Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-29
TELLS Of MURDER
Abbatemaggio Describes Death
of CuoccoIo and Wife.
BETRAYED MEMBERS
Enrico Alfano, Head of Order, Also
Jealous Of Victims Power.
MONEY PAID TO ASSASSINS
Amount Equal to $500 Divided, Wit
ness Says-Informer Cursed
by Associates.
BETRAYEDOTHER MEMBERS
MONEY PAID TO ASSASSINS

| VI ER6O, Italy, MarCn J.-GennarO
Abbatemaggio. the confessed Camorrist
continued his revelations at todays ses-
sion of the trial of himself and thirty
five associates for the murder of Gen
marc Cuoccolo, and the Iatter's wife. the
beautiful Sorrentina.
Strictly speaking. Abbatemaggio' rev
Citations are nothing more than side
lights in confirmation of his original story
as told to the authorities and published
| before the trial began. In his formal
sta tement the informer told how Cuoccolo
| had been murdered because he betrayed
other members Of the Camorra, and also
because there was jealousy of his In
| creaSing power on the part of Enr1cO All
| fano. the actual head Of the body. and
other leaders.
Cuoccolo's wife was killed to conceal
the first crime Under the questioning
| Of President Bianchi and aided by sug-
gestions from Cavallere Santero, the
crown prosecutor Abbatemaggio to-
day recalled incidents Of the crime not
included in his written confession.
Asked about the $500 which had been
paid to the assasins of the Cuoccolos.
the informer replied that Alfano had
| divided the money, giving $50 to the
witness and distributing the remainder
| among the actual assaSsins. Ferdi-
nando di Matteo. one Of the assassins.
protested against the giving Of so large
| a share to Abbatemaggio. who had not
participated in the killings, but he was
silenced with wink from Alfano. Alb
batemaggio saw the wink and under
stood its meaning. =
Knew Their Secrets.
His associates were aware that he
| knew too many OF their secrets and
| could betray them al any moment. Ac-
| cording1y no sum Of money was too
! great to pay for his silence until the
| opportunity came to put him out of
the way as they had disposed of
Abbatemaggio realized the feeling to-
ward him, and this, together with a, re-
vival of honest impulses. induced him to
make the first revelations, which were
followed by a determination to tell all
and so redeem himself.
| President Bianchi has received re-
quest from Judge Frank C. Laughlin of
| the appellate division of the supreme
court Of New York state that he be per-
mitted to be present during next weeks
proceedings.
| Abbatemaggio's examination was inter-
rupted today by Corrado Sortino, one of
those alleged to have killed the Cuocco-
los. who asserted that the informer had
declared that sortino's brother was a
member of the Camorra. Rising from his
seat in the prisoners cage, Sortno
shouted:
LAG Z doScu III SOUTL.
you are a liar. My brother is one of
the worlds greatest sculptors. He lives
in Paris, where he is the intimate OF no.
tables"
This gave excuse for a tumult. the other
prisoners and their lawyers crying out:
| "AbbatemaggiO is a calumniatOr."
The informer, recognizing trick to i'm
pair his testimony, raised his voice above
the chorus, yelling:
II never said that Sortino's brother
was q CamOrriSt."
dent was compelled to suspend the sitting.
| The policy OF the accused is to catch
| Abbatemaggio In contradictions or I'M
truths, II only in secondary matters, and
SO discredit his whole story.
| AbbatemaggiO was on the witness stand
yesterday for five hOursp giving testimony
against his former associates. Finally he
| became so fatigued that he asked for an
adjournment so that he might rest He
was roundly denounced by the furious
prisoners in the cage.
Describes Own Criminal Record.
Abbatemaggfo described at great length
| his own criminal life, and finally recount
ed in detail the circumstances leading to
| the murder of Cuoccolo. He said that
| Nicola Nora had proposed the murder,
| and that Giovanni Rapi had insisted upon
| HUI ouIN inc I0uTuc1 OIL SuOcCOIO, nut also
CuoccOlO's wife, and had put 900 francs
| at the disposal of the assassins, to be
certain that there would be no failure
| He insisted further that two men be sent
| to kill the woman, one to smother her
| cries. as the house in which she resided
was directly opposite police office.
The excitement, which throughout had
| been intense. broke all bounds when Abb
batemaggio asked for postponement.
The prisoners jumped to their feet and
shook their fists at the witness.
Rapi called out:
1T is not your foot from which you
| suffer: it is fear
| Nicola Merra exclaimed: II never saw
a greater coward
"He isn't man; he Is a photograph"
cried Erricone, the chief of the Camorra,
abiding to a report that German COM
pany had urged Abbatemaggio to per-
NIT records of his testimony to be taken.
| De MariniS shouted: THE monograph
begins to be out of tune
Abbatemaggio was then led out by
strong guard, followed by the curses of
| the prisoners.