The Alaska daily empire., 1916-02-19

ALASKA DAILY
 
 l have not forgotton-Ebrico caitanoo. Francesca MicelsPicardl and Alfredo Catapano
 "It Is true. as the homo newspapers said. that wept when l was taken from tho American jail to Italy to face my trial. l could not know wheth CT I would be understood. l was very nearly hopeless. But the two Italian officers sent for men treated me with greater kindness and courtesy than had in the least expected.
 "When we got to Genoa ] was to be turned over Go other officials, but I begged my two friends to go all the way to Como with mo. and we had become such good companions by this time that they asked special permis- sion to do me this favor and it was granted
 Absolutely Frlendless
 'I felt absolutely friendless when they left me. and with good reason at the time. You know Italian laws and justice arc not Ike ours. Here man is assumed innocent until be is proved guilty. but over there you are guilty from the start. You have no privileges in the prison while you await trial
 Mind you, l am not going to give you any aorror story. l might tell things to make your hair stand. But l won't. But 1t is enough, isn't 1t. when I say was In solitary confine- ment?
 'Tt was solitary. l had @ little cell with O board floor-the boards SO far apart you feet would sometimes slip through them. though if you slipped all the day through you'd only be in cellar dungeon.
 outside my cell was tiny patch of yard that they let me out in for exercise. once Q day for m hour But had writing materials, books and newspapers. l learned a great deal of Italian during that period. But eight months-all alone! The guards that fed you might not talk with you. The thing was lntolerable. And ] was able Co know by the sound of voices that came from the prison .n through my cell walls that an prison CTS weren't that way. So finally l got up my nerve and practically de- handed my release from that intoler- able loneliness.
 "There was some delay. but it was granted me. was allowed out "in company" as 1t was expressed. There were four other prisoners at the time. three small court clerks, who got wages they couldn't live on. and had been guilty of petty thetts. and the director of telephone company. Q cultured man. practlced my Italian on them. and they stood for 1t polite ly end charmingly and began. Of course. to improve rapidly.
 'I found. though. that by securing the privilege of company. ] had to give up my writing materials and magazines. though not my books. We could smoke. but we couldn't play games of any kind.
 Trial Was a Fair One
 My trial was a fair one. Tho wit nossos against me were inclined to be discussive. but the presiding Judge sharply brought them down to a re- cItal of facts. was my only wit ness. and I must admit that he hand led me in the same fashion.
 From the first It was agreed that I had committed an unintentional mur- der. Then came the question of my responsibility. In this there are two degrees-fun responsibility or semi responsibility. My al.enist contend ed that was wholly irresponsible at the time I killed my wife; the others said was about midway between responsibility and semi-responsibil- itay.
 When it came to telling my own story spoke Italian altogether. It would be absurd to say that wasn't at a high nervous tension.
 Charlton's father. former United States Judge Charlton in Porto Rico learned only last night by cable from New York of his sons return.
 'I haven't any definite plans" he said finally. q will stay In New York a few days and then 80 to Por- to Rico to join my father. l will stay at least two or three months and then we'll plan what am to do. l really only want a chance to drop out of sight and get far start again. spanish-Amerlcan countries with the new understanding that is growing between them and the United States look attractive to me. l must get down to learning Spanish"