The Daily Times. — 1861-01-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

ATROCIOUS ROBBERY AND MURDER AT  MILAN.  sin gular case, involving circumstances of peculiar atrocity, is now undergoing investigation before the Criminal Court of Milan. On the 80th of October last one Gioja, a person of independent fortune, residing at liotengh in the neighbourhood of Milan, bad been recognised at his aoctistotned haunts by many of his familiar acquaintance, in whose society he remained until an advanced hour of the night. Ott the following morning he was missing. An active search was instituted for several days in the adjactiit Villages, and even in Milan itself hilt *About success. In the meanwhile bittntiistances were elicited tending to throw suspicion on a certain Carrozzi, whose house Gioja had been seen to approach on the night in question, after having taken leave of his friends. Carrozzi's house was surrounded by a picket of the National Guard, and the attention of the authorities having been arrested by the loose and fresh appearance of the soil in a garden attached to the dwelling, further investigations were made, resulting in discovery of the body of the missing man, who had been assassinated, and hastily buried at a distance of scarcely two feet from the surface of the ground. Carrozzi and all his family were instantly secured and conveyed to prison. In the course of the trial the accused volunteered a confession, of which the following is a summary. Carrozzi, being in pressing want of money, in order to complete the necessary preparations for his approaching marriage, and being under heavy pecuniary obligations to the deceased, came to the conclusion that, in order to retrieve his embarrassed financial position, it was, in the first place, necessary to liberate himself from the pres',.nee of so troublesome a credit, whose importunate image threw a gloomy shadow upon the bright connubial prospect that lay before him. His plans were communicated to his bosom friend and lodger, Lewis Gatti, who appears to have given his concurrence to the project through a natural taste for homicide; for he modestly fixed as the price of his co-operation, the release of a small balance of rent, amounting to 40 Milanese liras, and the payment of a ten-franc piece in cash. He might as well have laid claim to the credit of entire disinterestedness. But, perhaps, he thought that his complicity in the crime might prove a more lucrative investment in the long run. However this may be, the affair was promptly concerted. Gioja was decoyed to the house by the ppromise • of payment of an account of 30 .Napoleons, owed to him by Carrozzi. As soon as the victim was safely housed, the mask was thrown off. The confederates, presenting each a pistol at the head of the unhappy creditor, easily succeeded in obtaining a receipt for the 30 Napoleons, and afterwards the release of a bill of exchange for 30,000 f., of which he was the holder and which had still some time to run. As soon as the required signatures had been obtained, the signal of sleuth was given. In an instant Carrozzi had felled the poor wretch to the ground; a gag was forced into his mouth, and a hurried gash in the throat from Gatti's knife completed the business. The corpse was flung into the garden and covered with leaves. After midnight, when all was hushed, it was to be carried away to sonic distant spot. But these miscreants furnished an additional illustration of the familiar proverb, " The devil is an ass," or as the Italians wittily phrase it, " The devil makes the pot, but forgets to put a lid to it." Whether from fear or from overweening confidence, the murderers contented themselves with digging a hole about two feet deep, and stowing the body therein, dressed as it was, and easily recognisable. The case, as far as regards Carrozzi, is virtually at an end ; but the alleged complicity of Gatti, who loudly protests his innocence, still occupies the attention of the tribunal.