, however, the
testimony as II has been given TO US by
I the brother Of this murdered man and
the testimony of Colossi, II would sp.
pear that after they met In the street
and had this talk, whatever II may
have been, some trouble arose. | do
not know what. There Is no evidence
In the possession of the State as to
what 1t was exactly, but there were
words between the man who disappear
ed Immediately after the killing, some
words between him and I think the
brother of the murdered man. Any
way, after that II Is uncertain what
did take place. 1t was all over In the
twinkiing Of m eye. The accused
drew . razor and cut the man who
died. Struck him somewhere In the
neck, severing or partially severing the
jugular vein. Later the man WAS
taken to the hospital and died. Then,
Immediately after the killing, Ferroc-
CT, the man who ran away, and the ac-
cused walked off together and Ferrocci
went away, and the accused was after
wards arrested. The injured man was
taken into the office of DR.. Russell !,
near where the killing took place, but
he refused TO permit the doctor TO ex-
anime him. The doctor did not see
the injury at all, the man having
something over the cut checking the
flow of blood, and after being a few
minutes In the Office OF DR.. Russell he
was taken TO the hospital in an auto
mobile and lived until the next day.
| suppose his death was due to loss of
blood, but ii was, OF course, primarily
due 10 the injury he received that
night.
THAT Is an outline Of the transac-
ton, and going q little more into
detail, land 1 want ~ be absolutely
fair TO the accused rs we'll ~ 70 pre-
sent the interests OF the State properly
there had been no quarrel between the
dead man and the accused prior TO
that evening that the State knows Of.
Whatever occurred that evening the
State has not enough knowledge Of
any quarrel which would justify . kill
ling. These men had undoubtedly
been drinking, and whether they were
under the influence OF liquor, do not
know. 30 that the state, as l realized
when suggested the acceptance Of =
plea OF manslaughter, was confronted
with . total absence OF motive. The
net was evidently done In the heat Of
passion and the defendant, with his
razor In his pocket, drew It out, and
instead Of striking With his list or Z
bludgeon, - . man Of some other mn
tionality would have done, he used
the weapon which l understand u
COMMONLY ussd BY the Italian saee.
snow the accused, perhaps ought
| To eay. II Z man II exeelIout seputa
| Hon. H han hnan many xnnfn In TN