The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-11
Several Arraigned In Court This Morning
(Continued from Page D

weight boxer who has spent half his life in Italian and American prisons, listened impassively during his arraignment as Lieut.. Samuel RiccarM of the homicide squad read to Magistrate Thomas A. OHara a statement in which Valenti alleged ly admitted participation in the arsenic murder of Charles Favato in August, 1895. The huge, hulking Valenti, brought here from New York jail, uttered no word during the brief proceedings.
 Valenti was held without bail.
 Morris Gouis the Rabbi Bolber of Brooklyn, N. Y, self-styled "psychiatrist" and prosperous gro- cer, and David Brandt, g, typewrit- CT salesman and former University of Pennsylvania Veterinary student, also appeared before Magistrate OHara. They were granted a con- tinuance until Saturday. Both are charged with the arsenic murder of Romaine Mandiuk, who died Feb. 9, 1885.
 Women Arraigned
 Mrs. Josephine Romualdo, alleged to have conspired in the death of her husband, Antonio; Mrs. Agnes Mandiuk, charged with Bolber and Brandt in the death of her hus- band; and Mrs. Marie Woloshyn, charged with the planned hit-run death of her husband, were ar- raigned before Magistrate Nathan Beifel in North Philadelphia.
 Others to be arraigned before Judge Harry s. McDevitt this af- ternoon included Mrs. Millie Gia- cobbe, 50, who twice has attempted suicide since her arrest in the ar- senic death of her husband, An tonic. She accused Paul Petrillo of seducing her and concocting the plot.
 Two other alleged arsenic widows" to face Judge McDevitt were Mrs. Rose Smigel Shenkman, 35, neighbor of Mrs. Giacobbe, held on an open charge in connection iwth the death of her first husband, and Mrs. Rose Davis, charged with the poison death of her first hus- band, Louis Lavacchio.
 Breathing Spell With the arraignments officials announced that there would be breathing spell in investigation of the syndicate's activities to permit them to prepare evidence against those already in custody.
 "This thing is getting ahead of us," Police Superintendent Edward Hubb explained. "A lot of paper work must be done to enable us to be prepared for the trials"
 Police said they would be un- able to work on investigation of the syndicate's operations in other states because of the heavy expense the city and county of Philadelphia already have incurred in the inveSti- gatino.
 Shouts of "Liar."
 The prisoners were hysterical and shouts of "liar" were heard in the street. Thirteen were women whose husbands were the prey of this most widespread and ruthless criminal conspiracy of recent times. Most had confessed to one or more mllr- ders; one man had confessed q. Several had tried to kill themselves since their arrest and others had babbled out confessions in horrify- ing detail, hoping to be offered es- cape from the electric chair in re- turn for aiding the state.
 a~,,a,,y,nny,ao hVy tho Hicfrint attorneys office that this mass ques- tioning of all prisoners was a pre- Jude to mass trial and a mass ex- ecution put the prisoners in frenzy.
 District Attorney Charles F. Kel- ley hoped that by bringing the pris- oners facet face, some would break down and supply more details of the conspiracy and reveal the lead- CT. He had anticipated such a scene as apparently was under way, and the meeting" was closed to all ex- cept high police authorities.
 Heighten Confusion
 Prisoners were shuttled back and forth between the two stations after the mass questioning, then they were called out one at time and questioned within earshot of other prisoners. The tactics were intend ed to heighten their confusion.
 The questioning completed, the prisoners were scattered again through various city jails and plans were made to arraign six of them today. The six will include two of the widows, Mrs. Marie WoloShy, Al, and Mrs. Agnes Mandiuk, 43, whose husbands bodies either had not been exhumed or had not con- tained poison, and who, it was re- ported, might be released at least temporarily.
 Others in Police Linet
 The others, to be taken before Judge Harry s. McDevitt, were: Mrs. Millie Giacobbe, 50, fat and frenzied prisoner who has twice tried to kill herself this week; Paul Petrillo, self-professed witch doc tor" who presumably was called to administer" to the victims being slowly poisoned; Mrs. Meyer Smigel Shenkman, 35, whose first husband was buried in 1886, recorded as a victim of diabetes but believed to have been poisoned, and whose pres ent husband is having himself ex- amined for traces of poison; and Stephen Crispano of Reading, Pa., hat maker implicated in the death of Joseph Arena, one of the hus- bands who was pushed from boat off Sea Isle City, N. J., and drowned six years ago-a murder that oc- cured in federal jurisdiction and may bring government agents into the case.
 Leader StiIi Free
 It was obvious that some one per- son had directed this far-flIInp