Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-19
FeIid to Win LOUe
Ends in Murder

HFtNtc GtG IFG ~ uCf
Continued from Pare One
third floor. vollini and his friend got
UP, went to the stairway and saw two
men on the landing below
Nc!lini opened fire on them. One Of
them, now said to have been Doris.
tried to get his revolver from his pocket
and lodged back and forth to avoid the
shots that Vellini was raining about
him.
Patrolman Downey. Of the Fifteenth
and Locust streets station. was at
tracted by the shots and Joined tho
pistol duel. shooting at the two men on
the second floor landing, while Vellini
fired down Mt them.
Doris-if It was he--and his com
panion escaped the fusilladc by jumping
through the glass door OF a tailor shop
on the second floor. pntrolman Downey
ran upstairs, risked his life by putting
his head through the door. and then
jumped through the aperture.
The two men turned at bay, and
exchanged shots with the patrolman.
dodging TO the fire escape and thus es-
Gaping when their ammunition was ex-
hnusted.
The incident was reported as an at
tempt at robbery. Vcllini Is said to
have known that one OF the midnight
visitors was his rival. but said nothing.
Vellini organized punitive nNpedi-
lion Of his own. He set out with his
gang in n taxicab Wednesday night 20
tind Doris and the girl.
yelIini and Aids Rislled Lives
Velliui and his followers risked their
ives by invading Doris own bailiwicH
in the Tcnderloin. They visited all the
dance halls in the ncighborhood OF
Eighth and Vine streets and looked into
the back rooms Of cafes. They could
IL was early ThurSday morning, when
| they were riding on Market street in the
Taxicnb. that Nebini saw the pair
walking on the other side Of the street.
AT Tenth.
( Vcllini and his crowd jumped out OF
the cab and attacked Doris. He and
the girl sought refuge in restaurant
, Of the corner. Doris appealed to the
patrons to see that he cot fair play.
| The gang was trying to drag him to
the street when Detectives CLARK and
Kelley ran in.
VGIini grabbed at tho girl, but she
pulled away from him, leaving her
handbag in his grasp. Doris got her out
side door while the gang, was
struggling with the detectives, and took
| her away in another cab. The handbag,
sn atched in the midst of the fight,
proved to be the instrument OF fate
Key Led Venini to His Death
The girl had moved TO an apart
msnt house run by Harry Goldsteln at
1925 Walnut street. She had been
there but few days. In the handbag
was the key to the door. II was with
this key Vcilini let himself in last night,
TO meet his death by a bullet under the
heart.
gone. Across the way, at 10lS Walnut
street, lives Vera Mlrichal. friend OK
Romeo Verna, Vellini's faithful ally.
yellini was at Vcrna's apartment late
Yesterday with the girl and Verna. PO-
! lice believe he had gone there so he
could watch the house across the street.
About six o'clock he saw the man and
girl enter the house. He waited awhile,
! then sent Verna over to ask Margaret
TO come to the apartment where he was.
| Vellini still hoped for a reconciliation.
Vera returned few minutes later,
and said she had been told 10 $50
chase herself" and Margaret would not
come.
Romeo Verna then volunteered 20 be
ambassador. He knocked on Margaret 8
door. but with no better result. Before
he had time to return Nellini came
over. He knocked, but was refused
admittance. lie used the KEY he had
/ = A. ~ bpn IN,
! Verna in the hall heard q shot, saw
Doris brush by and heard Ncllini groan-
ing "I'm shot, I'm shot"
Before Vellini died ne told his
brother Albert he had found the girl
alone in the room when he entered.
I Tells Of Quarrel
1--WE quarreled" the dying man
said, when | told her l knew some
! one was in the room. In the midst Of
the argument q man stepped from be-
hind a curtain and engaged In the
quarrel. He drew q gun and shot me. 1"
! To police NPllinl would say nothing.
What little information he gave about
! the shooting was to his friends and
/ relatives ct his deathbed.
Doris was detained but moment by
Nerna when he fed from the room. He
. 'HTtbkruGh 10 HlbOi' bh4u tFNh, uuil
l heard my friend sroaning. so let
him 60"
Nellini was sent TO Jefferson Hos
pitHl. The girl was arrested and taken
| to the Fifteenth and Locust streets sta
/ tion. There Lieutenant BelShaw, Of
the murder squad, questioned her for
! hours. She was both crafty and stub
born in her answers, the lieutenant
said. He got nothing out Of her, save
the oft reiterated assertion that Vel
, llnl had shot himself.
This statement was diSproved, police
say, by the absence of a weapon. The
girl was taken today 30 Central Sta =
ton, She wore handsome gray squir
rel coat, sky blue hat, dark blue silk
dress and black pumps and silk stock
ings. Her eyes were red from crying
when Captain Souder tried TO question
her.
The girls Atlantic City antecedents
are being looked up. In the short time
she had been here her beauty and
7ivacity had made her generally sought
after. Velini kept a fruit stand al
Eighth and Walnut streets. and was
well fixed His father l. dead. His
! mother, Mrs. Carrie Vellini, lives at
2l24 South Fifteenth street. She has
family ~ three sons and two daugh :