The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-12
FIRED SHOT IN
 SELF DEFENSE
 SAYS ACCUSED
DiMartino Declares He Feared Caputo Had Pow erful Weapon and There fore He Killed Barber.

Hear Dapper Drug Clerk s Version of Killing
 of July 13.
 Why did you shoot Caputo?' was the question asked Amelio DiMartino
 in the criminal superior court this af- | ternoon.
 Thinking he had weapon more powerful than mine. Thinking he had | cut a mans face in Brooklyn and might cut a man in Bridgeport, l was afraid of him. was the reply of the man accused of murdering Enrico | Caputo.
 To illustrate the plea of self defense 1 put forward by Attorneys DeF,orest & l Klein for the accused, all interpreter
 was told to stand in front of the wit ness stand and DiMartino. was in- structed to show how Caputo had grabbed him just before the shooting. 1 The accused almost leaped over the railing and seized the interpreter so violently by the shoulders that the latter had difficulty in keeping his balance. N Altogether the testimony of DiMar- tino4 was the feature of the morning
 session. The accused is a well groom ed little man. He was neatly dress ed in dark blue suit today. His small mustache waxed with great pre- cision. In response to questions by counsel DiMartino told his life his- | tory from the time he went to school with Mrs Caputo in Italy until the night of the murder. July 13 last. The accused was self possessed at all l times. On several occasions he show 1 ed irritation at what he apparently I regarded as foolish questions and his replies were rather sharp in tone. DiMartino,s story of the events of | the evening of July 13 showed that testified that after finishing his work | at the Royal Equipment Go. at 6 o'clock he went to Caputo's house on Center street but found the house locked A neighbor, Mrs. Casey, in- formed him that Mrs Caputo had gone out without hat so the accused walked to Caputo's barber shon on Main street. Mrs Caputo was there and the accused asked her to wash his shirt. The woman's' husband inter rupted and asked, Why, haven't you got the laundry?" The accused re- piled. You know well. enough that I | haven't got the money"
 ! Caputo continued. Don't you under stand that I don't want you at my house. If I find you there Ell throw you out the window" Alter some | further dispute Caputo said he would send for DiMartinos belongings but he didn't want the accused at his 1 house. DiMartino then went out and walked to Dupee's drug store where he met a friend named Tom and bor- rowed 15 cents. With the money he went to the Waldorf lunch room and | bought sandwich and a cup of cof- | fee. After eating his lunch the ac- cused walked north on Main street and found Caputo's barber shop clos ed. He met the barber, his wife and two | children walking toward their home Caputo if he had brought DiMartino's I things. Receiving negative reply l the accused volunteered to go to the
 house and get them.
 l T don't want you to come to my house You're not fit person. de clared Caputo. The accused remark | ed, that he had been a fit person to live there about nine months Capu- l to then came closer. "If you come to | my house I'll throw you out of the l window. he shouted. DiMartino tes- tified that the barber was excited and was screaming. Caputo handed bag to his wife and grabbed the accused l by the shoulder. DiMartino said he was frightened and believing that the barber had a more powerful weapon, he shot Caputo. He didn't remember how many shots were fired. The di- rect examination was finished just be- fore the l o'clock recess.
 When DiMartinO first took the stand l he stated that he was born in Italy | and came to this country in 1905. He went to school with Mrs. Caputo to 1 whom he is distantly related. While DiMartino was attending college. Mrs. 1 Caputo went to this country. The ac- cused arrived in this city in 191O He 1 first met Mrs. Caputo when he had
 been here about two months. DiMar
 l tino had gone to board at the barbers 1 house and lived there until about | three weeks before the murder
 1 He declared he and Caputo were on | friendly terms until he was elected l from the barber's home three weeks 1 before the shooting. The accused had l frequently gone out with Mrs. Caputo l in the day time and had taken her | to moving picture shows. The wom- ans husband sometimes went on these | trips. The prisoner left the Caputo hbme because of a dispute he had with the barber's wife. DiMartino | had accused her and another boarder of l talking about him and when Caputo | heard of the trouble he ordered Di- | Martino from the house.
 Attorney Klein asked the prisoner about his revolver. DiMartino said | he had become fond of firearms while ] in the Italian army and had purchas- | ed pistol when he arrived in Brook | 1yn. He afterwards exchanged this weapon, which was 32 calibre. for one | of g calibre. When he worked in an | East Side drug store he carried the weapon. The prisoner said the arti- I cles he left at. Caputos house after he had been elected consisted of his mothers picture, an overcoat and shirt 1 Former Deputy Sheriff Louis Rich ards testified regarding talk with I Caputo at the hospital. The barber knew he was about to die. He told how DiMartino had shot him and then said. My wife is not bad. She is a good woman. But DiMartino is -"
 The defense put on Dr. Morris GfeeBstefn formerly of the emergency hospital staff. Dr. Greenstein was on duty when DiMartino was arrested. He examined the accused and said there were powder marks on the mans body On cross examination states Attorney Judson exhibited to the jury the garments worn by DiMartino. He said showed that there were no pow der marks on the clothes and wanted to know how the powder could have marked the, body when there was no diseoloration of the clothes The wit ness couldn't account for it but he rxnHftfxrn a borrf hn rSorU<cr- ma