Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-14
n N&i.5 ts' ( n
Italians Take the Stand TO
Tell Discovery Of
Tragedy
Secret Letters Of Murdered
Man Point TO Black
aand
Trial Is Interrupted While
.Berndt Reads Message
From 1ODgs

& "Get up, ana get out Oh mere. nave
had quarrel with Felice Yannazzo,
and have killed him"
It was with those words that Fran.
cesco Coccimigilio aroused the sleep.
ing members of the Italian railroad
crew in the car near Apple Creek sta
tion during the early morning hours
of; September 11th, the day Felice Yam
nazza was found with his body slash.
ed by an assassin's dagger.
Aa least such was the testimony OF
francesca Costetino and Frank Farlo,
two of the Italians who were occu-
pants of the car on that awful night,
and who offered that as sworn testi-
mony while on the stand in district
court yesterday afternoon. They both
claimed that was the exclamation they
heard Coccimigilio make as they hur-
riedly grabbed what clothing was with
in their reach and ran away from the
gruesome scene.
Through q statement filed as. an af-
fidavit yesterday morning States At
torney Berndt was permitted to place
Burton 3. Gardner, land Office
clerk, on the stand for the purpose Of
repeating the testimony Of Reffelo
Yannazxo, John Byonadesta and John,
Critic, who testified at the prelimin.
airy hearing but who are no wthought
to be back In italy. NJ #
Gardner acted as the states attor.
ney's stenographer at the preliminary
hearing and he reproduced the testi-
mony Of these missing witnesses from
his original shorthand notes. The task
was tedious one and occupied the
greater part of the forenoon.
1t was during the reading of these
notes htat the sign Of the Italian
black hand again made AS appearance.
From these notes it was learned that
Bvonadesta and Felice Yannazzo had
frequently written secret letters back
to the old country, and that they had
frequent secret conferences. These
notes also told the story Of the men
drinking whisky that evening, that
they visited back and forth between
the cars, Felice Yannazzo was playing
his guitar fer everybody in the ear.
ly part Of the evening, and they sang
native songs, and also engaged in
dancing. According to the story Of
Bvonadesta who slept in an adjoining
car, it was, he who first became aware
that there had been trouble the night
before inuthe car occupied by Yam
nazzo and Coccimigilio. He had arisen
earlier than the others that morning,
and observed that the car door con.
tanning the dead man had been lock-
ed with paddock. N
He thought cousin Of the murder
ed man and told of the circumstances.
They broke open the paddock with
rock and after opening the door they
discovered the terrible tragedy. They
only took a general survey of the
sickening situation and then went
away.
Following the story told in these
'stenographic notes Francisco Costen-
tino was brought in from the Jail and
told his story from the witness stand
through the interpreter.
Costentino, aged Is, was also
member Of this railroad gang and had
been an occupant Of the same car with
Coccimigilio and Yannaxzo. He had
been sick that day and remained at
the car. When he went to sleep all of
the regular occupants were in the car.
CONTINUED on page two.)t
-.