Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-14

when she saw Mrs. Leonard
enter Capronis bedroom at
night and lock the door.
Mrs Caproni had re-
signed herself to such
- currences but she could
not stand to see her hus-
band mstreat the children.
After an evening when she
had watched him force
"a vegetables down their
threats until they vio-
lently i'll, she mustered her
courage and visited the HUI
name Society
The Society sent for
Caproni who denied that
he had been abusing the children
On his return home he tried to argue
his wife into withdrawing her charges
The argument continued after both had
gone to bed, ended suddenly when in
an excess of fury he reached for the revolver
under his pillow.
Il beat him to it," Mrs. Caproni told
police 1T was the first time in ten years
I ever beat him to anything"
Victor was taken to the hospital, vowing
vengeance. His wife was arrested. Pearl
came to see her and they talked until dawn.
Sunday morning, after Mrs Caproni had
been freed BAIL pending her husbands
recovery or death, Pearl visited the wounded
in the hospital to find out which it was
going to be.
TT was lucky she used the Mauser," Vic
tor crowed, because it had a steel bullet
that went through me without doing much
damage. And when get out" He paused
grinning, I'm going to kill the whole bunch
of you!"
Pearl reported the words to Mrs Caproni
and fearfully they called on the County
Prosecutor asking if there were any relief
for them under the law. He said that moth
ing could be done until Caproni was up and
about again.
hospital, hoping that the patients condition
had taken a turn for the worse. Instead,
they were told it had improved
After that they placed the children for
safe-keeping with their respective parents and
then, not knowing what else to do, wandered
into the grounds of a church and knelt down
at grotto to pray.
1--WE could feel the tears falling on our
hands" Pearl said I'VE just prayed and
prayed that Vic would die"
Their prayer went unanswered. Next
morning when they learned that his condi-
ton was still improving they agreed that they
would have to finish the job"
Mrs. Caproni wanted to do it alone. on
the ground that it was her right, since she
was the one who had begun it. But Pearl
replied that she, who had already safely visited
Victor once, would have better chance of
gaining admittance to his room. At sight of
his wife, she argued. he might guess their
intention, cry out and spoil everything.
So it was Pearl who chose an automatic
from the priced collection of weapons he had
;..t.-
TO the hospital.
1T all for the best" Mrs. Leonard
said, shortly before the Grand Jury hearing
Il went there 10 kill him to keep him from
hurting his wife and the children and me-
You can say it's wrong to take the law into
your own hands but we didn't know what
else TO do He would have gotten well and
that would have been the end of us"
When the curtain fell on the tragedy's
courtroom epilogue, the County Prosecutor
said, THE story told by each witness was
checked and the sole question was whether,
under the circumstances the killing was justi-
fable. The Grand Jury decided that 1t was"
On her way to testify. Mrs Caproni re-
marked, I'VE want the truth known to the
jury and we are telling them"
Perhaps she was thinking of the Biblical
adage, "Ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free"
In any case, it made her and Mrs. Leonard
free.