The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-02-01
Monmouth County Courts

The trial Of Ralph Eovino, 80
years, charged with the murder Of his
wife, Amelia, 81, years, at their farm
at Centerville, Holmdel township,
the night Of Aug6, was opened Monday
with the defendant on the stand. State
witnesses had testified that Eoyino,
upon returning home from visit to a
neighbors. and finding her with and in a
compromising position with Tony
Riggero, farm larborer, had
quietlysecureda revolver and returned
tothe second floor and shot his wife
and attempted to shoot Riggeo.
Eoyino declared when he made the
discovery of his wifs's unfaithfulness
he had his revolver in his pocket and
he drew the weapon and shot to de-
fend himself from an attack from both
his wife and by Riggero, who seized q
double barrelled shot gun.
That Eovino had told him the night
Of the tragedy that he had had suspic-
ions of his wife, and upon hearing his
wife in Riggeo room upon his return
home that night he had secured his
revolver and shot his wife as she ran
from Riggero's room was testified to
DIR. Harvey w. Hartman, county
physician, who visited the scene that
night and performed an autopsy on
the body the following day. The body
was found, DIR. Hartman said, with
the head in the kitchen and the body in
La detached shed. Despite these
wounds it was shown by the testimony
of both defense and state Witnesses
that Mrs. Eovino ran down stairs after
receiving the wounds. =
Trooper William Pholloy of the
state police, who said he was accom-
panied from Red Bank to the Eovino
home shortly after the shooting by
Motor Inspector Peter 0. Weigand
and officer Harold Dawson OF the Red
Bank police force, said that he met
Eovino on the road near his home.
Eoyino then had an axe in his hand
and said he was looking for Tony and
wanted to kill him. Taking Eovino
back to his home, and, pointing to the
body of his dead wife, Trooper Phol-
Low said he asked what he shot her for
and that Eovino said because she was
with Tony.
Officer Harold Dawson of Red Bank
and Motor Vehicle Inspector Weigand
each testified to the admissions made
bv Eoyino to Trooper Pholloy.
Testifying as a state witness Tony
Riggero said that shortly after he re-
tired Mrs. Eovino came into his room
and made improper proposals and he
sent her from the room.
DR.. Henry Hopkins, a pharmacist
and chemist, was called to testify that,
two DAYS after the murder, he-had ac-
companied defendants counsel to the
Eovino home and there cut blood spots
from the floor in Riggero's bedroom,
the upstairs hall, the stairs and the kit
chen and that microscopical and chem
zeal examination had disclosed that the
spots were human blood. Also Dr.
Hopkins said that he was reasonably
certain that it was the blood OF one
person, this being determined by the
uniform size of the corpusciss. This
was to substantiate Eovino's story
that he shot his wife IN Riggero's bed
room and not in the upper hall, as the
state claimed.
To rsfute this Prosecutor Sexton re
called State Trooper Pholley and the
latter testified that the night OF the
murder he had taken Eovino to Rig
gero's bedroom and that Eovino's I'm
ger was bleeding from q Wounu mduo
by Riggero's teeth during the struggle
for possession of the revolver. Eovino
then again went on the witness stand to
deny that he had been on the I'd floor
of the home after the arrival OF the po-
lice. Several character witnesses were
also called.
Tho told by Judge Kalisch that
the state does not recognize any such
thing as the unwritten law,it held sway
with a jury that for two days had sat
10 the trial Of Ralph Eovino, charged
with the murder Of his wife Amelia, at
their Centreville home on Aug. 8 last
and, after so minutes deliberation
the jury Wednesday night returned q
verdict of not guilty. Upon announce
ment of the verdict Of acquittal by the
jury foreman, Justice Kalisch, in q
crisp, quick reply, said Il am sorry to
say gentlemen, that do not agree
with your verdict. You are discharged
until next Thursday
The trial Of Papas for murder, will
next n onday.