The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-12-23
ACCUSED ITALIANS RELEASED
Prisoners Granted Bail After Hearing
in District Court.

Paul Fontano and Tony Falsetta,
prominent Italian business men of
this city charged with the murder of
Mattco Randazzo, who was shot down
in his store in St. Patrick street the
night Of Nov. 80. last, were released
from custody on bond Of $4,000 each,
after preliminary hearing In the dis
trict court Friday.
Judge Philip H. Gilkert, Of Napo-
teonville. who qualified Thursday as
the successor of Judge Charles T..
Workman, upon the completion OF
eight years of service as district at
torney of the twenty-sevcnth district,
presided over the hearing, this being
his first appearance on the bench OF
the local court since assuming the Ju-
dicial ermine.
The state was represented by Dis
trict Attorney George Seth Guion, of
Napoleonville, who replaced Mr.. Gill
bert in that office, and Attorney Geo.
Gullatta, of New Orleans, appeared
in behalf of the accused.
DR.. D. c. Brumfeld, coroner Of the
parish, was the first witness placed on
the stand by the state. He testified
to the facts of the killing as brought
out at the coroner's inquest.
Frank RandaZZo, 14-year-old son OF
the murdered man, who was slightly
injured by buckshot wound IN the
wrist received in the fusillade which
resulted in the death Of his father,
gave evidence to the effect that his
father with his dying breath had de-
clared that Paul Fontano and Tony
Falsetta fired the shots which laid him
low. Young Randazzo is said to have
| previously asserted chat he positively
RECOGNIZED Fontano and Falsetta as
they stopb> at the front door of his
| fathers I. Bn1zand used their weapons
with deadly effect, but he failed to
| confirm e. statement on the stand
at yesterdays hearing:
3Irs. Randazzo, wife of the de-
| ceased, is sick in bed and it was nee
essary to take her testimony at her
home. She asserted that after hear
| ing the shots on the night of the at
tack she ran to the front of her hus-
| bands store and saw two men run
! ming away, but could not recognize
| either of them.
Tht state rested after presenting
| the testimony of these witnesses,
whereupon the defense placed the two
accused upon the stand. Both OF
them swore that at the time OF the
shooting they were in the store OF
Paul F,a.tano, one block away from
the Randazzo store. They heard two
| shots, and rushed out to the sidewalk
in front of the Fontano store. Two
more shots rang out, they declared
but they could not see the flash OF the
discharges or recognize the assasslns
Frank Randazzo, they asserted, was
heard shouting that paul Fontano
and Tony Falsetta killed my father,
1 and for this reason, they stated, they
did not at once rush to the Randazzo
store.
Police Officer Lucien Acosta, Jr.,
was the last witness placed on the
stand. His testimony was to the ef-
! feet that when he passed the FcntaHo
store on the night Of the killing both
| Paul Fontano and Tony Falsetta were
| there. He proceeded on his rounds
and about fifteen minutes later re
ceived telephone message to The ct.
/ feet that Matteo Randazzo had beer
murdered.
Salvatore Randazzo, a nephew OF
| the murdered storekeeper, vas shot
in the right chest and left side at the
time Matteo Randazzo was killed, and
is said to have declared that he recog,
| nized Paul Fontano and Tony Falset-
ia as the guilty parties. He was not
present at yesterdays hearing, anc
| efforts Of district Attorney Gui,
on to locate him proved unavall'
ing.
After all the testimony had been
adduced, Judge Gilbert ordered that
the accused be released upon bond in
the sum of $4,000 each.
Witnesses summoned by the de.
Tense, in addition to those named
above, were: NJ. Anderson, Pau!
Fleury, Edward Coward, Dominick
Gaeta, Sebastian Hidalgo, Henry
Duke, Ernest Dalferes, Sidney Acosta
Ernest Capella, Philip Trepagnier
Frank Milano, S. Goette and Paul
Willheit