Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-03-21
Al BLAckHAADERs on TRIAL
MOST NOTABLE PROSECUTION IN
HISTORY OF ITALY.
Light May Be Thrown on Murder
Of Gotham Detective
Lieutenant.

viterbo. Italy. March 13.-The trial
of the Al members of the Neapolitau
Camorra, which has terrorized Italy
for many years, has begun. A jury
was secured more readily than had
been anticipated, and Cavaliero
Rianchi. president Of the court chosen
by the ministry Of justice to preside.
opened the interrogation of the &C.
cused. He limited his question to an
inquiry into their personal records.
The prisoners are charged with the
assassination of fellow members in tho
Camorra, Gennaro Cuoccolo and his
wife, Maria Cutinelli Cuoccolo. popu.
larly known as the Beautiful Sor.
rentina." Behind this charge are al.
legations of numberless murders and
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
eminent is to rid the country of this
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.
nals.
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 to
New York City.
SIeuth Was Marked Man.
The American officer sent Erricone
back to Europe and he was taken into
custody at Havre. Petrosino's death
10 believed to have been the price paid
for running down the man who for
years had defied the authorities of his
Dwn country.
The murders Of the Cuoccolos fol.
lowed by revelations made by one Of
the Camorrists, Gennaro Abbatemag
gio, resulted in the present prosecu-
lion, which was ordered by King Vic
Tor Emmanuel and presented by Sig.
nor FAM. the minister Of justice.
An enormous crowd gathered in the
Of the former church of San
francesca which has been transformed
into a court Of the assizes. Other
crowds surrounded the medieval
of Gradi, now penitentiary
where all except two of the prisoners
have been confined, and the prison of |
San Lupara, in which the informer |
and the one woman
prisoner, Maria Stenardo, have been
held.
There was much excitement when
The vans transporting the accused ap-
oeared from under the arched doors of
he prison. The procession proceeded
o 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
II each van were seated policeman.
ind carbineer. Another solder sat
ust inside the door. Mounted car
,ineers surrounded each van. When
he doors Of the court we're opened
10 many of the crowd az could rushed
n occupying every available place.
The crowd in the square before the
court building was SO great that
company of infantry was called out
o reinforce the carbineers and police
a maintaining order.
Priest Sits b. Prisoners.
Within the attention Of the onlook-
rs was absorbed by the appearance
md behavior Of the prisoners. Giro
1itozzi. the priest, who once secured
srricone's freedom by telling the au.
horities that another man had con-
essed to the murders under the seal
# the confessional, was allowed, when
he proceedings opened, to sit outside
he prisoners cage. Abbatemaggio
vas permitted the distinction of being
he only one Of the prisoners to 90
rom prison to court without hand.
uffs. {
When the jury had been sworn
resident Bianchi questioned the pris-
ners closely concerning their careers.
his examination concluded, mass Of
comments were presented by Caval-
BRO Santero, kings procurator, who
as charge Of the prosecution.
The most interesting paper which
cured in today's proceedings was
eport from the New York police de-
concerning the arrest of En-.
cone in that city and what the Amer