The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-07-12
CAMORRISTS
HELD GUILTY
Verdict Which Surprised All
the World
TRIAL LASTED IS MONTHS

Nine Held Direct For Murder-5al.
ance as Members of Criminal
Band-Five Years Spent In Prelm-
mary investigation - Forty Two
Originally HeId-7oo Witnesses
Examined-5o Lawyers Appeared
Viterbo, Italy, July 9.-The verdict
in the Camorra trial has been handed
down. Nine OF the accused were un-
animously declared guilty of the muir
der of Gennaro Cuocolo and his wife.
The remainder of the band were found
guilty of belonging to a criminal asso-
citation.
The president of the court immedi-
ately sentenced the condemned men.
Sortino, Cerrato, Salvi, Nora, di
Gennaro, Alfano, Rapi and di Marinas
were sentenced TO thirty years i'm
prisonment and to ten years police
police surveillance: di Mattio to ten
years and six months Imprisonment
and ten years surveillance; Vitozzi,
the priest, seven years Imprisonment
and to two years surveillance; the
others to five years Imprisonment
and three years surveillance.
Few have believed that the Italian
Jury and court would have the cour-
age to condemn the criminals. 1t
was on March IL, 1911, that the ex-
animation of witnesses began. This
was preceded by q preliminary in
vestigation OF FIVE years.
OF the AZ persons originally indicted |
three were never captured; three died |
during the trial, while 20 were liber- |
ated owing to the fact that they had |
already served the maximum time |
possible for sentence In the event of
conviction.
Although the specific charge brought |
against the AZ originally arrested for
the crime was the murder of Gennaro
Cuocolo and his wife at Naples, the
real object of the prosecution was a
supreme attempt on the part of the
Italian government TO break up two
great criminal organizations in Italy,
the Camorra of Naples and the Malta
of Sicily. The government had ex-
pected that if it secured convictions
in the present case the leaders Of both
organizations would be frightened out
of the country.
Altogether over TOO witnesses were
heard during the trial, but notwith-
standing this the prosecutions case
rested almost entirely on the testi-
mony of Abbatemaggio, a former
Camorrist and informer. Giro Vitozzi,
a Roman Catholic priest, concerning
whose alleged double life many sensa-
tional revelations were made, was one
of the defendants. Another was Err
cone Alfano who was arrested in New
York. This man was the leader of
the Camorrists and was also said TO be
the guiding spirit of the black hand
gangs in the United States.
Originally over fifty lawyers ap-
peared for the defence but gradually,
either because the Camorrists had not
the money to pay their fees or be-
cause they pretended to be poor in
order to excite the pity of thejury, the
number of lawyers was reduced to
eighteen.
An entire regiment of infantry was
sent to Viterbo 20 surround the court.
During the trial two companies of in
fantry, $50 carbineers and fifty de-
tectives have been constantly on duty.
The Cammora trial has cost the state
more than $500, 900.
The minutes kept by the clerk of
he court have covered u, 900 pages
If typewriter matter and the reports
If the investigating judges have filed ;
,ixty volumes. More than so 900 ;
documents have been produced and
,aaA fba trial ,