The Penn's Grove record., 1916-12-29
A BRUTAL MURDER
Stealing Chickens and Robbing
Men With Whiskey Relish

1859 VhAAb CT W l. GlONhg Mutu
Fred Pontiere, who lives on the Bevis
farm, went through the second field on
the right above the Penns Grove road,
he found a dead man who had been shot
and a stick jammed through his right
eye lying in the snow. He notified
Prosecutor ID. v. Summerill, Jr. He.
with Coroner Hollis Ashcraft, Marshals
Joseph b. Harbeson, Charles Norton
and DIR. i. II. King, went TO where the
body lay and examined it and the sur
roundings@ to get evidence to catch the
murderers and the motive therefore.
The dead man was John ]. Wescoat,
aged 81 years, no was one of the three
out guards who watch the water inlet at
DUPONT reservoir, formerly known as
Dancers and Lees mill pond. Wes-
colts HON is at Nappsburg, Va, but he
has been employed at Carney Point
since April, 1915, and has been a guard
since last September.
The officials found a wagon track in
the snow which led from and to the home
of Calogero Petite, who had bought a
lot off the Bevis farm and built a shanty
thereon. The horse tracks showed hat
one shoe was off. Costuntina Antonio
Y WI III anu HIS wife Angelo,
All were put under arrest and put in
the borough lookup. On Monday An
tonic made a confession and said that
Frank Nicilo, of Penns Grove, was impli-
Gated in the murder. Nicilo was found
at his home on Griffith street and taken
to the DUPONT lookup at Plant 2.
On Tuesday evening Coroner II. +.
Ashcraft held the inquest in the Coun-
Gil room before a jury of six men who
were: Thomas e. Hunt, Charles j..
Smith, Harry Green, James B. Summer
i'll, John r. Wilson and Charles II. Sim
kins.
Frank Nicolo on examination. stated
that he engaged in selling oranges and
apples. He left Penns Grove last Sat
urday night about Z o'clock to go to Peti-
to's, whom he designated as Charlie, to
have a good time. He had been invited
to come out to have a good time. He
met Wescott near the borough limit who
told him he was going to the Layton
farm. Frank agreed to take him as far
as he went for ten cents. Both had
drinks ON way there and at Charities
ghouse. When they attempted to take
tWestcott to the barn to sleep he bit
ANAh hhSCI dhu u HS udHu.
Frank said Charlie shot the old man
three or four times and cut him with
an Italian knife. When shown a razor
with blood on it he said that he had
cut no one, the red was paint. He said
that he and Costuntia Antonio were to
go after chickens. He did not steal
chickens. He watched the horse while
Antonio did.
Antonio said he was not at the murder
but remained at the house. Nicolo did
the killing.
Reuben Pedrick, who lives in the
house on the Bevis farm below the corn
er, said he heard a drunken quarrel and
heard shots fired about 1890.
DR.. King who examined Wescott's
body said that a revolver bullet went
into the right and left breasts, also one
through the lobe of the right ear and
down the neck. There were cuts ON his
throat and other parts of the body,
showing there had been a struggle. A
stick, four feet, six inches long with a
blunt end had been jammed into Yves
colts right eye into the BRAIN, There
was blood on it for four inches.
Calogero Petite stated that he was
asleep and heard calls. Frank was
there with a man. Frank killed him.
He had nothing to do with it.
Nicolo is a shrewd, crafty, smooth
tongued talker of English, who has been
in this region nine years. Antonio can
write well but he and the Petitos can
not talk English very well, so their tes-
timony had to be taken through an in
terpreter. It was very contradictory
and each blamed the other for the crime.
Nicolo's wagon wheel was exhibited with
blood on it. There was also blood
stains on Petitio's trousers. They
claimed it was blood of hogs. Antonio's
shot gun was also in evidence.
The jury returned a verdict that Wes-
colt came to his death by gun-shot
wounds and that the four persons be held
for court to be tried for murder.
Detectives Gallagher and Frank r. Nu-
gent on dupont force did valuable service
on the case. The four men were commit
ted to Salem Jail by ] K. Duffy, Esq. with
our bail.
The prisoners were very bold, ascer-
tial and emphatic in their testimony and
each declared his innocence as the 9TH
err fellow did it. They were taken to
Salem jail after midnight.
On Wednesday in Salem Jail Petitito
made a confession that he stabbed Wes-
colt and Frank Nicolo shot him, while
Antonio stood guard a hundred PAGES
away with the shot gun. Frank broke
a fence rail to as fine a poinr as he
could with >his foot and stabbed Wes-
colt in the eye until the stick went thru
to the brain. After they committed the
murder they went and stole chickens.
They then took his money and watch
back to the house and divided it. Frank
Nicolo took the watch to have it pawn
ed. 1t is believed and Squire J. X.
Duffy has a confession from Frank that
he was the leader with others in several
robberies and crimes that has taken
place during the past year.