New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-13
CATHEDRAL
BOMB PLOTTERS
FOUND GUILTY
Jury Out More than Five
Hours Recommends
Clemency.
ACCUSED MEN
UNMOVED AT FATE
Abarno and Carbone, Trapped
by Detective as pal" May
Face 25-Year Terms.

Frank Aparno and Carmine Carbone
were found guilty at midnight Of iet-
ting a bomb in 81. Patrick's Cathedral.
They were tried before Judge Mott in
General Sessions.
The jury returned at 1880 and an
rounced it had reached a verdict. I'VE
find the defendants both guilty, with
a recommendation for mercy" said the
foreman.
Justice Mott announced that he
would impose sentence and hear any
motions with regard to the case on
Friday, April l9. The prisoners were
then remanded to the Tombs.
Before the verdict was announced the
greater part of the crowd had melted
away. Louise Berger and Ben Reitman
were the only two radicals left. Neither
Abarno nor Carbone displayed emotion
when the verdict was announced. They
will get an indeterminate sentence, the
maximum being twenty-five years.
After retiring at 6:35 tie jurors ad-
journed at 1880 to the Broadway Cen
trail Hotel for supper. Nothing fur
ther was heard from them until 1880.
when they returned to the courtroom
with q request for instructions from
Justice Mott. The foreman asked for
information as 10 the culpability of a
police officer who was an accomplice in
the commission of a crime
Justice Mott said that the law did
not regard as guilty a police officer in
the performance Of his duty who aided
in the commission Of a crime, because
he did not have the guilty conscience
necessary to make a crime. He said
the officer is preventing crime, al
though in doing SO he frequently is
obliged to assist in the preparations
for a crime.
George f. Lewis. Juror No. 4, then
asked the Justice TO define duress and
to state how far duress would excuse
the commission of a crime. Justice
Mott replied that If a defendant could
prove that he had acted because he be-
lieved he was in danger of his life or
of bodily harm, then he should be ex-
cused.
The jury retired again. and ten min
Ltes later came back with the verdict.
the defence. His testimony, after
cross-examinstion by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Train, was confused. but
one thing stood out clear. He denied
emphatically that he had lighted the
bomb.
81 did not light that fuse" he cried.
"If 1 should be shot like a do:, | did
not light it, and the man who says |
did is the biggest kind of a liar. The
fuse they had at Police Headquarters
they pulled out Of the bomb and lighted
down there"
On his direct examination the wit
ness said that he became conscience
stricken when he saw people worship
ping in the Cathedral, and instead of
holding the lighted cigar ready TO
touch off the bomb, ne concealed 1T in
his hat, where it expired.
In reply to Mr.. Trains questions
Abarno said that he had thrown the
cigar away at the door Of the Cathe-
dral. He persisted in his story that the
police had forced him to tell the story
that he first told.
81 was telling 10 per cent lies then"
he declared, but now | am telling 100
per cent truth"
Detective Pulignsno, he asserted,
had prompted him as 70 the responses
he should make if arrested. At Head
quarters policemen pushed him
around" he said, and told him that if
he admitted his guilt he would get off
Later ne thought that the police had
treated him pretty we'll, and recalled
that his dinner had been sent in to him
during the course Of his examination.