The Benson signal., 1920-02-21

Is there such thing as 'SOnllalnDullSllc dutoHl-
atism" which relieves the person committing
such an act from responsibility under the law?
ANYWAY James Sapienza of Irvington n. j.,
we-todo manufacturer, shot his wife she lay
beside him in bed at six o'clock in the morning.
He told the police when arrested that he saw IN
u dream two 'Back Handlers" kidnapping his sew
ei.- yeir-oid son. Taking his revolver from un-
der his pillow he shot at one Of the kidnapers.
He walked to 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 his story
told in detail to a reporter for the New York
Tribune
1T seemed to me that two men had come
through the window Of my home; that one had
tied handkerchief about my boys eyes and had
then placed him in a large sack. 1t was so very
real that, even now, I swear to you on the holy
name of the Virgin Mother l can hardly believe
it was not so.
II had never been man to dream. l never
walked in my sleep. But for several weeks L
had been very over the Black Hand let
ters. You know among my people it is COM
mon practice for a certain class of men to try to
prey on others who have been successful and have
made q little money. Well, | had determined not
ITO permit myself to be robbed in that way, and
| had provided myself with revolver This re-
volver an old one had been in the house before
that time, but l had always kept it wrapped in
a handkerchief and high shelf, because l
was afraid one of the children might find it and
hurt himself.
well when the letters kept coming, l got
this revolver and | placed it under my pillow,
thinking to defend my child. | 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 as | have said to the police,
that I loved my wife For the ten years while
We were married she had been good wife to me.
Il 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 I had
store and my wife in addition to her other duties.
used to help me there. l always left her in
charge when l called away on other business,
and l always knew that things would go right.
She was good woman, who always worked hard.
and we never had quarrel that people could call
serious. There was other woman for me after
were married.
"Well, as 1 say, this particular night or
morning I dreamed that the two men had come
through the window of my home and were car
ryng off my boy. Then, though l was never
man to kill, | decided to kill. saw my boy in
the hands of those devils plainly as l see you
and the blood rushed to my head. All the fear
and the suspense that / had felt in the past
months overwhelmed me- as well a terrible
hatred of the men who as l thought before
me- and grabbed my revolver which l had under
the pillow.
"Athough terribly excited I acted cOoy as
I act now / pointed the revolver at the near.
est and took good aim so that [ would not
miss. will kill this beast I told myself, and
then-suddeny L awake.
II was sitting up in bed with the revolver in
my hand and my wife, who lying beside me,
sad:' Jimmy That was all she said, just