The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1920-12-10
NOT GUILTY or
MURDER CHARGE
JURY'S VERDICT IN
THE CACCIOLA CASE
Defendant Kisses Hand Of Counsel AS
Verdict is Read-victim's Brother
is Under Surveillance During the
Trial.

At 5:lI O'Clock last Friday after
| noon the jury i'm hescase of the STATE
of Ohio VS.. Dominick Cacciola, charp.
ed with the shooting to death o1
Frank Butto, I'm Wadsworth on Sent
5, returned a verdict of not guilty. Tht
Indictment against Cacciola was fol
first degree murder.
Arguments in the trial closed al
noon Friday. The court finished its
charge to the jury at 2:30 in the af.
ternoon, the jury deliberting Just AZ
minutes. According to statement OF
Foreman j. E. Gault of the Jury fol
lowing adjournment of court, but
three ballots were taken. The first
two stood II for acquittal and one
for conviction. The final ballet was
unanimous for acquittal.
A large crowd waited in the court
room for the return of the jury, and
Judge Mcclure did not leave the
county building. The prevailing i'm
preston was that the Jury would not
be cut long, and those who had fol
lowed the trial Were practically Of
one mind, that the defendant would
not be convicted.
AS Clerk Geo. Frazier read the
verdict in open court, there was an
attempt on the part nf 1.-THE spectators
TO applaud, but it was promptly
,equelched by the court. The defendant
grasped and kissed the hand of his
chief counsel, Attorney Greenberg,
and shook hands with each Of the
ju1ymen as they passed Lent Of the box.
Cacciola's young wife and baby
were by his side when the verdict
freeing him was read and he em-
rbraeed them az the wifeswept for j1y.
The agitated and suspicious actions
Of Sam Butto thruont the trial cans
ed him to be under constant surveil-
lance by both the village officials
and the officers of the court. Sam
Butte is brother of Frank Butte.
for whose Staying Caceiola was tried.
and this fact together with. Sam's rep
utation for being viciously inclined led
officials to forestall any possible at
tempt on his part to wreak vengen-
ance on the prisoner. ,Butt0 was
searched by Deputy Sheriff Hange
several times during the trial and
again just before the jury returned
with the verdict. ssss
Soon after his acquittal Caccioia
and his family were conveyed. to their
home in Wadsworth by friends.
Immediately following the close of
the trial court was adjourned, but was
reconvened in about Ia half hour to
pass upon the case Of the State US.
Phillip Sinatra. The latter was under
indictment for shooting with intent TO
kill Sinatra was a friend of FRANK
Butto and the latter's companion or,
the day Butto was slain by Cacciola!
It Was at this time that Sinatra fired
several shots at Cacciola, one of which
grazed the flesh of the latter's body. \
When arraigned in court some time
ago Sinatra entered a plea of not
guilty. Subsequently,, Through ar
by his council and which I
was acceptable to Prosecuting Attor-
ney Seymour, Sinatra was permitted |
10 change his plea of not guilty to the |
original indictment and enter one Nof |
snilty TO assault. This he did Friday |
afternoon and he was sentenced by |
Judge Mcclure to the workhouse at |
Canton for "a period of six months and
% pay fine of $50. The time Sina-
;ra mas already spent in Jail since
Sept. IS will he deducted from the six
months sentante. $751;