The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-05-19
IAS'|11(|I||E
K E|'. A
D A R||Y
Defense to Intro.
duce It if it
Can

Mary Damico Yas placed on the
witness stand this afternoon di-
rectly following noon recess. Mary
is the 16 year old daughter OF
Angelo Damico who is being tried
for the murder OF Frank Tascone,
and upon Mary's testimony rests
the large weight OF all the evidence
in the entire trial. Angelo is be-
ing defended by Attorneys Harry
Shaw and Curt Amos and evidence
for and against their client all dur
ing the day was with difficulty
introduced. Mary was dressed
Just as yesterday in neat suit,
fur piece and large black, white
ribboned hat. He. eyes, black and
piercing, lose not a sentence of
what is going on and after each
answer to every question, she
glances quickly toward Attorney
Shaw. Mary's evidence was 10 the
effect that Tascone "chased her
eyerywhere-into meat stores, into
the schoolhouse, to the stores
down the street,,
Mary said Tascone had not
threatened her until about aSyear
ago when he decided she was OF
marriagable age! She told her
father he was annoying her and
during last winter she could only
so to school at Thoburn three
months because she was so afraid
of Tascone. She said Tascone
threatened to kill the whole fam
tly IL she wouldn't marry him.
Mary's smile was one of the
happiest things III court this after
noon. She tried hard to grasp all
that went on and though frequent
ly she was forced to say II don't
know what you mean" the remark
served merely us accompaniment
to the quick, sweet smile.
Spectators gossiped with each
other in an undertone. Several
versed in the ways of the Italian
race said they couldn't and
wouldn't believe Mary was any
thing but an innocent. school girl.
The state questioned Mary US to
whether or not she was at home
all evening the night of the shoot
ing.
She looked hastily toward Shaw
and hesltated.
Eyes, was" she said shortly.
Did you talk to your father
that day about 1ascone?"
"Yes about him hanging about. |"
did you have Tascone arrested
on two separate occasionsA"
"Yes, l did, and he said was
his sweetheart and they let him
go again"
Didn't they have any trial?"
mo they didn't He was Just
discharged"
Weren't you friendly with !Tas-
cone all the timer"
81 was not"
Didn't you speak to him fre-
quently?"
"oh, on the street I did, when
he stopped me. I had to-"
Didn't your father tell you he
was going to kill Tascone,"
He never told me that"
Now isn't 1t the truth pursued
the state, that Tascone could have
killed you many times IL he had
wanted to-weren't you close
enough to him for that? Now real
ly, you weren't afraid of him,
were you?"
"oh, yes, I was"
when was the last time you
saw Tascone to talk to?"
II don't remember"
Only two witnesses for the de-
tense have been examined and
tomorrow will be occupied with 10
additional defense witnesses.
The first witness called this
morning was Mike Delsandro.
Mike wanted to tell all he knew Of
the sordid story-of how Angelo
had tried to remove his 16 year.
old daughter from the clutches Of
Frank Tascone-of how time and
time again Angelo had tried to In.
terfere in the love affairs OF Tas.
cone and Mary occurring daily in.
his home.
But the state objected to the eyi-
dence which Mike wished to tell
the Jury. Attorney Shaw was de:
termined the evidence should be