The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-08
BELIEVE CONTI SHOT PHYSICIAN IN SELF DEFENCE Police Work On That Theory Following Disclosures
 Of Inquest. YOUTHFUL SLAYER
 IS STILL AT LARGE Belief Is That Doctor Fired First, Missed, Then
 Lost Pistol.
(specia1 to The Farmer.)


 Contf of South Braintree. Mass, shot and killed his brother-in-1aw, Dr. Vincenzo DeIpiano in self defense here early yesterday morning Is the belief of the authorities after the in quest conducted in the town hall yes terday by Coroner Phelan- It is be neVed that the revolver with which the death wound was inflicted was the physicians own and that Cont shot him with it after he had wrested it from him. Although neither Coro- ner Phelan nor the Norwalk police officials would discuss the matter to- day. from the coroner's investigation the police are today working on the theory that Dr. De1piano first tried to shoot Cont. The cartridge did not explode and the next moment the men were struggling for possession of the revolver.
 While this struggle was going on the revolver was discharged once. the bullet tearing into one of the walls of the room close to the ceiling. Then Conti being the stronger, obtained possession of the revolver and as the doctor kept up the struggle, shot him through the head The bullet entered the skull just back of and above the left ear and passed entirely through the head lodging just inside the skin on the other side of the skull.
 
 running rapidly down a. staircase to a basement below and it is believed made his escape by crawling out of a window on a level with the street. Although the state police are work ing on the case and State Policeman VirelH has gone to Conti's home in South Braintree, up to press hour to- day, the murderer had not been ap- prehended.
 The killing occurred about 1:20 yes terday morning at f Monroe street in South NorwaIk The bullet which killed Delpiano was of .3s caltbre. DEs Delpiano was a widely known Italian physician who practiced for a time in Bridgeport before locating in South NorwaIk
 The Delipianos were married in South Braintree about six. years ago. Soon afterward the doctor came to Connecticut to practice. pr. Del piano after practicing in New Haven and Bridgeport for a time moved to South NorwaIk where he had quar- lters in one of the best sections of the city for a. time It is claimed that he drank heavily. often imbtbing pure alcohol to satisfy his cravings for strong drink. His wife admits that he often beat and mistreated her. Of late her 12 year old sister. Con cetta and her IA year old brother, Frank have been living with the cou- pie Frank worked in the shoe fac tory of H. Jacob & Son in the Bishop mill and gave all his earnings to the doctor. Last Saturday he kept ten cents from his pay and attended a | moving picture theatre Mrs. Del piano told Coroner PheIan yesterday that her husband became incensed at the boys action and after taking the remainder of the boys money order ed him out of the house. He then a f0 Iui rel Ia at South Braintree saying that un- less they sent for Frank and Con- cetta within 4S hours he would put them in the street, It was this letter that brought the | boy who did the shooting to South Norwa1k. He had interpreted the letter to. mean that Dr. DeIpiano in tended to put out his wife and her ! children. Some time before Cont reached South Norwa1k the doctor had Frank discharged from his e1a- pIoyment at the shoe ia ctory. The lad stayed with friends until located 1 by Police Sergeant Hunt and sent back to South Braintreel at the re- quest of relatives there. On his way to South fJorwa1k, Jo- seph must have passed the train that carried Frank back to South Brain tree. When Conti arrived in South 1 Norwalk he went to police head and asked to have a policeman ac- company him to the house. Patrol
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