The Elbert County tribune., 1920-02-20

IL there such thing as "soninambulisc autom-
atls,n" which relieves the person committing
such nn act from responsibility under the lawi
Anyway, james Sapienza of Irvngton N j.. a
welI-to-do manufacturer, shot his wife she lay
beside him in bed ut six o'clock in the morning.
He ted the police when arrested that he saw In
dream two 'Blacs Handlers kidnapping his sew
en- ,-yc,,r-old son. Taking his revolver from un-
der his pillow he shot at of the kidnapers.
He walked to find that he had fired the bullet into
the bend of his wife. He insisted that he had no
farther knowledge of the act. Here Is his story
told In detail to reporter for the New York
Tribune:
III seemed to that two men had come
through the window of my home; that one Ind
tied handkerchief about my boys eyes and had
then placed him in large sack 1t was so very
lreal that even now, swear to you on the holy
name of the Virgin Mother, l hardly believe
1T not
81 had never been to dream I never
walked In my sleep. Bur for several weeks l
had been very nervous the Black Hand let
tiers. You know, among my people 1t Is n COM
mon practice for certain class of men to try to
prey others who have been successful and have
made little money. Well / had determined not
to permit myself to be robbed in that way, and
i had provided myself with revolver. This
vover, old one had been in the house before
that time but 1 had always kept 1t wrapped in
"a handkerchief and on high shelf. because
afraid of the children might find 1t and
hurt himself
this revolver and l placed it under my pillow
thinking to defend my child. I was not afraid
for myself but the letters made very nervous
and kept thinking all the time of the men who
had been writing me the letters
II want to say, as have said to the police,
that l loved my wife. For the ten years while
we we're married she had been a good wife to me-
1t through her, perhaps, more than anyone
eise that able to improve our condition a
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 me there. l always left her in
charge when was called away other business
and always knew that things would go right
She good woman who always worked hard
and we never had quarrel that people could call
serious There other woman for me after
we were married.
"Well. AS SHY. on this particular night.
morning, l dreamed that the two had come
through the window of my home and
Tying off my boy Then. though |
man to Kill, / decided to KILL l my boy in
the hands of those devils plainly as see you
and the blood rushed to my head. All the fear
and the suspense that had felt in the past
months overwhelmed me, well as terrible
hatred of the men who. as thought. were before
me, and grabbed my revolver which had under
the pillow
..Although terribly excited | acted as coolly as
/ act I pointed the revolver at the near
est man and took good aim so that would not
MISS 4 will kill this beast told myself. and
then-suddenly was awake
II 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