The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-01-21
A Dastardlv Act

A DaStardly Act
That Burlington county will not b
compelled to have two murder trials i
not the fault Of the men who triet
i their best to take the life of woman
on Sunday night of last week. Sal
vatore Frustaci and George Gentil,
took the wife of the former for an auto
mobile ride and left her on the road
badly cut with razor, thinking she
was dead. She was found later by q
lltney driver who hurried her to ST.
Francis hospital, Trenton, where she
lowered between life and death until
Thursday, when she was pronounced
out of danger.
Frustaci had been recently discharg-
ed from Camp Dix. He had not been
living with his wife for some time, but
! after he left the camp he made home
at Trenton and then went to New
York for the woman. Arriving at the
former city an automobile ride was
proposed and the three started towards
Bordentowu. When Dunn's Hollow
was reached, the auto, for some reason,
refused to go any further, and il was
suggested that the trio walk towards
Bordentown and get trolley and 90
back to Trenton. Gentle and Mrs.
Frustaci walked ahead, the husband
remaining in the rear. They had not
gone far when Gentle asked the wo-
man to carry his suit case and when
she complied with this request he pull
ed razor and cut her in the face and
neck. She called to her husband but
he failed to go to her aid The woman
screamed and Gentle thought the best
way to stop that would be to cut out
the woman's tongue. In his attempt
to commit this act he made mistake
for Mrs. Frustaci closed her teeth on
the mans fingers and held him until
she was able to get the razor from him
and throw it out of his reach. The
man then choked her and left her for
dead. But iitney driver came along,
heard her cry for help and took her to
the Trenton hospital
Detective Dodd was sent to investi-
gate the case on Tuesday. He found
the razor hanging on branch of a
tree. He also saw the fence where the
woman had fought for her life and
blood had been spread all around the
spot. When Gentle was arrested his
fingers plainly showed the marks of
The woman's teeth. She gave as a
reason for the attack that she had re-
fused her husbands desires that she
enter into a traffic with men that
would bring money that was to be
turned over to the husband. Gentle
1ad $50 in his pocket when arrested
md he said it had been given him by
for the part he had played in
he outrage.
A lawyer from Trenton came to
Mount Holly on Thursday and asked
Judge Lippincott to fix bail that the
wo men might be allowed their free
lom. After comforting over the tele.
'hone with the physicians at the hos
'ital and finding that the woman was
lot likely to die, the amount of bail
vas fixed at $4,000 each, which they
AYE not yet obtained.
Yesterday detective Parker went to
'renton, got the woman and brought
Ter to Mount Holly. She presented a
cry pitiful appearance. Her face was
ut in several places and her right
and has triangular cut,on it where
he grabbed the razor. She told about
he occurrence. A coincidence was the
act that the assault took place on the
rst anniversary of her marriage to
'rustaci. After making statement
, the detective she was taken to the
Ill, where the two men were brought
a. GENTLE came first. He appeared
} be in very weak condition and
ept his eyes closed, leading to the i'm
ression that he was on the verge of
ollapse. The prison authorities were
the opinion that this was assumed.
he woman did not have any trouble
r hesitancy in Identifying Gentle.
he latter was asked if he wanted to
uestion the woman, but be answered
nat he did not understand what was
eng said to him. He was taken back
nd Frustaci was brought-in. He was
t once identified, and in reply to the
uestion whether he wished to make
Jatement, he said he would not saw
nything in the absence of his lawyer.
The men were taken back to their
ellis and the woman was give n
uarters in the Jail where she Will be
ED as witness. On Sunday morning
ONE Italian men were seen in front Of
be Trenton hospital They whistled
nd tried to gain the woman's atten
ion but when the police saw them
hey quickly left. A woman who Mrs.
'rustaci did not know called at the
ospital and asked to be allowed to see
er but permission was denied. The
rand jury will return on Thursday to
onsider the case.