The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-04-01
Hero of Famous Murder
Trial Died at Willow
brook Tuesday.
BY JURY
Charles Vite, Defendant in
Famous Murder Case Victim
of Consumption.

One of the most interesting pages in
the criminal history of Kenosha county
was recalled on Tuesday night when
Charles Vite, forty-three Of age and a
resident of Kenosha for the past
twenty-seven years, died at Willow
brook sanatorium following long i'll
ness from consumption. Vite had been
down and out for some time and he
had been sent to the sanatorium in
hopes that his life could be saved.
Vite's claim to fame rested on the
fact that he was the slayer of "Tony'
Bruno, who twenty-five years ago was
known as the king" of the Italians
in Kenosha. His trial was one of the
most notable criminal trials in the his
The killing took place in the engine
room of the old Allen tannery on the
23rd of November, 1899. Vita had
been employed in the engine room and
Bruno, who was held to have had a
powerful influence over the Italians Of
the city, had gone to the place in com
pany with a young woman to whom
Vite was alleged to have been engaged
to be married. Bruno told Vite that
the young woman was untrue to him
and Vite drew revolver and shot him
dead. The case caused wild excitement
in the city at the time as Bruno was
probably the best known of the foreig-
ners who had coTae to Keucsha to live,
Trial Lasted Many DAYS.
Vite surrendered himself to the of
fcials after the killing Of Bruno and
he was brought to trial in the circuit
court of Kenosha county on March
18th of 1900, The trial of the case
lasted for many days and in the evil
dence there was much brought out in
regard to the influence Bruno had over
she Italian people in Kenosha. Dis
trict Attorney Alfred E. Buckmaster
was in charge of the trial of the case
for the state and Attorneys John c..
Slater and Calvin Stewart defended
Vite. The connection of a pretty
Italian girl with the case dropped some
heart interest into it and the court
room was crowded throughout the
trial The case went to the jury on
March Goth, 1900 and after twelve
hours deliberation the jury brought
in a verdict acquitting Vite of the
murder charge.
Hailed As a Hero.
Vite was hailed as hero and was
carried from the court room on the
shoulders of his Italian friends. Later
he went into the saloon business in
Kenosha and his life became particu-
larly gray" He was much in the
courts and at one time he was arrested
charged with being party to sending
a threatening letter through the mails.
He was tried on this charge in the
United States court in Milwaukee and
sentenced to a term in the federal
prison at Fit. Leavenworth. He served
his time and came back to Kenosha,
but he was not able to pick up his old
place of prominence among the foreig-
ners of Kenosha. For some time he
had worked as factory worker in one
of the Kenosha factories but his health
was such that he was unable to provide
for the support of his wife and child
rem and the city for some time had
been aiding in the support of the fami-
ly. Two weeks ago he was taken to the
sanaterium but his case was hopeless
one and he died early Tuesday evening.
His wife and seven children survive
him.