The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1931-06-12
Maria's Sacrifice
Saved Tony
By LEETE STONE
(0. 1881. Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.l
(WNU Seryice.1

born under the sunny skies Of south
ern Italy, was not the fainting sort
there were too many brave peasant
folk songs entwined about her simple,
enduring ancestry-yet she did faint
on that recent day in Magistrates
court, New York city, when her sac
rifice won for her the freedom Of her
lover, Tony, born near the broad blue
waters Of the island Of Capri. Both
had sung together the lissome melo-
dies, of Neapolitan love songs in idle
moments on the Capri quays while
waiting for the fishing fleets to arrive.
Yes, Maria tainted that morning In
Magistrates court In New York when
| the great lawyer she had bought with
her savings, the savings which were
visioned to help with the first baby
when she and Tony could marry
when this celebrated attorney flung
his arms over Tony's shoulder and led
him to her side at the close Of the
stern, gray-haired judges decision In
the case. She tainted then, quietly;
just slipping to the hard floor In
little heap Of homemade clothes.
This true story commences where 1t
should end; but it's interest lies in the
quiet, sacrifcial fervor Of Maria Sofia
Abruzzi, In working to save her Tony
from cell in Sing Sing. And In her
reward. She had only his word for it
that he was innocent. And she be-
1ieved.
They had come to New York two
years ago, Maria with her deft hands
and Tony with his treasured accordi-
on. The first year had gone very well
with Tony singing and playing on the
sunny streets. His voice and skill
with the accordion were of such un-
usual order that he reaped good
harvest Of pennies, nickels and dimes
every day. Maria secured employment
in a factory doing piece work. And
Maria had saved money. They were
to have been married In another
month when the blow fell and Tony
was put in Jail.
He had been imposed upon and used
as scapegoat by the members OF a
smooth-tongued and unscrupulous
hold-up gang in the neighborhood. Ex-
panding with Joy at the gift Of FIVE
dollar bill for merely engaging the
proprietor Of big chain cigar store
in conversation for five minutes he
had been, when the masked faces and
unmasked guns confronted them, as
much surprised as the proprietor.
Then the bandits were off In a taxi
and Tony, In amazement, kept his
hands pointed at the ceiling, this time
at the insistence of the manager of
the store who had found his gun too
late but who asserted over the tele-
phone to the police that he was hold
ing lone of the gang that held him
up."
Thus 1t had all gone against Tony
from the start. A plain clothes de-
tective was found to testify that he
had seen Tony In conversation with
members of the gang several times.
A court of law and a police force
eager to make showing In the face
of many failures can make a clown
u
AS these matters go, Tony got off
fairly easy--fve years for a first Of
fense.
But that five years might as well
have been five centuries to Maria Alb
ruzzi, sitting there listening to that
first sentence year ago. Why, she
would be old, as Italian peasant girls
view 1t, when Tony got out, and he
would look fol another girl to marry.
And then Of sudden, that first time
in court handsome stranger In a
tweed suit who had stopped at the
courtroom door In time to hear the
sentence and see 1t stab Maria's eyes
with agony had come over to her and
gently said:
81 can appeal that and get him
out for you for $1,000"
Maria understood only four words
Of that 'get him out" and $1,000"
But she had sense enough to ask for
the strangers name. Then she got
busy. 1t seemed an enormous sum:
but each week as she bent for 16
hours day over her machine gave
up the friends she had made gave ND
movies and little festivities that cost.
the required sum grew less.
So then, as was first stated, Maria
Sofia Abruzzi, who had all but starved
herself In getting the great amount.
tainted on this morning ten months
later when the great man brought
her Tony back to her in the crowded,
over-heated courtroom.
Consciousness returned in a little
room In the courthouse She was on
couch, and Tony, water glass in
his hand, was bending over her whis-
pering: my little one My little one!"
Then the big lawyer in the beau
tiful suit was saying something
what was it it could not be
truei
Tony used to sing your Neapolitan
songs under my window. / missed him
and found him In court that dav.
Tony could not sing that way and be
bad. / saved him for you so he can
sing to me some more Pure selfish.
ness, you seel And here's your $1,000
little girl" he held out a crisp little
slab of paper. Il just wanted to see
how much you loved him. We need
your kind; both Of you; here in
America"
Nearesf Dufu CsIl.