The Penn's Grove record., 1920-10-15
Proceedings of
County Courts
C0smO MangOcciO Acquitted of
Charge of Manslaughter
on Monday

The case of Cosmo Mangoccio in
dicted for manslaughter, by the shoot
ing of Stephen Vitelli, in Penns Grove,
on April 18th, 1920, was heard on
Monday and consumed the entire day.
Prosecutor Beckley represented the
State and Henry Burt Ware appeared
for the defendant.
The case was concluded early in the
evening and at $50 the jury returned
a verdict of not guilty.
The Prosecutor in his opening ad-
dress said the State would attempt to
prove that Stephen Vitelli, a resident
of Penns Grove, met his death on April
18th of this year while visiting at the
home of his brother, Raffaele Vitelli,
on East Main Street; that he was call
ed from the house by the wife of the
defendant and another woman and
charged with making defamatory state
ments about them; that Stephen
denied the accusation whereupon the
women grabbed hold of him and as he
pushed them away the defendant ap-
peared on the scene when a gun was
discharged and Stephen fell over dead.
Raffaele, the brother, it was said, at
tempted to take the revolver away
from Cosmo while the latter still had
his hands on the trigger.
DIR. Franklin H. Church testified
that he was called to the scene and
found Mangoccio dead on the ground.
He made a ~post-mortem examination
the next day and found a bullet lodged
against the backbone which had passed
through the abdomen.
Chief Marshall Houseworth, of Penns
Grove, testified that he was the first
officer to reach the house. He search
ed the premises for firearms but did
not find any either at Raffaele's house
or that of the defendant.
Raffaele Vitelli said he came on the
scene during the argument and saw
Cosmo put his hand to his hip pocket
several times and then the defendant
and his brother got into a scrap when
a revolver was discharged, but he did
not know in whose hands the weapon
was held.
There were several other witnesses
but they merely corroborated what
has been stated above.
The defense was that Stephen
Vitelli, who was killed, had made
some untruthful remarks about the
women and they had gone to him to
get him to retract; that he had a re-
volver in his hip pocket that could be
seen and he threatened to use it if he
was not let alone. Witnesses said
that as Cosmo approached Stephen
showed him aside and at the same time
pulling his gun; that Cosmo grabbed
e.. - onI ~ f,xi, m fO nQf II orr nf his
hands the bullet was discharged, not
by the defendant but by Stephen him
self. 1t was shown by the defendants
witnesses that bad feeling existed be-
tween the two families and it was
claimed that since the death OF
Stephen the brother had threatened
the defendant.
Taking the evidence of the defend
ants side of the case was very slow
and tedious as it all had to be given
through an interpreter.
Howard Toulson, who was acquitted
upon a charge of indecent assault, but
pleading guilty to o~bstructing service
of a warrant, was fined $50 and costs
Earl Stockton, who pleaded guilty
to the theft of a cunning coat from
David Oliver, Jr., On October Sd, was
tsentenced to six months in the County
Ejail to work upon the roads and to pay
a fine of 500 and costs. Stockton ad.
mitted having been before the Cour1
four or five times for various ofenses
In the case of Pablo Attiglio, Of
Penns Grove, indicted for carrying
concealed deadly weapon, his bail, IL
the sum of 500, was forfeited to the
County upon motion of Prosecutor
Beckley.
The appeal ease of W. A. Campbell
VS.. Isadore Weinberg, of Penns Grove
was heard on Friday last.
The case grew out of a dispute ovel
the sale of a quantity of household
goods by Campbell to Weinberg IL
January last. The amount involved
was about $500.
The decision of the lower Court was
reversed and Campbell was giver
Judgment for $27.56.