Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-31
MICHAEL ARUzzA ON
TRIAL FOR MURDER
Winooski Italian, Who Stabbed
His Cousin Last June during a
Quarrel, to Claim Act Was
Done in Self Defence-Five
Witnesses Testify

Michael Aruzza. the Winooski Italian |
who stabbed to death his cousin. Dominic |
Aruzza. in Winooski on the night of June |
last, was placed on trial in Chittenden
county court Tuesday for first degree |
murder. He is being defended by Attor-
neys Rufus f. Brown and NJ. G. Leary |
Of this city while the case of the State
is being handled by Acknowledgement
Frank c. Archibald and States Attorney
Allen Martin. Judge Sherman r. Moul-
ton is presiding. assisted by Judges
G. H. Hayden and C. A. Barber.
Practically all of the morning was
taken up Tuesday in getting the jury
for this case. nearly the entire list of
petit Jurors being challenged before the
panel was finally selected. The jury is
made up as follows G. A. Terrill Of
Cnderhill. John Hanley of Underhll,
l.. B. Mcneil OF Charlotte. L. /. Bing
of Williston, Frederick Bacon of Shell
burne. George Graves of Colchester.
Donald Lunt of Burlington. ]. w. Duffy
Of Milton, c. n. Weed of Essex, f. F.
Green of Bolton, L. J. Bixby of Essex
and w. f. Washburne Of Milton.
The trial of the case started Tuesday
afternoon and FIVE witnesses were placed
on the stand by the State before the
tlose of court at night The case prob
ably will run through the greater part
of this week, as the defense is evidently
prepared to put up a stiff legal fight
The case will continue at nine O'Clock
this morning. Alfred Perrotta is acting
as interpreter.
Tuesday afternoon, Attorney General
Frank c. Archibald explained the situa-
ton. The charge against Michael
! Aruzza. as outlined, is that on June l
| he and three other men, including the
| man who was killed. left Michaels home
| and went to the home of one Joseph
Denovo, where the party drank wine.
Later the members of the party left this
house and crossed the tracks to Hickok
| street along which they walked to the
point where Hickok street intersects
| West Lane street. At this point it is
| claimed, Michael and Dominic Aruzza
| stopped, and il was there that Michael
| struck his cousin one blow with a pair
of shears. this blow proving fatal 1t
! is said that Dominic crossed the street
after being stabbed. then fell dead. and
that Michael then ran down Hickok
street. while the other men in the party
| also fed 1t is claimed that the wife
Of Dominic was nearby at the time. heard
unusual sounds and went to the scene
|
husband on the ground, officer McGraw
of the Winooski police force arrived
few moments later and Michael Aruzza
was arrested when he returned shortly
afterward from a different direction than
| that taken in leaving the scene.
| A pair of shears with blood upon
them was found in the pocket OF MI
chael The evidence was strengthened
by the fact that the wounds made in
the body of the dead man, in the heart
anu in a blood vessel, were evidently
made by a weapon which separated as
1T entered the body.
A day or two after the stabbing, Mi
chael Aruzza who at first denied that
he had stabbed his cousin, confessed
to the deed and claimed that he had
struck in self defense, when Dominic
had attempted to draw knife on him.
Rufus (. Brown, in outlining the
case for the defence. laid emphasis
upon this point, that the deed had
been done in self defence. and this is
the basis upon which the defence will
evidently be conducted Mr.. Browns
story of the stabbing brought out the
assertion that there was a quarrel be
tween Michael and Dominic Aruzza all
the way from the house of Joseph
Denovo as they walked along toward
home. accompanied by Michael Momona,
Frank Stramintino and the small son
of Michael Aruzza, these three being
in advance of the two cousins.
II is claimed by the defence that
Mormona heard the cousins auarrelng
and turn = hack to separate them and
prevent trouble. From that time on
II is said. Dominic was trying to get
at Michael, while Mormona was trying
to keen them apart. He was success
full In keeping Michael behind him for
protection, it is claimed, for some time
, But. at certain point. Dominic, who
was ahead. turned back. the defence
: claims, and attempted to strike Mi
: chael with a knife. Then. in self de
: fence. it is said, Michael struck the
blow which killed his cousin.
. James B. Porter, civil engineer
was the first witness for the State. He
explained in detail map which ne
had made, and which was displayed
: before the jury. showing the scene OF
the stabbine and the streets and points
of Importance In that vicinity Mr.
Porter answered many questions abou
the map and about the places which
IT represented. including the house il
which Michael and Dominic Aruzzf
: lived the house to which they went OF
q the night Of the stabbing, the location
u of landmarks along the route trav
, eled, etc
I A. B, Lavigne, undertaken. of WI
9 nooski. was the next witness. He ties
d titled to being called to take care o
G the body Of Dominic Aruzza on thu
night of June /. last and said that HI
= took 1t to his morgue, He remembered
e that the blood was stained across tn
8 sidewalk at the time he found the body
O He thought the body was fully CLOTHED
at the time, but could not remembe
= whether or not there was a hat witt
v the body. He had taken the remain
a to his moreue and left them there un
touched until after the autopsy per
p formed by DR.. B. X. Stone.
:, Mr., LaviEns said that Police once
!. Mocsraw was with tho body at the tim
: Iha arrived there. The body was LYNN
on tho north "a sterly corner of Hickol
street and West Lane. according to hi
testimony,
u Chief G, A. Barber Of the Winoosk
10 police force testified briefly In regard L
=, identifying the body of Dominic Aruzx
" at the time that Dr. p, H. stont was a
" \, the morgue to perform the autopsy on tn
:" body,
Dr. a, II, Htane eft ths State iabsEa tar
was the nett witness, He told Of helm
called to perform the auYnpsY an the he'd
Ia at Dominic Aruz.a, as Identified hy CHS
~ BaFber, He said that he found the bod
~ fully eothad, and the clothes which h
took from the dead man were entered a
~ evidence, sitter thsy had been Identified b
1 fhn tn,1,x a.