Evening star., 1934-12-13
FIRED FATAL SHOTS
IN DEFENSE, PLEA
OF MRS. BUCCOL0.
Wife Testifies She Grabbed
Revolver When Husband
Threatened Her.
"SOMETHlNG SNAPPED
IN MIND" SHE ASSERTS
Describes Spouse's Love Affairs
With Actress and Candy
@ Store Clerk.

"something snapped in her mind"
after enduring years of brutality at
the hands of faithless husband.
Speaking in fairly audible tones,
she related the details OF an unhappy
married life, describing at length her
husbands affairs with other women
and his mistreatment of her, until
on September 8, 1888, she fired six
shots into his body.
She said she and her husband had
quarreled that morning in the bed
room of their home at 4104 Fifth
street over his continued associations
with another woman.
Describes Shooting.
'Muttering an OATH" she said, "Ru-
dolph sprang toward me shouting he
would choke those words down my
thnoat. His right hand was in his
hip pocket. grabbed my revolver
with both hands and pointed it. Then
the gun went of and something snap
ped in my mind. I don't know how
many shots were fired"
Mrs. Buccolo said her purpose in
asking her husband to come home the
morning of the shooting was to make
o better effort to persuade him to
give up the other girl" and come back
to her.
Pleaded With Husband.
IT pleaded with him to come back"
she said, but he became violently
angry and accused me of going to
that girls mother and telling lot
Of lies.
Il was sick and nervous and got up
from the bed where had been sitting
and began walking back and forth.
He remained seated.
"He said he would kill me if I didn't
stop talking to her parents. I said I
intended to tell her father about an
other woman he had been associated
with. In a rage, he said he would
choke my lying tongue down my
throat. He reached his hand toward
hts pocket and started toward me.
didn't kna~k but what he had gun:
I'm flash it seemed like I Just
got hold of my pistol. He kept COM
ing toward me and before I knew it
the gun went of. I had never fired a
gun before-it just seemed like I
couldn't stop. He slumped down over
the side of the bed and put cover
over him. The next thing remember
was seeing my mother come into the
room and take me downstairs.
didn't know how many shots had
been fired"
Mrs Buccolo testified she was mar
ried March IS. 1922, after two-year
courtship. Questioned by Defense
Attorney Rudolph Yeatman, she said
their married life was happy until
1927, when she found letter ad-
dressed to her husband from a New
York actress.
3. II asked my husband about this
girl" she testified, land he told me
he would give her up, although he
was in love with her Things went
along smoothly then until 1880 when
I found another note from a woman
saying I love you He told me this
was from the same actress and that
their affair had been going on all the
time.
I'm 1882, he started asking me fol
. divorce. I told him I didn't believe
in divorce and didn't see why he
wanted one. He began to talk o1
suicide and of killing both of us.
INDUCED in Brutal Acts.
"Then he began indulging in acts oi
brutality toward me. He would twist
my head and wrench my arm behind
me. Everything he could think Of to
hurt me, he did. One night he shut
the windows in our bed room anc
turned on the gas, saying we woulc
both die"
Mrs. Buccolo also said her husband
would strike her about the face ane
body with his elbows as they lay ir
bed at night.
She then told of discovering hel
husband was in love with a "red-hairec
girl" who worked in candy stor'
across from his place of employment
It was the affair with this girl, Mis-!
Florence Virginia Galleher, "a, of 93l
Virginia avenue southwest, which
finally resulted in the shooting O.
Buccolo.
In an effort to show Mrs. Buccolt
had reason to fear her husband the
defense called several witnesses late
yesterday to testify Buccolo OTTER
had threatened to kill his wife.
One of these, Arthur B. Cross, sale
that shortly before Buccolo was slair
he told him he had threatened to Kill
Mrs. Buccolo if she didn't leave Flo
with Buccolo by the Swing Coffee Co
Two additional witnesses, Mr.. ant
Mrs. Ernest J. Wiley. who hvet
across the street from the Buccolt
home. told the jury that on one coca
sion the husband had threatened tt
wreck his automobile in an effort II
kill his wife. Wiley also testified
that Buccolo, after being involved II
an accident. told him he had twice
tried to get rid of his wife by thi
method and hoped to succeed th'
third time.
The defense also called segera
character witnesses, most of whom
had worked with Mrs. Buccolo during
her long service as a clerk with tn
Civil Service Commission.
"Other Woman" Called.
After Policeman Arthur G. Mihil
had testified that Mrs. Buccolo ad
rnitted firing the shots that killed hel
husband, the prosecution called to thu
witness stand Miss Galleher, described
rs the "other woman" in the case
The young woman testified she i.
employed by the Polly Trent Candy
Co. and that she first met Buccolt
In April, 1882. She admitted sht
knew he was married at the tint
and said Mrs. Buccolo had beer
pointed out to her as the wife wher
she came into the store to buy som,
candy.
Miss Galleher said she went out