The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-03-16
al BANDITS ON TRIAL
MOST NOTABLE PROSECUTION IN
HISTORY OF ITALY.
Light May Be Thrown on Murder
of Gotham Detective
Lieutenant.

Camorra, which has terrorized Italy
for many years, has begun. A jury
WAS secured more readily than had
been anticipated, and Cavalierc
Bianchi, president Of the court chosen
by the ministry of justice to preside
opened the interrogation Of the &C
cused. He limited his question to ar
inquiry into their personal records.
The prisoners are charged with the
assassination of fellow members in the
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. 1t is believed that evidence
will be brought out that will throw
light upon the assassination Of the
American detective, Lieutenant Joseph
P~etrosino, at Palermo, in March; 1909,
after he had been sent to Italy by the
New York police department to ecu
information regarding Italian crimi.
nails.
1t was Petrosino who arrested En-.
rico Alfano, better known as Erricone.
the alleged actual head of the Ca
mora, after the latter had fled to
New York City.
Sleuth Was Marked Man.
The American officer sent Erricone
back to Europe and he was taken into
custody at Havre. Petrosino's death
is believed to have been the price paid
for running down the man who for
years had defied the authorities of his
own country.
The murders of the Cuoccolos fol.
lowed by revelations made by one OF
the Camorrists, Gennaro Abbatemag,
gio, resulted in the present prosecu.
ton, which was ordered by King Vic.
tor Emmanuel and presented by Sig,
nor FAM. the minister of justice.
An enormous crowd gathered in the
vicinity of the former church of San
Francesca which has been transformed
into a court of the a~ssiZes. Other
crowds surrounded the medieval
monastery of Gradi, now a penitentiary
where all except two of the prisoners
have been confined, and the prison OF
San Lupara, in which the informer
Abbattemaggio and the one woman
prisoner, Maria Stenardo, have been
held.
There was much excitement when
the ans transporting the accused ap.
peared from under the arched doors of
the prison. The procession proceeded
TO 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
of each van were seated a policeman
and a %carbineer. Another solder sat
just inside the door. Mounted car.
bineers surrounded each van. When
the doors of the court were opened
as many of the crowd as could rushed
IN occupying every available place.
The crowd in the square before the
| court building was so great that a
company Of infantry was called out
to reinforce the carbineers and police
in maintaining order.
Priest Sits by Prisoners.
Within the attention of the onlook-
ers was absorbed by the appearance
and behavior Of the prisoners. Giro
Vitozzi, the priest, who once secured
Erricone's freedom by telling the au
thorities that another man had con.
fessed to the murders under the seal
of the confessional, was allowed, when
the proceedings opened, to sit outside
the prisoners cage. Abbatemaggio
was permitted the distinction of being
the only one of the prisoners to go
from prison to cou without hand.
cuffs.
When the jury had been sworn
President Bianchi questioned the pris.
oners closely concerning their careers.
This examination concluded, a mass OF
documents were presented by Caval
Zero S~antero, kings procurator, who
has charge of the prosecution.
The most interesting paper which
figured in today's proceedings was a
report from the New York police de.
partment concerning the arrest of Er.
ricone in that city and what the Amer,
lean detectives have been able to learn
about him and his associates. The re.
port was signed by Joseph P~etrosino.
The defendants originally numbered
40 nR 49, 49,
have been released under surveillance
and one, Giro Alfano. a brother of Err
ricone, died in prison.
Three hundred and thirty witnesses
for the state were offered and 600 fol-
the defense. The court ruled that onl,
$50 of the latter should be called.
AlJGHES vii INNE SrtHAr