The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-03-14
ROBBERY THE MOTIVE
IN nicola SHOOTING
JOS. scALoRi CONFESSED TO A
PLOT TO ROB
GAlAl ARRANGED THE PLOT
Nicola Was TO be Dseoysd TO Dark Place
by Galai When Scslori Was to
Hit Him With Club

wounded by Leonard Nicola. the Han
cock labor agent, confessed in the JUS
tice court last Monday morning, before
Judge Dawson, Prosecuting Attorney
Waffen and others, that he and Gala,
the man held on suspicion. had enter
ed into a conspiracy to rob Nicola
Gala. so Scaiori says put up the
job and let Scalori in on IL. Gala
was to have decoyed Nicola to a dark
place; Scalori was TO have hit him
on the head with club and Gala
was to "have done the rest. " On the
showing Judge Dawson discharged
Nicola and exhonorated him from all
blame in the case.
As stated in these columns last wee
1t was rumored about that the wound
cd man had "got sorry and was GO
ing to cough up" everything that
he knew regarding the affair. The
rumor proved we'll founded for when
Prosecuting Attorney Waffen started
work in court that morning he immed.
iately started his stenographer on
preamble to a confession and when he
he reached the part reciting that Seal
ori was the complaining witness in
the case of the People vs Leonard Me.
ola, he requested Mr. Scalori to take
the witness stand.
The man was in court, wrapped Ia
big fur coat. He is a good looking
Italian of about 90 to 30 years of age
and spoke English fiuently. The man
showed considerable intelligence upon
the stand and. while he undoubtedly
was a tool, ne certainly knew what
he was about and il seemed doubtful
to most of the audience that he was
as completely under the influence of
Gala as his testimony would indicate
Prosecuting Attorney Waffen advised
him that any testimony he might give
in this case would be used against him
in the case of the People W. Scalori
and Gala which is pending and will
he taken up later on. He seemed anx-
ions to get something off his mind
and started right in to tell all that he
knew.
Scalori says that he has lived in
Crystal Falls for a number Of years
and knew Atilio Gala 3 or years.
That on Feb. 80. he went 20 Gala
house TO borrow a mackinaw TO wear
to q funeral that he was 70 attend
that day He next saw Gala after
dinner at Frank Simeoni's saloon
where Gala told him that fellow
was here from the copper country TO
hire a number of men. Gala said
tnat the man (Meola) must have lots
of money TO pay fares stay at the hotel
and pay expenses
The witness didn't know Nicola and
had never seen him previous TO that
time Gala proposed the plot 20 Seal.
ori and cautioned him not 10 get drunk
that afternoon as there is WORK to
do.
In the evening Gala and Scalori
met again when Gala went into detail
In the plot. He said. 81 will take
Nicola to the st. Paul depot and you
follow ut distance of about 90 feet
behind us. Get a good club and when
we get TO a dark place You hit Nicola
over the head with a club. I'll do
the rest
Gala then telephoned 10 Nicola and
got him TO the saloon Nicola bought
round of drinks. When Gala had
about half finished drinking his glass
OF beer he went 10 the lavatory where
he met Scalori and told him "that Is
the man now get your club - Scalcri
said that he would take beer bottle
Gala and Nicola started out of the
saloon and Scalori followed. When
close 10 the concrete steps leading to
the Milwaukee station. Scalori came
up from behind and hit Nicola on the
heal with the beer bottle. Gala inn
mediately ran. The bottle broke into
a number of pieces. Scalori says he
stood there n second looking at his vic
tim when the latter, recovering from
the shock. put his hand into his hip
pocket, pulled revolver, wheeled and
shot Scalori I'm the arm Witness heard
q second shot but didn't feel the bullet
strike him as he was too drunk. =
Witness then walked to Simeoni's sa.
loon where he went TO the lavatory
and took on his sweater as he felt
blood running down his arm and
breast. In few minutes Gala came