The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-02-27

Is there such a thing as "so~nlnambulistic aut0m-
artsm" which relieves the person committing
uch an act from responsibility under the law!
Anyway. James ~Sapienza Of I%rvington, n. j., a
welI-rO-io manufacturer, shot his wife as she lay
beside him In bed at six o'clock in the morning.
He tcId the police when arrested that he saw In
a dream two Black Handlers kidnapping his sew
en-year-old son. Taking his revolver from I'M
der his pillow he shot at one of the kidhapers'
He walked 20 md that he had fred the bullet into
the head II his wife. He insisted that he had no
farther knowledge Of the act. Here Is his story
told in detail 20 a reporter for the New iorN
Tribune:
II seemed 10 me that two men had come
through the window OF my home; that one had
tied 2 handkerchief about my boys eyes and had
then placed him in a large sack. Ii was SO very
real hat. even now, swear TO you on the holy
name o. The Virgin Mother, | can hardly believe
il was not 20.
II had never been a man TO dream never
walked in my sleep. But for several weeks
had been very nervous over the BLACK hand l'''
tiers YO4 know, among my people II Is u com
mon practice fJr a certain clnsS OF men To Try I"
n-eT IN others Hho have been successful aud hay"
made 2 little money. Well, had determined not
20 permit myself 10 be robbed IN that way ana
I rad provided myself with "A revolver ms y
~o&Fe-. an Old one, had been IN the mousse o''"r'
ina, dine. 5gt ! had always Kept tt "rhPp'" W
a hAE[Ee-ch.rf ana on u WEI' N"'''' 4"
~as sf-asd one Of To-" children might hnd II ana
h1r- himself.
We'll. xhen the letters kept ON coming ! R''
-ht. -.qofre- and placed { under my pillow.
rtFnss-z 70 defend my child. waH not o'''"
for zy1e'f but the letters mad" ~" very nervous
srs I ke-- thinking al th" time ot 'h' "'"' WV
had beer writing me th" letters
I wan. ~ say, ~ hnv" nhld !" me l'''
that r I0ae3 my wife For ~" ton years "'"'
x- we're married she had been - R"oh WI" ~ Nv
II q through her. perhaps. more than nn'"o"
1Se that + gas able 4" lmptov" our '"N'''''" "
ltrra- hs AMI yet ahead Boforo taking "p ne
unsr-<ze~urs " concrete building blocks had .
.-n-- s-S rny wife. ~ addition to hor other dn'""
RE~~ 10 fesD ne Their" Away" 'i' n' "
chzrx@ mfes I gas o1ll"d away on ONO '''''''
end 7 always kpew that thinEs ""o'' ~ .'R',
ske wss . 2Ood yOtnnn. VII" always ""'E'' ''''
an re rG7er hsd n quarrel th"' p'"rl' '"''' wv
~~rSnsas. There ms no other woman '"' No Nv"
ne we're asrr"S
WEI. az ! a8r. DD ihir particular n'k'' :"
r,wrvsrx T dreamed tist the two men hn' come
rayax~1s, .ss x1udow If mt nom" nnd w"r" go
r,f-v os j. toy Then. though wns never y
rn<n "a VIA decided 10 biil 60" my nov -
re- ksr1s ~ isnse devils es plainly ~ s"' w"
and rss S1r>g rushed 20 my hcnh Nv ~ wv
snH .rs sysySpse that ' bod f"' ~ M
ssw-fss overwhelmed ,oa, 90 ""l - " ''',"
Ass,<r - 'sss men wtD es ! Thought W''' 800
sae. s-@ I zrsDbaf M revolver "h''h Nv" "
rhe pfr1w
-syfs.9vxs ,4-,ttiy etai'el : n't'd ne r'o'N 20
- $50 4 .,1,,.d $40 yoyoivot ~ tno n"nf
cor srs- s,e ,ygk vpod sitr 50 'hn' ' ""l'' ~,
stsx. 7 Min tti SHE bear' J 900 "'''' '
iheS-ssSGssty I nss awnF" 10
Il sss sgf48Dy yp ~ b"i #'fh 10 ''''
nny as-1 aas no vile. shn 7ne l'ina N'.I,' y.
Asss. ya@py, 1bs' Hns MI sMe R"' '