Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-09-09
TELLSMOTVE
FOR HIS CRIME
Marino Benz Says He Mur.
dered Two Men Because
of Slap in Face.
TAKEN TO COUNTY JAIL
Admits Guilt When Arraign-
ed Before Recorder kehoe
This Morning. Gun Found.

Attributing his action to hand
slap administered early in the even
ing by Francisco Minno, Marino
Benz acknowledged this morning be-
fore Recorder Henry w. Kehoe that
he shot and killed Augustine Bask-
ovello and Augustine Minno at
eleven o'clock on the night Of Sep
tember 7, while they slept In their
boarding house at 482 Sayre avenue.
this city. He also entered a plea of
guilty to shooting two bullets into
Francisco Minno, the alleged insti-
gator of the double tragedy, who
is wounded SO severely that he lies
in a precarious condition at the city
hospital.
Taken to County Jail.
BENZ, the self confessed murderer,
was taken to the county jail at New
Brunswick this morning by City
Marshal Walters and Detectives
Huff and Long. The trip was made
by trolley and a very close watch
was kept on the prisoner. In the
company also, was Mike Spolo, a
material witness, who will be an in
mate of the county lodging house
until the trial. When informed that
he would be detained for some time
Spolo had no fears for the outcome,
only regretting that he was forced to
leave this city with three or four
days pay coming to him for assist
ing in digging a ditch at the car
barns. Chief Burke promised the
man to collect the wages and hold
the money until his return.
Admits Face Slapping.
Francisco Minno admits the alter.
cation. Yesterday afternoon Rev
Colombino Galassi, rector of the
italian church in this city, went
with Detectives HUFF and Long to
the city hospital, where Minno gave
a brief but evidently accurate de-
scription Of the double murder and
the assault with attempt to kill. He
said that early in the night, around
nine o'clock BENZ and he had an
argument and the latter slapped the
confessed murderer's face. Friends
interviewed and peace was restored
But Benz brooded over the Insult
and when the four went to sleep he
stole into the room n the darkness
and opened up broadside on the
men. Francisco was the first one
assaulted, he claims, and when q
bullet had been shot into his left
cheek and tossed him back on the
bed powerless, the blood thirsty re-
venger, he declares, turned his
weapon upon the innocent and un-
5f3uspecting victims and snapped out
their lives.
Minno, the brother, was the sec
ond one assaulted, it is thought, and
was shot down before he had fully
awakened Dead men tell no
tales" the murderer evidently be-
lieved, and the disInterested Bask-
ovello was the next victim. Before
the gun could be brought to bear
upon the fleeing Spolo, Francisco,
recovering his lost strength, launch
ed himself at the ayenger and again
received a bullet in his left cheek
before he closed with the enraged
man and could seize the gun hand.
During the struggle for life and
death, the automatic attachment on
the revolver was touched the weapon
BROKE" and the four empty shells
and two loaded cartridges were
found on the floor when the police
arrived upon the scene. Benz tore
himself away from Minno's grasp
and made his escape over the fields
to Kinsey's Corner.
Conflicting Names.
Chief Burke1ound that the names
given by the witnesses and newspa-
pers differed, so Patrolman Joseph
Hartung, who captured the murderer
at nine o'clock yesterday morning,
CONTINUED on page 81