The Washington herald., 1911-09-11

the Italian in an effort to break down his
story regarding the loan OF his cobbler
shop to a red-headed man, a pale and
delicate-looking lad of fifteen years,
cripging with fear of the BLACK Hand
and the "Mafia,'' walked into police head
quarters and became the central figure
Of the mystery.
1t was Earle Ahmay. who had witnessed
the MURDER
Accompanied by his father, George H.
Ahmay. a general contractor, of 1854 F
street southwest, the boy went TO police
headquarters about o'clock last night.
His story was a revelation to the de-
tectives and corrOborated in detail the
story of Mrs. Cora Hooper, who told the
police earlier in the day that she had
seen a man strike a boy or girl in the
shop about $50 o'clock Saturday after
noon.
Il was afraid to tell the police any
thing about the Italian" the boy said,
because I am afraid of those italian So
cieties
Afraid of Detectives.
Il told my brother. Edwin Almay. who
Melano keeps the shoe repair shop. that
1 saw a man beating some one. He passed
1t off by declaring tha. It was possibly a
man beating his wife Now I am afraid
to say anything to you," the boy added.
eyeing the detectives suspiciOusly.
Go on, son. interpOsed the lads
father. Tell these men just what you
saw and all about what you did before
and after seeing it
The boy told the following story:
II went to visit my brother, who lives
near the shoe shop, yesterday. About
$50 o'clock he sent me to a laundry to get
a bundle he had left there earlier in the
week. In going to the laundry 1 had to
pass the repair shop. do not know the
man who keeps II and never saw him
before
LAS 1 passed the door Of the place
heard a scream. which sounded as if II
came from a boy or a woman. 1t was
too weak 10 have been uttered by a man.
I stood still and looked into the place.
I was very much frightened and would
have run, but my legs would not move.
l saw a man bending over another per-
son. He was in his shirt sleeves and the
person whom he was beating looked as
If he was trying TO get out of the grasp
Of the man.
II thought that the one being beaten
was a girl. but this might have been
caused by the mans apron. I would not
say positively that the man had on an
apron. but l know that shoemakers wear
aprons and knowing that the place was
a shoe shop, thought that the man beat
ing the other person was a shoemaker.
Victim Sank to Floor.
Hardly had I stopped in front of the
shop when the man suddenly stopped
beating the other person with the strap
or piece Of wood that he held in his
band and picked up a piece of steel.
can't say that the instrument was a
steel hammer, because I wasn't near
enough. Then the man brought the in
strument down with full force on the
crouching form of the other person.
The person struck sank to the floor with
feeble groans.
Then the man, whose back had been
turned to me all the time while l looked
on, suddenly faced about and looked
through the door. The door leading into
the shop was open, and the man looked
straight into my face. I was very much
and tried to scream, but
Finally 1 managed to run away. The /
man who struck the other person was
a dark looking italian. That is, he
looked like an italian. He looked as If |
he had a black mustaChe. Curled up at |
the ends. 1 don't know whether OF not |
could recognize him again by the fact |
that he wore a mustaChe, but I'm sure |
I could tell him if I ever saw his eyes, |
because he kept them on me until 1 |
was many feet away from the place. I |
didn't look behind after I got out of |
sight. I ran all the way to the laun- |
dry, and went all around the square TO |
return to my brothers house.
1t was about s o'clock last night that |
he net of the police frightened around |
Tony Melano. Two messenger boys /
were taken to the Sixth precinct and |
stated that he appeared 10 be the man |
who at l o'clock Sunday morning had !
fred a revolver at Eighth street and |
Maryland avenue northeast. Their iden- |
ificatiOn was vague. but served to |
strengthen the conviction of the police |
hat Melano was not in bed, as he said |
lie was, after midnight.
Then came half a dozen Of Melano's |
to inform the police that he |
vas supposed to be a bad man, "a gun |
man. and a man who feared nothing. |
Among these was Angelo Bombresto, who |
stated he had feared the Italian for |
'ears. Soon afterward il developed that |
foe threats had been sworn out |
or Melano on February 9, 1910, by James |
". Vanvrdst, of AIS Pennsylvania ave- |
lue, who claimed the Italian had declared |
lie would shoot him on sight.
And through It all the Italian did not |
ose his calm. When his brother, Ralph |
Melano, Of Baltimore, hurried to the |
title cell where he was confined. Tony |
net him with the same cheerful smile. |
rhe brother, who honestly, believes Tony
offered to pay whatever was
leeded and will make an effort to have
lin released on bail.
IT know he didn't kill that boy" said
he brother. He was too brave a man.
lie wasn't the kind Of a man who would