Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-06
PRIEST, s0BB|NG,
UPSETS COURT IN
CAMORR!sT TRIAL
Protests lnnOcense; Says He
Knows Evil Only as Ser
want of the Church.

VITERBO, Italy, April Giro VII
tozzi. the priest, who weepingly pleaded
that he had celebrated masses for the
repose of the soul of the murdered
King Humbert. was called in the Court
of Assizes to day to explain how misery
had acquainted him with such strange
bed-fellows as Erricone, the usurer;
Rapi, the gambler, and others of the
band of thieves and c~ut-throats who
made up the Neapolitan Camorra.
Throughout my life said the pris-
onef, 81 have been a good priest, but
priests, more than others, come in con-
tact with the good and evil. The priest
hood is intended to combat what is bad
and thus we know it."
Forced to suspend Court.
Vitozzi could not, or would not, con-
troll his emotions, and, aided by his at
torney, who interrupted with counter
charges against the carabineers. caused
! such an uproar in the court that Presi-
dent Bianchi was forced to suspend the
sitting.
The priest, when summoned to the
bar, advanced slowly, leaning on his
| cane. At his elbow was his physician,
| who explained to the court that he
| would have to give his patient frequent
stimulants to save him from fainting.
Nevertheless, the prisoner spoke in q
| strong voice, in the tone of the
preacher. He proclaimed himself inno-
| cent, expressing surprise that the fact
that he was the godfather of Erricone
should have been used against him. He
had never done wrong and knew evil
only as a servant of the church must
know 1t, in order to fight 1t successfully
Appeal to Queen Mother Useless.
when I was arrested" he con-
tinued. 81 petitioped the queen mother,
recalling TO her mind that at the time
of King Hlmbert's assassination L
celebrated masses for the repose of his
soul for eight days. l also asked Queen
Helena fer my release because / was
i'll. Instead of attracting compassion 1
was sent to the prison hospital" The
remembrance of his experience was too
much for "the guardian angel of the
Camorra,' and he sobbed violently.
The President exhorted him to be calm,
but the more The justice exhorted the
more the prisoner wept.
When NltOZZl REFERRED 10 a WoHidu
companion of Err1ccne's brother Giro,
who died in Jail, Erricone rose, and in
a voice charged with emotion, asked
permission of the court to leave the
room. The President ruled: "Erricone
is a man and must show his strength.
It is impossible to allow him to leave
the court every time that the name of
his dead brother is mentioned"
Erricone Allowed to Leave Room.
Erricone, however, explained that 1t
was not the hearing of his brothers
name that got IN his nerves, but that
he did not wish to be present when
reference was made to the woman
whose name had been linked with that
of poor, innocent Giro" The Presi-
dent permitted him to withdraw In the
| custody of carabineers.
At this point Signor P~istolesi, attor-
ney for Vitozzi. broke in with the as
sertion that the witnesses against his
client had been bought and that he
could prove it. This brought forth
denials from the prosecution, and in
the hubbub that followed the session
was adjourned.