New-York tribune., 1922-06-22
Hacks
To Death Man
Girl Accused
policc Doubt Story Told by
SLAYER. Who Quotes His
T.Year Old Daughters
Charge Against Victim. o.
Slashed 40 Times With Ak
noeior's Report Does No;
Support Child's Claim o,.
Attack by Old Neighbor

e.t.aro Svordonano. thirty-fve
"a Of 1873 Sackett street. Brook
titled Thomas MeighEn, siNty.two
j. "a Of 22O8 Ocean Avenue. yes
49, lie hacked Mcirhcn 20 death
- ,r az and then slashcd the old
-, body in q frenzy OF rage. in
,,.s- more than forty wounds. Tho
y.ssr ~ eharccd that Meighcu had at
..,I,s bis scvcn-yeaT-old daughter.
,iiisr svordonano. The police dis
s,,sit his story.
sso,,iv after noon Svcrdor'no. who
rsfrcntcr. entered tho Hamilton
,-,,ne police station and kcs 90 sec
Isssct.ve. Hc told Detective Nc
s.,,lv. who was assigned 60 talk 60
~ ihat he had killed MciGhen and
-. he BODY Of his victim lay In the
~, Of the Sackett Street house.
"vrrsf;hy. with three other cCtcc-
-, visited the Syordonano home and
s.-.i Meighcn ccad. lis SAUL had
-, crushed by the first blew of his
...i,,t's weapon All the other cuts
~ evidently been inflicted after he
IN Both arms and lecs weic nearly
,,y,-,d Strokes Of tho ox had also
=. ,,ansvcrse gashcs sevcrinc the ribs
ID crushing The sfernum. Physicians
-, examined the body said Meighen
.,i when his SKULL was split
News Of the killing causec intense
ue,ement Boa the ucighborhood. which
,inhabiiCd largely By Italians. Il was
.,rmerly an Irish colony, and many Old
.,adents o. the section remain there.
ne OF the oldest was Thomas Mel
,.en. He had lived within q block Of
y, house .H which he met death more
,.sn iorty-ire years Only few
-t,,hs ago be moved % the Ocean
i,srge address During more than ten
,ars Me.chcn had been known
augrhoui The rcighhoIhood as a lover
F,hiorcn. They swarmcd about him
r.srsyer he appeared. ciinging to his
'1rds aai asking him to tell them
c,fss Mere than 100 children stood
,.,g, the Sackctt street house when
Ycfhens body was removed. Many
e. them wcpt.
n h.r statement 20 the police Svor-
s,-sro sand he was informed Sunday
re..r. ty Mrs. Svogdonano Of a story
,,1 her by Lillian concerning Mel
r.,fs behavior toward her. He qucs-
.ssi the child and says she corrobo-
u.s3 what her mother had said. The
,.sfy ALLEGED to- have been related by
=, little girl is that she had been
a,sn % the cellar Of the Sackett
s,rss; house four times by MeiGhon
"a subjected 90 III treatment. Svcr-
,srsrc explained that nothing had
sr,r been thought Of Nciehen's fre-
,s,,; visits 10 the house because OF
=, known fondness for children, and
H,staily Lillian. and his long resi-
.,r,e IN the same building as a boarder
s,t Mrs Marguerite lsola. who owns
., property. II was TO Mrs. lsola s
,,s home in Ocean Avenue that Mel
Its recently moved.
sHisu thought o. what Meighen
I'D isne became more and more
rrsti every hour" Svordonano told
ls4t;ive Mccarthy. 81 was unable TO
sep All Sunday and Sunday night ]
e'ssh. about what ought 20 do. We
tr thought Mcghen cur firm friend.
2, had betrayed US. Monday ] in
urcst 70 60 out and look for Meghen'
sT I'D not 70 because Of rain.
The next day I was so angry WITH
linking o. my trouble that J could
~ ea' paced about the floor OF
~ hone. My wife tried 90 calm me
]. pss no use. While she was talking
70 me- heard n whistle downstairs. J
'sd heard that whistle many times. Il
'as Mcighcn's. He would put two hn-
rsrs in bis mouth and whistle from the
20, o. the stairs Then Lillian would
% down
y seized an AK from my toolboy ard
Itar'ed down the steps. ] tried 20 walk
N iiptoc. so that Mc~hCn might think
lillian was coming H. stood waiting
L the head q the collar stairs. IT,
vas grinning and asked me. Where's
ny girlT
81 swung tho Ak. felt tho blade
i1F into bis skull and he rolled down
no cellar stairs. After he hi. tho bot
onl he got up and tried 20 fight ne
,ui his eyes were full Of bleed. swung
ne az and cut him over the shoulder.
nat time he fell and did not rise.
Eier that ! don't remember much Of