The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-08-18
TWO SHOT DEAD;
|BROTHERSOF one
HELD BY POLICE
Leo and Salvatore Messano Sus-
pected of Connection With
Double Tragedy
| |SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN
INSTRUMENT OF DEED
Staying of Italians in Street Be-
ieved Fresh Outbreak of
Deadly Feud

Rlddled with buckSh0t from the
deadly 'saweff-off'' shotgun, Joseph
Provenzaro, coal dealer at No. LIT
Russell-st, was instantly killed, short
ly before o'clock. Monday night, az
he sat In front of his coal Office, chat
ting with Augustine Messano, Of No.
1s9 Russell-st., and Messano, who re-
ceiyed the charge of buckshot in the
second barrel of the gun, died In st.
Mary's hospital later in the night.
Leo Messano and Salvatore Mes
sano, brothers OF Augustine, are held
in police headquarters, charged with
homicide. Leo was arrested when he
returned TO his home. long after the
shooting. He had a bullet wound In
his right foot and had been out seek
Ing medical attention. Patrolmen
Mortified and Racey heard OF II, and
lay In wait for him near his home.
He refuses to tell how he received the
bullet wound. maintaining q dogged
silence when questioned by the detec-
tires.
Salvatore Messano, who has one
wooden leg, was arrested near the
scene Of the shooting. almost before
the smoke cleared away. He told De-
tectives Rogers, Bolone, Grove and
others that man rushed to his home
and told him to run to the coal ofice
and see what had happened to his
brother.
He said he didn't know his inform
ant. Salvatore had 38-caliber revol-
yer, with four chambers empty, In his
rUUm. =
That Leo Messano was shot by an
unidentified Italian, who pursued the
shotgun man, and fired four shots at
him, is the theory held by the police.
They have been unable, SO far, to
learn the identity of the assassin's
pursuer.
Detective Emmanuel Rogers be-
iieves that Salvatore Messano may
have been the man, as the four empty
cartridges In his revolver tally with
the number Of shots fired at the fugi-
tive.
The shotgun man, bareheaded and
coatless, sauntered up to the front OF
the coal ONCE, dragging his sawed-of
weapon behind him, where 1t was not
seen by his victims. In front of them
b eraised the gun and fired twice.
Provenzano reeled, staggered into
the once, and fell dead, as Messano
staggered about In front OF the ofice,
and dropped, with bullets In his face,
shoulders and breast.
The theory Of the shooting as held
now by Rogers Is that Leo was the
shotgun man, and that Salvatore, see
ing him leave with the weapon, trail
ed him, and when Leo shot his broth
er and Provenzano, Salvatore opened
fire on Leo as the latter fed, tossing
his shotgun to one side.
Mrs. Provenzano was In her home,
No. $40 Monroe-ave.. when the shoot
ing occurred. but was quickly notified
by neighbors, and leaving her babe
rushed to the coal office. She picked
up the bleeding head Of her husband,
IN her lap, and tore her hair from
her head In great handfuls, while fran
tic with grief.
Messano also leaves wife and
baby, and Mrs. Messano 10 In q Sc
rious condition from the shock.
The apparent connection OF the
Messano brothers with the shooting
IL a puzzle to the police.
That the shooting Is In some way
connected with the shotgun feuds Of
q year ago, Is considered probable,
an the Messanos lived In house
owned by Ferdinand Palma, once shot
by feudists. But the fact that the
Messano family seemed to be split by
the feud is peculiar element that
the ofiicers are striving to untangle.
Salvatore Messano, interviewed by
the detectives, sticks to his story
that he was told Of his brothers Ia
tai injury, and rushed to the. scene.
He says he doesn't know what be-
came of the bullets from his revolver.
Leo Messano maintains sullen ST.
lence. All that the detectives have
been able TO get out of him, Is a
moan that the gunshot wound in his
foot II painful. and he wants to get
out and have Il attended to. He VIII
not say how he received the bullet.