New-York tribune., 1911-03-04
pATERNO'S SORD|D CRIME
Further Details of the Murder OF
the Princess Trigona.
INTERVENTION OF QUE-a
Baron Refuses to Explain Killing
-Noblewoman Attacked With
in the Royal Palace.

Rome. March 3.--All Rome is talking
Of the sensational murder on Thursday
of the Princess Giula Trigona di SAINT
Ella, the Queens lady waiting, by
Lieutenant Baron Palermo. Not in many
years has the capital been so stirred by
a crime.
Paterno late tonight was still slowly
improving The bullet which he fired
with the intention Of killing himself is
still mbedded in his skull. Although ne
is conscious and able TO talk he has re-
fused to give any explanation as to why
he stabbed and killed the woman who
had befriended him.
The police, however, are not averse
10 making known what their investiga- =
tions are unfolding. These. they say.
show that Palermo treated the woman
brutally before he killed her The
princess, frail and unhappy with her
husband. they allege. fell an easy prey
to the rapacious nobleman, whose scan
dalous adventures had brought him TO
the threshold of expulsion from the
army.
According to the police. Palermo net
the princess in 1908 at Palermo. He be-
came the friend, also, of the prince. The
friendship between the two men became
so great that Paterno had himself made
head of the local Malta and brought
about the election of Prince Trigona as
Mayor OF Palermo
1t is reported also that the prince. re-
turning home one night from a meeting
Of the Municipal Council found his wife
and Paterno together. Enraged, the
prince fired on Palermo, but missed him,
Palermo escaping.
When Queen Helena was informed Of
the relations existing between Palermo
and the princess she called the princess
before her and induced her TO confess
everything. Throwing herself at the feet
Of the queen, and crying out in her
desperation. the princess took oath that
she would break with Palermo. begin
life anew and henceforth be only an
affectionate mother to her two little
daughters.
From this moment, according To the
authorities, Palermo seeing that his prey
was about to escape, became furious in
his actions toward the princess, and sew
cral times created scenes even in the
Quirinal itself, shouting. Il shall murder
you; shall strangle you-here in the
Royal Palace, amid the ladies of the
-. ha
Paterno's demands for money, 1t is
said became more and more imperative,
and once, It is alleged, he even attacked
the princess in the antechamber to the
room in which were the King and Queen.
The princess. in defending herself on this
occasion, had her bracelet broken, and
this Paterno picked up and put in his
pocket. Then he left her, still making
threats.
The patrimony OF the princess, because
Of her loans or gifts to Paterno is said
to have been reduced to $3.50 month
When the tragedy occurred the two
daughters of the murdered woman were
driving out in a court carriage. When they
returned to the Quirinal they asked, as
was their custom. for their mother. No
one had the heart to tell them the truth,
so they were informed that the princess
had met with an automobile accident.
and that her return TO the palace there
fore would be delayed. Two locks of hair
were cut to-day from the head of the
dead woman. and later will be given to
her children.
4 post-mortem examination to-day
showed that the princess was first
wounded in the back and then In the
neck. Either of the wounds would have
been mortal. on the left arm were
found two slight wounds.
II was ascertained to-day that the inn
mediate cause of the murder Was the re-
fusal OF the princess to give the baron
$1,000 with which to pay his debt.
IL had been generally supposed that
when the princess met Paterno at the
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