The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-30
CHIEF POINTS OUT FOUR AK ASSAULTS SOLVED BY POLICE
McDuff Urges Cooperation of Public in Handling Cases. Cites Some Specific
 Instances

Birmingham police have been ham, pered in solving ax murder cases by point blank statements by victims that they would not identify assaii- ants if brought before them, Chief of Police Fred McDuff declared Monday This occurred in three cases, he said, when detectives investigated.
 Official court house records show that two negro men and one negro woman are serving prison sentences and that four other negroes are awaiting trial for alleged compltcity in four ax crimes, Chief McDutr said.
 Luigi Vitellaro, latest ax victim Sunday afternoon showed little dis position to discuss the case, officers said, although his wife died as ths result of injuries received when thg ccupIe were assaulted January 23 in their store at 2431 Eighth avenue, north. One white man has been ar rested and is still in jail, although officers admit they have only minor clues upon which to base charges against him in connection with this case.
 AK Assaults Solved
 AK assaults solved and the assail- ants who are now serving prison sentences for the offenses follow:
 G. Lanza, assaulted in his store at 22O1 Twenty street by Mack Brown, negro. Brown was appre- hended in Knoxville, Tenn. He en- tered plea of guilty when tried al.d accepted a sentence of 15 years, which he is now serving in one of the state prison mines.
 Joseph Mantione and his wife, Susie, were assaulted and killed in their store at Thirty-second avenue and Church street during Decem- Der, 1921. Iillie Byrd, negro, was arrested and convicted for the crime and sentenced to serve two terms of 99 years penal servitude. Two other negroes are now awaiting trial in connection with the Mantione case.
 Tony Lorino and his wife, Rosa, were assaulted in their store at Ave nue D and Twelfth street, January 25, 1921. Both recovered. Thomas Lee Gardner, negro. was arrested and convicted for the offense and is now serving life time sentence.
 Abe Levine, killed, and his wife, Sarah, were assaulted in their store at 1900 Avenue D during November, 1922 For that crime John Harris and Spencer Clements were arrested and grand jury Indictments have been returned against them. The negroes will stand trial for the of fense Wednesday.
 Investigations Halted
 The cases which Chief McDuff al- luded to in which he alleged in- vestigating officers were halted by the victims, follow:
 Mrs. Sam Zideman, attacked in her store at Ninth avenue and Seven teenth street. Mrs. Zideman recovered after lingering illness, although she is said to have refused to iden- tify her assailants.
 Charles Baldone, his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Virginia, IA, as- saulted in their store at 4510 Tenth avenue, all of whom recovered. They also refused to Smak ke identifications or to aid the officers in their inves- tigation, Chief McDuff declared. The case of Jew. killed in a negro residence in Tittlesville. De- tectives c. E. McCombs and w. B. Helton had the negro, whom officers allege was responsible for the crime, under arrest within 24 hours after the crime had been committed al though prosecuting witnesses in the case refused to appear, Chief Me Duff said. The police head alleged that in the above instance, a reward which had been offered for the ar rest of the guilty party was with drawn in an effort to curb investi- gation.
 In all the other instances, Chief McDuff said that honest effort has teen put forward by his men in their investigations, although in greater majority, of instances they have failed to do the impossible, to detect re sponsible persons when they were without clues as to their identity. Chief McDuff urged that his depart nent be co-operated with in the fu- ture in solving the cases and great