New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-13
Father, Who Killed to
Avenge Girl, Guilty OF
Manslaughter.
JURORS MOTHER DIES
AS HE SITS CASE
Recommendation for Greatest
Clemency" Made to Judge
with Verdict.

Pietro di Angelo, a siXty-one-year-o
Italian. was last evening convicted or
manslaughter in the first degree, with a
recommendation TO the greatest clemercy
on the part Of the court. The clomency
is a minimum sentence of ten years at
hard labor in Sing Sing prison He had
been on trial for eight days before Judge
Grain. i'm Part of General Sessions.
In dismissing the jury Judge Grain said
TO Juror No. 3. Abraham Rothschild' or
No. % West 18th street: "Mr Rothschild'
on account of the illness in your family
Won are discharged from further attend
ance on the March panel Of this jury.
Rothschilds mother had died at the
homo OF the son half an hour before the
Jury came into court. His brother tele-
phoned Judge Grain. and requested that no
mention be made of the death until his
brother would return home. The mother
had died as the result Of an operation.
The case was given TO the jury at )
o clock. and at $50 o'clock the jury re-
turned for instructions, asking partlcu-
larlv for the distinction between man
slaughter, excusable homicide and JUS
tlnable homicide. Four hours later they
returned their verdict.
Judge Grain remanded Di Angelo 10 the
Tombs until March IS for sentence. Inc
defendants counsel announced he would
take ar appeal.
hi Angelo was first indicted for man
slaughter. This was later changed to
murder I'm the first degree Di Angelo
who is a cripple, having lost one arm
was charged with the murder of Gaspare
Mattrelli. Mattrelli eloped with Di Ange-
los fourteen-year-old daughter and at the
polnt of a revolver forced her marriage
with another man.
Di Angelo, for his defence, relied large
" upon the "unwrtten Jaw" although he
also asserted that Mattrell had drawn
revolver against him. James McHugh, a
witness called by George y. Brothers, AS
sistant District Attorney, testified that
Mattrelli had no revolver when Di Angelo
shot him.
hi Angeles main reliance was the tes-
timony Of his daughter, Nellie, now fifteen
years cid. Last summer she was working
in a shop at Lafayette and 4th streets,
where there was a strike. Mattreli was
guard and frequently took her to her
home, in Pitt street. He became attentive
10 her, although both she and her family
discouraged his advances. one day
woman who said she was Mattreli's
wife came TO the Pitt street house. and
in order to escape Mattrellis attentions
the whole family moved to Brooklyn.
"He followed me even there" the girl
ct.I al IN, ha Ia
pointed revolver at me and took a
handbook and some money that he found.
Mattreli took her 20 a house on Third
avenue, where they remained three days.
Then he introduced q friend, Charles
Crocolesi.
The testimony of Crocolesi agreed with
that Of the girl in that Mattrelli had
suddenly drawn a revolver and demanded
their immediate marriage.
"Gaspare went with us TO the city
Hail." said Nellie "All the way he kept
his hand in his pocket, and we knew that
the revolver was there. We could see its
shape through the cloth when we raised
our hands and took the oath before We
got the license
For few days Nellie and Crocolesi
lived I'm the Third avenue house alone. On
September % Mattrelli returned and. ar
ter n fight with Crocolesi. demanded
money of Nellie.
II said / had no money; how should 1
get money!" Nellie said. And lie point
ed his revolver at me again and said:
You must go out and get it, then!
knew what he meant. and ! was afraid.
But ] was afraid Of the revolver also, SO
said / would CO.
The girl had not cent for carfare,
but as soon as she found herself free !
from Mattrolli she started on foot for
her fathers home. She got there early
in the evening. and told him the whole |
story with her father and mother she |
returned TO Manhattan TO point out the
house where she had been prisoner |
At 18th street and Third avenue they met !
Mattrelli.