The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-21
YOUNG GIRLS STORY
GAVE HER FREEDOM
PouItney Girl Told Court That She Was
Defending Herself When She
Shot Man in Her Home.

Poultney, March 2l.--Miss Carmela
Covina of this village, aged II years,
who has been in Rutland county jail
since March u on the charge Of the
murder of Luigi Vermllo. aged IS years,
whom she shat oil February ID while
they were alone il the house Of DOM
mic Covina, the girls father on the
ground that he attempted to felonious-
| ~ assault her was yesterday afternoon
discharged by City Judge Fred q. Swim
merton Of Rutland ON the ground that
the girl acted in self defense. There
was long hearing in the case at the
Office OF w. H. Rowland, counsel for the
respondent. Attorney General John g.
Sargent OF Ludlow and States Attor-
ney b. j. Stafford Of Rutland appeared
for the prosecution.
Nermillo was not expected to die front
his wound. He was taken at once to
the Albany y. Y, hospital after the
shooting and seemed 70 be making a
rapid recovery until March TO- when
blood poisoning set in aud be died the
night OF the llth. The girl, who had
merely been under the surveillance Of
her counsel before that. was then placed
under arrest.
Miss Coyina told straightforward
story when she was put on the witness
stand by the defense Of the annoyance
and insults she had been subjected to
by Vermillo before shooting him. Her
story was related through Deputy Sber-
in Pascal Ricci as Interpreter, III the
girl cannot speak English II tailed
very closely with the statement she
gave Mr., Ricci soon after the shooting
The girl Was neatly dressed and she
made good appearance on the stand.
Miss Coviua said that on the morn
ing the affair occurred Yermillo did not
get up and 90 to work when the other
boarders in the house did. having re-
manned away from the slate quarries.
which were nearby, for few days be-.
cause of illness When he arose and
Went downstairs the girl was in her
bedroom. which was on the lower floor
combing her hair. yermillo entered the
room uubidden and asked her to 90
ont into another room, but she refused
and ordered him to leave When she
was about her bousework little later
the man offered her SIS In an insulting
way and asked her TO 70 upstairs with
him She did everything that she could
to make him desist but he continued to
annoy her aud even grabbed hold Of her
and pinched her.
Finally she went into her room and
put inside Of her waist a revolver which
her brother had given her 1t had been
hanging on the wall. She shot Yer
milo as he stood near the window, look
ing ont Mt her request. She was in
the middle ol the room az the time.
As soon as he was wounded, Nermllo
left the house. lie turned as il TO
come back once and fearing him, the
girl shot twice in the air TO frighten
him, according 10 her testimony Ner
milo went TO a neighbors and the girl
ran ont of the house screaming
The first witness fm the prosectt-
ton was Edward III. Randall ot poult-
ney, civil engineer, who showed his
blue prints he had taken Of the Covina
premises and he explained the interior
81 the house Dr. Al j. Greenwood tes.
titled that yermillo was brought TO his
Office on the morning of February l6.
He described the wound which he
thought was made with 32.calibre bul
LET. i short distance from the center
Of the mans back and on the shoulder
blade.
Dr. r II. Stone. director Of the state
laboratory Of hygiene at Burlington,
testified to performing an autopsy on
Vermillo's body He said that the
wound booked a. though the man had
been shot at short range TO suhstan
tate this Miss Covina was again placed
on the stand and she testified that Yer
milo had hold Of her when she fred.
Giovanni VILLAIN, Miss Coyina's f.
ance, was the only friend with her
during the trial. her parents not being
nrpsent