The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-14
BIG ROBBERY CHARGE SAID
 TO BE FAKE!
Sensational Accusation of False Arrest Made in
 City Court

tive from New York Jus
 tice Claims He Is Victim
 of Plot-Property Dis
 pute Involved.
 That the courts of both New YorI and Connecticut are being duped tha a trumped up charge may be pressed against an innocent man, so that tht author of the charge may profit in z financial way by the incarceration ot the accused, was the purport of a sen. sational speech made in the city court today by Attorney Henry Greenstein when Andrew Troppani. a res, ,aurat- eur, of this city, was arraigned as g fugitive from justice.
 Troppani's accuser fs his own broth er-in-law, Rocco Scianno,, 317 70,h street. Brooklyn. The two are in ment of Scianno's late wife's property She was the sister of Troppani. Bad blood has existed for some time.
 Late yesterday Detective Robert Malcom of Brooklyn. reached Bridge port with a warranr issued by Magis- trate Dodd of the 9th district court Brooklyn, alleging that Troppani was guilty of the theft of four horses. four trucks, several sets of harness and came Scianno They told their story at police headquarters, and Detective Sergeant Cronan. dispatched with Malcom to locate Troppani, ar rested him at restaurant with which he has been connected for several years, at Al Water street.
 According to the story of Detective who gathered the evidence to the arrest of Troppani. a man entered the barn of scianno. Fri day morning about 4 o'clock. A night watchman started to protest against the intrusion when the prowler drew 8 pistol and with a threat effectually silenced the guardian of Scianno's s property.
 The horses and trucks were taken put in jig time Scianro was furious on discovery of the loss Of his prop erty. and the police arrested the night as a suspicious character. He was held until yesterday pending the further investigation of the strange theft, but not until then. the police say, though he knew Troppani, lid he divulge the identity of the cul- prit Then he accused Tropanni of having committed the theft.
 Scianno is a powerful fellow, more than six feet tall and broad in pro- portion. He tore around like mad man, the police sey when the name of his relative was coupled with the disappearance of the property and at once took steps to have him appre- nended.
 Troppani protested his innocence. He slept in cell over night and this
 h4 sy, ~< was represented by Attorney Henry 3reenstein.
 Judge Wilder received the warrant issued by Magistrate Dodd, then ask ed if Troppani was the man indicated
 nthe warrant. There was no dis putting that fact. Then Attorney 1reenstein asked the court to hear him on the question of fixing a bond tor the prisoner.
 It was at this juncturef that he forth into his sensational accusation of Scianno whom he stig- natized in no uncertain terms. He accused Scianno of having forced his wife on her death bed to make will eaving all her property to him., when t was her wish that Troppani should nave a part of the property. There are pending, said Greenstein, legal actions in which Troppani is gravely interested, for the possession of cer- ain of his dead sisters property scianno feared Troppani's presence in Ireenstein, and for that reason rumped up the charge. made the New York authorities believe the tale, md secured the warrant.
 ''But this case will never come to rial," declared Greenstein. 'I my elf will testify-for we intend to lght this case-that this man Trop- ,ani- was in my office in Bridgeport n the day this theft was committed n Bridgeport. He was in my office very day last week, sometimes three nd four times a day. I know posi- ively, absolutely. that he is inno- ent"
 Prosecutor Redden pointed out that le might have returned to Bridgeport fter committing the crime early Fri lay morning in Brooklyn. "But it would have to be one of the quickest rimes on record retorted Green tein.
 Counsel verged toward acrimonious ispute when Judge Wilder inter 'osed. He said the only question be- ore him was whether the man under rrest was the man for whom the Iew York magistrate notified him the .overnor of New York was about to f Connecticut Further than that, e said he had no right to inquire, ven admitting that all the circum- tances advanced by Attorney Green tein were found to be true.
 He held the accused under bail of 2,0OO as fugitive, continued the ase for 30 days and notified counsel hat should the requisition be perfect d before that time, he would sit on he case.
 Troppani burst into violent fit of obbing in the prisoners pen while protested against the 1an's prosecution. But any sympathy nat might have aroused or any effect might have had towards Judge vilder's fixing small bond, was off, ct when Prosecutor Redden recalled he fact that about a year ago Trop- ami, after pistol duel in Water treet in which he was the aggressor. ad failed to appear for trial in the uperior court
 Troppani's wife waiting outside the ourt room, rained maledictions upon cianno as he issued from the court oom with the Brooklyn detective. is 3S years old. He lives at 76 Main street.
 Should the accused insist upon all is rights, Governor Baldwin may ap- oint a commissioner to take testi- | lony before the requisition of the l lew York executive is honored. At 1 ,rney Greenstein stated in court that | e proposed to have 8 hearing be- l ore the governor before he would | How his client as a resident of Con- ecticut, to be forced into New York l ate on the robbery charge.