The Washington times., 1921-07-10
Would You Send Man to Death
On Circumstantial Evidence Only?
Yes, Says Noted d. c. Detective

WudI1Os VoSItUt&N wi SUoo-
maker, Who Was Convicted
Of Killing a Twelve Year-OIc
Boy and of Setting Fro to His
Shop to Destroy the Body.
By C. LEO GIBSON.
Do you believe in circumstances
evidence?
Would you be partly responsible,
for the taking of the life of murder
suspect by bringing in a verdict OF
first-deRree murder on purely cir,
cuinstantial evidenced
Then, should Tony Milano be par
doncd from the Federal prison al
Leavenworth, Kan. where he il
serving a life sentence for the slay.
ing several years ago of Harry
Smith, twelve-year-old boyf
"GUILTY.r SAYS DETECTIVE.
NO" says Detective Sergeant Fred
NJ. cornwell. of the Washington po-
lice department, one of the shrewd.
est detectives In the United States
~ ahSwei W tuo Ahbl QucStiOns
"Milano always has maintained his
innocence, accusing another Italian
and was convicted on purely circum-
stantial evidence" 1t was suggested
True" says Cornwell. "but the
links Of ciroumstantial evidence were
well forged and there was no alter
native for the jury which tried him
but to bring in a verdict Of flrst de-
gree murder against the italian"
Tony Milano Is the former Wash
ington shoemaker who was accuse
OF beating to death with a hammer
the lad who had gono into HIS shoe
repair shop to get change for 81.
That was the last seen OF the boy
alive. An hour later tho shop was II
flames and Milano had disappeared
Firemen discovered tho charred body
lying on a couch which had beer
saturated with coal oil. The body wa.
so badly burned at hrst IL was be
Hsyed that OF a woman.
ARREST OF MILANo.
As Miiano had disappeared, he wa.
suspected. Detective Cornwell an.
other policemen surrounded his home
Cornwell saw the Italian embrace hi,
wife and then start down the rsai
stairs of his homo with q revolver In
his hand.
"rhrow up your hands" shouted
Cornwsll to the italian who wa,
about to escape through the rear dool
after finding policemen at the from
door.
Questioned at police headquarters
Milano denied ever having seen the
boy. He said he had left his shor
earlier In the day in charge of AN
other Italian shoemaker. He could
not give the strangers name.
In the meantime while Milano wa,
being put through the third degree
Cornwell began an investigation tc
Identify the body and to get wit
nesses. A small silver collar clasy
was found in tho ruins of the FIRE
Later In the day Harry Smith was re-
ported missing. His mother identified
the pin as being one she had given
her son. Parts of clothing worn by
the boy and which had not been de-
stroyed by tho flames also were iden.
titled.
CHAIN OF EVIDENCE.
With the Identification of tho body
tho police got busy to learn who had
last seen him alive. A woman OF
gone to Washington to sell An aire
dale dog. Tho prospective purchaser
wanted the dogs pedigree. She could
not furnish II. and tho sale was not
made. Too tired to walk back tc
Alexandria with the dog and II being
prohibited at that time to carry dogs
on street cars, the woman told Harry
Smith she would give him 26 cents II
he led tho dog back to her home.
Happy to make the quarter. Harr,
took a dollar from the window to &c,
II changed. He left her standing or
a corner nearby. She did not see
where he had gone. But when he
failed to return with the change she
believed he had ran away with the
money.
However, several persons saw the
boy 70 into the shop. Later they
heard cries, but IT was thought the
shoemaker was whipping one of his
three children.
Mrs. George Shaffer. who lived
across the street from the shop, which
stood at Massachusetts avenue
Fourth and II streets, noticed the
shoemaker, she said. beating the boy
She did not notice what he was using
She had no idea the boys skull was
mer. Soon the boys cries ended in
death.
Mrs. Sheffer noticed the italian
move about the shop in an apparently
excited manner and then leave. A
short time later the shop was in flames
Mrs. Shaffer then had a premonitior
something had happened. She told her
story Of what she had seen to Deteo-
tive Cornwall
THE ITALIANS STORY.
Cornwell and the other policemen
then hurried to Milano's homo in
Shott's alley.
Where are you going. Tony" ask
ed CornweI. as he disarmed the Ital-
ian.
That's my businessl" he exclaimed.
Don't you know your shop IL on
nre7~
IL don't care-I didn't do It," he
rejoinod.
The italian was extremely nervous.
He said he did not want to go near
A.