The Ordway new era., 1920-04-09

Js shore such n thing Us "sonInambulistc autom-
atism' which relieves The person committing
such an act from responsibility under the law:
Anyway. james Sapienza of lrrington n. D.,
we-to-,o manufacturer. shot his wife as she lay
beside him I'm bed at six o'clock in the morning
He told the police when arrested that ne saw Ill
a dream two BLACK Handlers" kidnapping his sew
en-yenroId son. Taking his revolver from I'M
ler his inflow he shot ut one of the kidnnpers
He walked find that he had fired the bullet INTO
the head of his wife. He insisted that he had no
farther knowledge of the act. Here is MS Story
told in detail reporter for the New York
Tribune:
.Ir seemed to that two men had come
through the window of my home; that one had
tied II handkerchief about my boys eyes ana had
then placed him In large sack. 1t was so very
real tIiat, even now, swear TO you on the holy
nnn,e of the Virgin Mother, can hardly beheVe
it not
II had never been 10 dream. never
walked in my sleep. But for several weeks
had been very nervous over the 'Blnck Hand let
ters. You know, among my people 1t Is com
mon practice for II certain class of men to try to
prey on others who have been successful and have
made n little money. Well. had determined not
10 permit myself to be robbed in that way. and
l had provided myself with II revolver This re-
yolyer an old one had been in the house before
that time, but l had always kept it wrapped in
n handkerchief and high shelf, because
was afraid one of the children might ma II ana
hurt himself.
.Well when the letters kept coming i got
this revolver and 1 placed 1t under my pillow
thinking to defend my child. l was not afraid
for myself, but the letters made me very nervous
and kept thinking all the time of the men VINO
had been writing me the letters.
81 want TO say. i have said to the ponce
that | loved my wife. For the ten years while
we were married she had been a good wife to me-
Ii was through her, perhaps, more than anyone
else that | was able to improve our condition
little bit and get ahead. Before taking up the
manufacture of concrete building blocks had
store and my wife In addition TO her other duties
used to help there. l always left her IN
charge when was called away on other business
and always knew that things would go right
She was a good woman, who always worked hard
and we never had quarrel that people could call
serious There was other woman for me after
married.
We'll, | say, this particular night, or
morning, dreamed that the two men had come
through the window of my home and We're car
rying off my hoy Then, though never
man TO kill. | decided to kill ] saw my boy in
the hands of those devils plainly ns see you
and the blood rushed my head. All the fear
and the suspense that i had felt in the past
months overwhelmed me. well terrible
hatred of the men who. as thought, were before
me- and / grabbed my revolver which had under
the pillow.
although terribly excited | acted coolly
| act now pointed the revolver at the near
est man and took good aim that ! would not
miss. I will Kill This beast, | told myself, and
ihen--suddenly | awake.
81 was sitting up In bed with the revolver In
my hand and my wife. who was lying beside me.
said: jimmy That was all she said just