The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-04-03

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] entered the neck below the ear, sever
ing the jugular artery. The ball Iodg
ed in the throat.
DR.. Cunningham said he was called
to the cranberry bog on the day OF ths
| murder. He found Henry Rider in 6
dying condition. expiring about fifteer
minutes after witness arrival. A. J.
Rider had been shot once in the arm
! twice in the leg above the knee, and
once on the upper lip. Mrs. Smathers
had been shot in the leg, above the
4 knee, and one bullet had struck her in
the back but had been DETECTED by a
corset steel. john Rigby had two
wounds in the left shoulder, two in a
leg and a slight wound in one hand.
i John Rigby, mechanic, said he was
in the automobile that day, being Ia
ken to the boys to do some work. Soon
after the car left the main road, num-
Der Of masked men sprang out Of the
woods and opened fire at close range.
Mr.. Rider reached for a revolver slowed
in valise and had some difficulty in
getting the weapon. Witness grabbed
the revolver from Mr.. Rider and opened
fire on the highwaymen, who then inn
mediately fed. He fred three shots,
but could not tell if he hit any Of
tenn. After the second shot one of the
assailants stumbled and fell. Witness
could not identify any of the men as
they were masked. He was shown two
raincoats, which he identified as hav-
ing been worn by pair of the desper-
ADDE'S that day
John Flanagan lived in the old school
house at Atsion at the time Of this
crime. He was employed as section
hand on the railroad, but did not work
on the day Of the hold-up. He was at
home all that morning. He saw the
automobile pass his house atabout I. 80
that morning and saw it stop short
distance beyond his home. 1t con-
tanned three men and girl. After
turning the car around the occupants
left it. At about eleven o'clock he
heard so or so shots. In few minutes
he saw or 9 men running to the car,
which they entered hurriedly and at
once drove of. Witness thought this
action was suspicious, so he wrote
down the number of the cars license
tag. He positively identified the de-
PENDANT as being one Of the men who
entered the car. Nonc of them were
masked at any time h', saw the crowd.
A statement made by the defendant
while he was in Jail was admitted as
evidence. 1t was made * detective
Parker, through an interpreter, and
was taken down by stenographer. In
this statement the defendant admitted
that he hired the automobile that day;
that he accompanied the party to At
sion, but that he did not take any part
in the shooting. He said he remained
in the woods, near the automobile, and
did not have any knowledge of the
contemplated crime.
On Thursday morning Mr.. Savage
opened the defence. He said he would
show that Iraco had been in this coun-
try several years and had worked on
farms. He got an idea he would like
to have farm of his own and had
written to his brother in Trenton re-
specting the matter. On the fourth Of |
October he went down Jersey but not |
to Hammonton. He went back to |
Philadelphia that evening and saw
Mile Marco. who said she knew where
there was farm that could be bought |
right. 1t was arranged that they
would go to see it the next day, and |
she would act as guide. Iraoo engaged
car and the morning OF the fifth of
October the party started. There were
five besides himself. When they got
near Atsion Trace and his brother were
left in the car along the road and the
others went into the woods. ! Later
they came out in hurry and the party
drove to Burlington. Iraco knew
nothing Of the crime until he over
heard a conversation which would be
related later.
Marie Donataraco was the first wit
ness for the defence. She is the wife
of the prisoners brother, who Is indict-
ed but who has fled. She referred to
the defendant as Joe and said he had |
money which was in the keeping of
her husband. He and Mile went to
Trenton and it was the first time wit
ness had ever seen the girl. The latter
said she knew about farm work and |
the location of place and would go |
along as witness to the transaction of |
purchasing or renting if needed.
Ellis HI. Parker was called to give
the location of the cells in which
Mile and Iraco were confined in the
Jail and said that they might be able
to talk to each other but they would
have to do SO in loud tone which
would easily be heard.
The defendant was then put on the
stand and given a thorough and ex-
haustive examination. He told how |
long he had been in the country and
the places where he worked, one of |
them being the railroad yards in Tren- |
ton, where he was employed for % |
months. He had written to his brother,
but the letter had disappeared. The
first witness was shown letter written
in English which she said was copy
of the one in question. Mr.. Fusco, the
interpreter, translated the letter to
Iraco and he said it was correct. He
explained the presence of Millie in
Trenton by the fact that his brother
had told her she would be welcome at
his home at any time, and as the
Trenton fair was in progress when
Trace went up, Mile decided to GO
then. They went to the brothers, but
she was not introduced as the wife of
the prisoner. He said he did not avoid
the gaze of any officer while in. Tren-
ton, nor had he told Milliehe had
trouble with woman in Trenton and
wanted the former to go along as his
wife. After visiting Trenton he went
to Newfield to look at farm, but did
not purchase it. That night he had
talk with Mile and she wanted him
to get car and go to Atsion. He had
never been there; had never worked
there or near there. Did not know any
body there. Millie said she wanted to
go and see her uncle, Tony Ritzo, and
a man named Luigi Pinto. She had
received message from them to come
down. She told Iraca If he wanted to
take his brother along he could do so.
/ Ladonna's car was broken, so they
hired one from Nassalli sfnrtir,n from