The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-12-06
.LENIEVCY FOR
KENOSHA MAN
Governor Commutes Life
Sentence of Joe Gallo
Il to Is Years.
CONVICTED OF MURDER
Gallo, Convicted Here in 1917,
of Murder, Put Up Plea
of Self Defense.

Executive clemency was extended to
another Kenosha man today when
Governor Blaine at Madison COM
muted the life sentence of Joseph
Gallo, convicted here of the murder
of Peter Cerminara, to twenty five
years Imprisonment Gallo was sent
enced on December 10, 1917, and has
now served almost six years of the
term. He was informed today at the
prison of the action of the governor
holding out hope that he may some
day get beyond the prison walls.
In handing down the order commut-
ing the sentence, Governor Blaine ex-
planned that leniency was extended
because "of the circumstances of the
case" This is taken to mean because
of the fact that there was some doubt
raised as to whether or not Gallo had
shot in self defense or in the fear
that he would be attacked by the
man whom he murdered.
On Death-bed Story.
Cerminara was shot by Gallo on the
night of July 1, 1917, at a Kenosha
ih1ne. There lltsu %een bad blood be-
/ bWCEI bklGlu LUZ SOulCs GIiuG3 GdlIO
maintaining that he had once been
stabbed by Cerminara. The testimony
at the trial brought out that during
1.-THE evening and prior to the shooting,
Gallo had declared that he would
"have it out" with Cerminara that
night. After the shooting, Cerminara,
fatally injured, was hurried to the
hospital where he died shortly after
wards, Gallo being named as his
assailant.
After trial which attracted inter
est throughout the entire city, Gallo
was found guilty of murder in the
first degree and sentenced to life i'm
prisonment. Gallo's defense was that
he had not intended to kill Cerminara
but had shot merely to brighten him.
He was defended by Attorney Robert
Verne Baker, who also presented his
appeal for clemency; former District
Attorney Peter Fisher, Jr., secured
the conviction for the state.
Called Gun Toter.
In sentencing Gallo, Judge Belden
took the occasion to deplore the fact
| that there was so much gun toting in
Kenosha and that as a result of it
crimes were occurring frequently. He
blamed the crime in question to the
gun-toting habit. When the pardon
was sought Judge Belden wrote to
Governor Blaine without making any
recommendation but with the thought
that it is rather soon to request
executive clemency in case of first
degree murder where the application
is based only upon the fact that one
of Ithe principal witnesses for the
state, among others, signs the petit
ton and that conduct of the prisoner
has been exemplary"
Gallo has been model prisoner
and his record at the prison aided
him in securing clemency
| Gallo's case was one of thirteen
heard by Governor Blaine He COM
mutted three sentences, denied four,
declined to take action on three,
granted one conditional pardon and
pardoned two.
Hear Kenosha officials Pleas.
Today is also the time set for the
hearing Of the pleas for leniency
made by Peter Fisher, Jr., Joseph
Meyer, Alex Ritter and owen OHare,
| all former officials of Kenosha and
Kenosha county, who were caught in
the grand jury net, two years ago.
Judge Robert Verne Baker and At
torney Calvin Stewart are in Madi-
son today to appear before the COVER
nor regarding these pleas.
Special interest attaches to the APP
peal of former Chief of Police Owen
| O'Hare, whose term will expire De-
cember the 18th by reason of good
behaviour, but who is seeking execu-
tive clemency in order to regain his
citizenship.