The Washington herald., 1911-09-13

man. He proposes, they believe, to con-
sistently deny all knowledge of the
crime. defy his captors to link their evil
dence, and then trust to the very last
that his stubborn denial will make of him
a Jean Valjean-an honest man who suf-
fers because Of the cruelty OF law.
That the big ex-soldier is not all stone
was shown yesterday afternoon when his
wife-now approaching the narrow edge
Of destitution, visited him with their
youngest child at the Jail. Melano, who
had laughed at the third degree of
fifteen detectives; Melano. the calm and
imperturbable, reached through the bars
and for a moment held his little child
He kissed II and turning to his wife as
sured her that he would be free in q
little while" Between the two the bond
of affection evidently is deep. And the
wife is foremost OF all in the belief that
Melano is innocent
Sarcastic and Sorry.
So far Melano has been an ideal pris-
oner. The fear of conviction has not yet
entered his head, and when he is ques-
toned as to the crime he becomes slight
ly sarcastic. He speaks considerably of
the family OF the dead boy, says he is
sorry for them in their hour of grief and
politely regrets that they should suspect
him-"Tony. the Soemaker by Trade
Of having killed little Harry.
Much of the strength. as we'll of the
weakness of the governments case
against Tony Melano was developed at
the coroner's inquest yesterday morning
when a jury ordered that he be held for
the murder of Harry Smith. Two oc-
currences that showed how much the
whole case depends on trifies. The first
no
old boy, living at 1854 street south
west. and Mrs. Frances c. Hooper, liv-
ing opposite Melano, admitted that they
could not positively IDENTIFY Melano.
The Ahmay boys testimony was the
more complete. But he admitted he had
stood in front of the shoemaker's shop
only moment; that while two lightning
blows were struck. and had at once
fed to his brothers home. The conten-
ton Of the defense from this is that it
might be any man as we'll as Melano
who struck the blows.
Counsel Is Confident.
Attorney James F. Kelly. represent
ing the Italian. refused to show his hand
before the coroner's jury. contenting
himself with a simple questioning of the
witnesses called.
The man can easily be acquitted" he
said after the inquest, but il is impos-
sIble at this time to explain why His
defense will be logical, reasonably con-
vinCing of his innocence"
The police rejoiced when Attorney Kel-
ly failed TO obtained from Maggie
Melano, six-year-Old daughter of the pri-
soner, the admission that II was with
her that Tony had Quarreled just before
she went out for gasoline. Had the de-
fense been able to prove this-had it
been able to show that MelanO really
had had a quarrel and struck his wife
or child. the case of the Districts de-
tectives would be probably weakened.
Earl Ahmay might easily be a few min
utes oct OF the way in his time. He says
he saw the blow struck at $50. MelanO
sent for gasoline a s. on Saturday even
ing II in the moments before Maggie
Melano went for the gasoline a quarrel had
occurred, Earl Ahmay might have seen
this quarrel, and the real murder might
have occurred earlier or later with abso-
lutely no witnesses to ii. This would
tend to strengthen Melano's story OF his
red headed man
Sister First witness.
Miss Myrtle Smith was the first wit
ness. II was she who had identified
her brothers mangIed, charred body
Then came Fireman Frank Hillman, of
Engine Company. No. 6. who had dis
covered the lads body in the shoe
makes's shop Fire Marshal Nicholson
was next. with Edwin Slatterly the fifth
witness.
II was while this lad was telling of his
meeting with the Smith boy and Miss
Mary a. Radeloff, the woman in yell
low who had brought Harry into the
drug store of DR. Slattery. that Miss
Myrtle Smith sprang upon MelanO four
seats away from her.
She had quietly made her way into the
room as the lad ended his statement
with:
That was the last I saw Of Harry
Smith"
An instant later the court room was in
an uproar. The slender girl had sprung
like a panther at the throat of the
Italian. and, though men tritd to break
her hold, forced her fingers into the
muscles of his neck until he reeled back
ward, his face contorted by pain. For
the few moments that she attacked him
the girl seemed possessed OF superhuman
strength. and it was not until she had
been taken from the room that she COM
pletely collapsed.
The other witnesses were Edward
Schmid, Charles Casseil, a companion of
the Slattery boy; TiIden McCurry, who
also was in the drug store; Miss Frances
Hooper, Mrs. Matilda Claggett, Deputy
Coroner White, who performed the au-
topsy, and Detective Cornwall.
Politics of G. o. p. Brand.