Evening star., 1936-05-24
TW|NE IS KEY CLUE.
IN F|ORENzA TRIAL
Confession" Product of
Weak Mind, Defendants
Lawyer Says.
BY thh Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 23-His life
literally hanging by a string, John
attorneys attempt to convince
General Sessions jury next week that
he was not the "fiend" who ravished
and murdered Mrs. Nancy Evans
Titterton. No session of court was
held today.
Terming Fiorenza's confession"
the product of weak mind, Defense
Counsel Henry Klauber said:
He pleaded not guilty. and that
is exactly what we mean to show"
The wavy-haired 24-year-old ap-
prentice upholsterer was arrested and
charged with the crime on the
strength of a single clue-a l3-inch
strand of upholsterers' twine which
detectives claimed to have traced to
the Third avenue shop where he
worked.
Two detectives, an assistant dis
trict attorney and a police stenog-
rapher have testified that Fiorenza
not only broke down and admitted
the crime but cheerfully re-enacted
it for them as well.
Twine Linked to His Work.
"He would admit anything the
police suggested" says the defense
attorney. He would confess to the
Lindbergh kidnapping if they asked
him about it."
The prosecution, however, has
dangled the bit of twine found under
the body and produced testimony
tending to show that it was similar
to that used by Fiorenza in his up
holstery work.
Two twine dealers testified that
peoples exhibit No. 7, 13-inch
strand Of the cord used to bind Mrs.
Tittertonis wrists. was similar to that
used in the upholstery shop of Theo-
dore Kruger, where Fiorenza was
learning the trade.
The sequence OF events. as Dis
trict Attorney William c. Dodge tried
to develop them from the witness
stand. was substantially as follows:
FiorenZa, who once stole a bass
drum and later an automobile, went TO
the Titterton apartment with his en-
ployer on April 9 to get q love seat
that was to be repaired. The next
morning, his alleged confession re-
cites, he returned there alone, bound
and gagged Mrs Titterton, assaulted
her and placed her body in the bath
tub.
Body Is Discovered.
From there he was depicted as hav-
ing gone TO work and finished repair
ing the love seat. The job done, he
and Kruger returned the sofa to Mrs.
Tittertonis home and discovered the
body. Fiorenza. himself. called the
police. Kruger testified. and then calm
ly drew glass Of water in the bath
room while the body still lay there.
Throughout this testimony Fiorenza
sat with vacant stare directed at
the witness stand. Only once during
the week did he speak to his attorney,
and that was to ask him for a sand
wich when a recess was taken for
! lunch.
! His first display of agitation came
when his mother took the stand and
promptly burst into hysterical sobs
She sought to establish an alibi for
him by testifying that he left home
| at such a late hour the morning OF
! the crime that it would have been
virtually impossible for him to have
gone to the Titterton apartment be-
fore reporting for work at the time
he did.
She described him as an eccentric
youth, and Defense Counsel Klauber
said he would produce further testi-
mony along this line next week. He
said he would conclude his case by
| Thursday.