The sun., 1919-03-20
CONVICT TRIES
TO KILL GUARD
TN DEATH HOUSE
Execution One Day Away,
Giovanni Feraro Slabs
and Bites Keepers.
GOVERNOR REFUSED PLEA
Prisoner Ground a Dagger
From Metal Plate and
Awaited Chance.

Armed with a crude knife which he
had made from a metal plate. Giovanni
Ferraro. who is to be put to death to-
night for the murder OF William Dunbar
at Farmcrsviile eighteen mRnths ago,
tried to escape yesterday from the death
house at Sing Sing Prison. In the fight
that followed one guard was seriously
wounded, the finger OF another was Bit
ten of by the convict. and Ferraro was
not subdued until guards and keepers
had choked and beaten him INTO insensi-
bility. He was revived by prison sur
geons.
In some manner unknown to the prison
authorities Ferraro got hold OF bit OF
metal plate about seven or eight Inches
long and proceeded to fashion 1t into a
knife He made, q handle for II by tear
ing strips from his clothing and binding
them about one end OF the piece OF tron
leaving section four inches long for the
blade. This he ground down to sharp
edge and a fine point by filing II against
the iron bars of his cell and the stone
tagging on the floor. These activities
passed unnoticed by the guards, nor
were any of the other convicts aware
that Ferraro schemed to murder a guard
and escape.
II is believed that Ferraro made the
dagger for use as a last resort. He had
hoped that the Governor would commute
his sentence. Word came to the prison
early yesterday. however, that the Gov
ernor had denied clemency for him. al
though he committed the sentence of An
tonic verrino. who was to have been ex-
ecuted with Farraro. Only a few min
utes later Ferraro and the other pris-
oners were let out of their cells for their
daily exercise. The convict slipped his
dagger up his sleeve and stepped through
the doorway of his cell into the corridor.
Aimed Mt Guards Throat.
In the death house at the time were
three guards-Bdward O'Toole, on the
ground tier, Michael Mccarthy. on the
upper tier. and II. p. Thacker, at the
entrance to the building.
As Ferraro stepped from his cell he
ierked the knife from his sleeve and
swung at ORIOLES throat The guard
lodged and the point of the knife slit
the flesh of his cheek near the eye.
O'Toole grappled with the convict and
Ferraro stabbed him in the chest. Al
though staggered by the pain and force
OF the blow O'Toole chung to the convict
and shouted for help. BY this time the
sixteen other convicts in the death house
had begun shouting, some of them yell
ing for Ferraro to kill the guards. but
the most of them shouting at the italian
not to hurt O"Toole. who Is well liked by
The prisoners. Among them was Joe
Cohen sentenced to die for the murder
Of Barnett Ban. who kept shouting
warnings to the guards and yelling al
Ferraro;
Don't kill o'Toole! He's all right !!
wounded Man in Serious Conf ition
Mccarthy hurried to ORIOLES aid
and Ferraro tried to stab him in the
throat O'Toole smashed the convict In
the face with his fist, and the convic,
missed, but Immediately made another
thrust at O'Toole. infiicting a cash about
four inches long IN the back Of the
guards neck. The next minute Nc.
earthly caught Ferraro on the chin with
his fist and knocked the convict down
He was trying to wrest the dagger from
Ferraro's hand when the murderer seized
McCarthy's finger between his teeth anC
bit 1t OF. Mccarthy finally took tn,
knife away from Ferraro. who wal
then quickly beaten into submission b,
the three guards. He was taken to tn,
solitary confinement cell. where he viii
be closely watched until his execution
O'Toole and Mccarthy were taken Il
the prison hospital, where their injuries
we're dressed by the prison surgeon
Lieut.. Amos o. Squire of the Unite,
States Navy. Later they were takeI
home. O'Toole lost a large quantity o
blood from his several wounds. and hi
condition last night was serious
Warden Meyer started an investiga alto,
to determine where Ferraro got tn
metal plate from which he fashione,
his dagger. but so far has been unsuc
cessful.
Ferraro's attempt to escape was tn
third that has been made in the thirt,
years. existence of the death house. Il
April. 1898, Thomas Pallister and Fran
Roehl escaped, but their bodies wer
found in the Hudson River a week latei
They had been shot and 1t is believe
that they were killed by the crew of
schooner which they tried to stea
Oresta Shilitano shot and killed
keeper named Mccarthy IN 1916, an
escaped from the death house. He wa
naked, and was recaptured in the street
o. ..G.. LA