The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1922-03-11
Murder Mystery
Creates Interest
lf-COnfessed Killer Unable
to Prove Commission
of Deed

Stevens county authorities in the
case of Raphael Janni, a member of
the Italian colony at Northport, who
last week confessed to killing Joe
Corrolo at Northport on the morn
ing of Feb. 18.
Disclosure of the evidence in the
case was made this week by Prose-
cutting Attorney o. w. Noble and
Deputy Sheriff C. A. Ledgerwood,
who have been investigating the case.
Janni states that he killed Corrolo
in self defense, and tells complete
story of the crime in five different
versions, but no corroborative evi-
dence is in sight as proof of his con-
fession, while on the contrary there
is evidence to disprove many of his
assertions.
George Zubac, a Northport Italian,
awoke on the morning of Feb. 10 to
find the body of Joe Corrolo lying in
the alley between the houses of Zubac
and Peter Janni, a cousin of Raphael
Janni. The body lay on it's back,
hands at ease by the sides, feet
crossed, and an ancient and very dull
butcher knife, standing handle up at
the side of the crossed feet. The
head was comfortably pillowed on the
snow at the side of the alley, and
feet were in the alley.
Zubac sent word to Constable Tom
Martin, while keeping watch of the
body, and Martin ordered the body
to be left until the notification of
Colville authorities, who directed that
the body be taken to the UNDER
takers.
On Feb. 20 Prosecuting Attorney
Noble, Deputy Sheriff Ledgerwood
and Coroner G. M. Stapish attended
the inquest. Raphael Janni there
confessed to killing Corrolo, claiming
that as he was going home that
morning he found Corrolo waiting
just inside the back gate with the
knife in his hand; that they fought
and struggled down the alley for a
distance of 100 feet, Janm being cut
in a number of places, but finally
getting his gun and shooting Corrolo
twice. Janni stated that he left the
body face down on hands and elbows,
and went home.
Janni's wife testifies that her hus-
band appeared with his hands full
of blood and with blood all over him,
"just like a hog;" that she cleaned
and bound the wound in his hand,
and washed the blood off the gun.
Janni's right hand had been deeply
cut between the thumb and first finger,
and was dressed by DR.. J. J. Travis,
who stated that the wound might
possibly have been made by the
butcher knife, but not probably. That
it had bled profusely was evident,
but there was hardly any blood on
his clothing, none on the dead mans
clothes, no evidence of struggle in
side the gate or outside, none along
the 100 feet to where the body was
found, no blood along the alley, and
but one drop along the entire line
of the alleged struggle, that being
inside the gate.
Janni exhibited a number of places
where his clothing was cut, alleged
by him to have been cut by Corrolo
during the struggle, but strangely
the cuts did not extend to his un-
der clothes or to his body, and the
cut between his shoulders had no
corresponding cut in his clothing.
The clothing cuts were as though
cut by sharp knife, and showed no
bloodstains, although Janni's wife
testified that the knife was covered
with blood.
The events of the evening i'm
mediately preceding the tragedy were
recounted by various witnesses, and
included the statement that Raphael
Janni, his cousin Peter Janni, Jimmie
Potesta and Giniano Bifano were
playing cards in Joe Manfredo's pool
room during the evening, with Joe
Corrolo looking on. All appeared Sc
rene and friendly, and all were sober
according to the proprietor, although
the players testified that all were
very drunk on moonshine except BIZ
fano. They left the pool hall at 80
a. m. in friendly mood.
Jannps statement that he stot Cor
rolo twice is countered by the evil
dence that the gun had been shot
but once. The dead man showed a
fatal wound in breast and heart, and
the bullet cOrresponded with the gun
The other shot passed entirely
through the groin and has not been
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