The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-16
CORONER FREES HIM
BUT VENDETTA STAYS
Death Comes Swiftly to Tony
; CaputO, While He Celebrates
His Freedom.
BAR DOOR SILENTLY OPENS
An Automatic Pistol SpOuts
Five Shots and Giuseppe Ma
rinO Is Avenged.

just about a year after he had fed from
the city to escape the charge of murder
young Italian sitting with his compan-
ions In the little back room Of a saloon
at Mulberry and Canal streets late yes
terday afternoon and slipping the joyous
red wine in celebration OF his delivery
from the arms OF the law paid to the
mercilcss vendetta the penalty OF his life
for the killing. Earlier in the day Coro-
ner Patrick Rlordan had freed him from
the guilt OF 1t and though he had been
caught ten days ago when he returned
TO the city the slate had been wiped
clean and the time to be merry was at
hand.
Companions had greeted Tony Canuto.
alias Tony with the Patch on His Eye.
and the talk and laughter were running
high. The murder of Giuseppe Marine on
February II, 1918, In front OF iss Hester
street no longer burdened .Tonys mind.
and Tony and the Italian saloonkeeper,
Barrone. and his friends had reason to be
gay. That is they did until the door from
the barroom suddenly opened and a strange
dark man with an automatic pistol in his
right hand stepped in softly and closed
Il behind him.
Tho intruder looked carefully at each
Of the group. His eyes rested upon
,Caputo for an instant. the hand with the
automatic shot up and five bullets were
spouted out Tony gasped once and slid
quietly to the floor. The gunman looked
scornfully at the hudded figure. then
turned and walked out the side door into
AE..,I xthA ha Inst
In the crowds.
Pistol In Gutter Only Clue.
When the police came in few minutes
later the body of Caputo was alone In
the back room. Barrone and the others
had vanished and there was no trace OF
the stranger except that an automatic
pistol was found lying in the gutter near
the side door. Five bullets had been hred
from it and three OF them had hit Tony.
One struck the jaw. another above the
heart and the third lodged in the abdomen,
but the victim was still alive and survived
his wounds until he had reached the
Hudson street hospital. where he died
without saying a word.
After Marine was murdered in the
street a year ago In February some OF
his friends went to the police and said
that Caputo. a man of bad reputation
as a gunman and general bad character
had done the shooting. He lived then at
2sS Elton street. Brooklyn, but he dis
appeared at once from his usual haunts
and was not heard of again until two
months ago when the Philadelphia police
picked him up on information sent broad
cast by the local authorities. He was
held on charge Of homicide, but sufficient
evidence could not be produced to warrant
extradition and he was discharged.
Again Caputo dropped out OF sight until
ten days ago, when detectives saw him In
Thirty second street near Ninth avenue
ana arrested him. He was charged with
Killing Marine and held without bail while
the police went after the men who had
originally accused him Of the murder.
Refuse TO Identify Him.
The hearing was held early yesterday
afternoon In Coroner Riordan's ,ftice
Assistant District Attorney Breckenridge
was there TO conduct the case against
the prisoner. and with the sought for wit
nesses on hand the expectation was that
Caputo would be held for the Grand Jury.
Great. therefore. was the surprise on
every hand when witness after witness
each man had said before that he saw
the shooting and that Caputo did it
went upon the stand and swore they could
not Identify the prisoner There was
nothing for Mr.. Breckenridge to do but
recommend his discharge and nothing for
the Coroner to do but set him free. So at
half past 4 Caputo was on his way to his
friend Barrones TO celebrate.
In the meantime, though, Marines
friends knew what had come to pass.
rhe police say that the witnesses would
not identify Caputo because the code OF
thsir kind had determined that he must
do by the hands OF his supposed victims
intimates.
Vendetta Works Rapidly.
II Is not supposed that any of the wit
ncsses had a part in the murder Of re-
venge Their duty was to have Caputc
freed so that the guns of Marines friends
could do for him at their pleasure. The
friends worked fast and Caputo was dead
In little more than AN hour from the time
he walked out OF the Coroner's office.
The police had no idea late last nigh
who had done the shooting. They finally
found Tony Barrone, but he said that
while he had seen the murderer plainly
he couldn't get good look at his face.
Mike Valnotti and Pasquale Cussiano
the bartenders. were also arrested, but
they professed to know nothing. There
was. however. likelihood OF another arrest
an important one. based on late clue
during the night.