Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-08-01
MILE FUHICELLA, DESPERATE
PITTSBURGH 0ARG1El

| PITTSBURGH 0AnCSlE|
LODGED IN WOODSTOCK JAIL
BURGLARIZED 5 SHENANDOAH j
STORES.
Mile Funichlla, aliases, is again in
carcerated IN the Woodstock Jail, fac
ing five-year penitentiary sentence
plus such punishment as may b.
melted out to him in Shenandoah
County court for the theft, Of an auto
mobile belonging to pitt Foltz. al
Red Banks. subsequent to jail de.
livery.
Funicella's career OF crime, or al
least that part Of it which is matter
Of police record, began in Pittsburgh
In 1921. and the primrose path led to
Shenandoah County, where he en-
gineered aseries Of burglaries with
Ralph Coffman, a local boy, which led
to his apprehension and conviction.
Sheriff B. NJ. Borden, brought
Funicilla 10. the Woodstock jail
Friday ,eSenine. and the safe de-
livery OF the prisoner was matter
Of much relief. For several days the
Pittsburgh papers featured the story OF
the prisoners detention for Virginia
officers and under the caption San
other attempt to Rescue Prisoner is
Threatened" the Post of Friday morn
ine-says:
WARNED OF RESCUE ATTEMPT.
Through the channels that reach
from detective headquarters to the
underworld, city sleuths last night
were warned that second attempt to
rescue Mile Funicella, alleged jail
breaker, would be made this morning
when Sheriff Bernie Borden of Shen-
andoah County started for Woodstock,
Va, with Funicella shackled to his
wrists.
"a special guard of detectives &C.
cordingly were appointed last night by
Lieutenant John Grouse to accompany
the prisoner and the visiting officer.
THE removal of the prisoner today
is the climax of fight against ex-
tradition, launched by relatives and
friends of the alleged Jail breaker.
Several We ars ago Funicella was sent
enced to spend five years in the Vir-
ginia prison. Shortly after being in
carcerated. it is said, he became one of
the leaders who engineered revolt in
which number of prisoners escaped.
"Funicella was arrested here and
sent to the workhouse for two year
period. After its completion, month
ago, while he was being brought tol
the Jail by request of the Virginia
authorities, friends of the man at
tempted to spirit him from police hands.
The project failed, and since then
Funicella has reposed in the county,
Jail.
Attorneys fought to make extradition
to Virginia impossible, while the man
assumed the alibi and that he had
never been in Virginia and was being |
held in place of double.
"Funicella lost his case before the |
courts, however. He win face the i
remainder of his term in the southern
prison, and also face charges of break |
ing jail and autom obile thefts. /
SERVED OVERSEAS
Funicella, according to his story
served overseas in the late war, and
when discharged he returned to his |
home. There he met Ralph
Coffman, Shenandoah county youth, |
and a member of family which stands
high in this section. Coffman. over
come with the Establishments of al
career as pictured to him by Funicella, |
became his partner, and in an autmo-
bile stolen by the Italian in Pittsburgh,
they came to Virginia for visit to
Coffman'S home. After several days
of inac' the pair got busy and in
quicI ssion the stores of S. V.
Ro' II in Mt. jackson, E. M. Glenn,
at atz Mill and A. Z. Rosenberger at
were burglarized.
STOLEN SOCKS GAVE THEM AWAY
Suspicion pointed to Funicella and|
Coffman and upon warrant issued by|
Magistrate VIM. B. Allen they were
brought to Woodstock and given a
severe grilling by Commonwealth
Attorney Gilbert E. Pence and the
Magistrate. After several hours of
sweating during which both of them
stoutly protested their innocence, it
was noted that the Italian wore new
pair of half hose. These correspondent
in pattern to box of hose stolen from
the Glenn store, and when this fact was
called to their attention they broke
down and confessed.
Upon plea of guilty they receiveda
five-year penitentiary sentence, and
while awaiting guards from that in
stitution they made battering ram out
of an iron pipe and forced a hole in
the Jail wall, escaping during the
night. In making their escape they
walked ten miles to Red Banks, stole
the Foltz car and drove by way Of
Staunton to point in Highland county,
where the car was abandoned and
wrecked.
CAUGHT IN PITTSBURGH :,
Making their way back to Pittsburgh,
Coffman surrendered to the police, be-
'lieying that his life was in jeopardy be-
cause Of the Italian gang with which
Funicella associated. and he was