EXCITING CRIMINAL CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8300, 5 July 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

EXCITING CRIMINAL CASE.

- ■ —O" —■ —■■ FOUR YEARS' CRUEL IMPRISONMENT.

A timal. of dramatic interest, which has kept Venice in a state of abnormal excitement for some time lat ely, has just been brought to a close. Four years ago a woman in good position was found murdered at 'Proviso, a town not far from Venice. Suspicion fell upon her own son, William Montanari, who was known to have had a serious quarrel with her some time before, and to have left his home on that account. The disagreement arose out of a marriage he wished to contract with a certain Angela Pilon against the wish of his mother, and lie was known to have said that his parent would soon bo out of the way, when he would have his will. The young man Montanari was arrested, was tried for the murder was found guilty, and condemned to death, but the sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life. About a month ago, at Treviso, a gang of notorious burglars were apprehended. In their cell they were quarrelling amongst themselves, and one was overheard charging Ins companions with the murder of the woman Montanari four years before, and exclaiming against the imprisonment of the innocent son. The live burglars wore brought to Venice, where the son Montanari was undergoing his sentence, and were there charged with the murder of the mother. This case has occupied the Venice Court for the last four weeks. From the first it naturally excited great interest, but as it proceeded, and the innocence of the condemned man and the guilt of the others became more and more apparent, the excitement of the Venetians and their indignation at the miscarriage of justice assumed grave proportions. Immense crowds gathered morning and night to the prison near the Doge's Palace, and at the Tribunal near the Rialto, as the prisoners were being taken from the one to the other. These crowds had to be restrained by carabinieri from inflicting lynch law upon the burglars and rescuing Montanari from his guard. Admission to tho courts could only be got by ticket, and each day they were crowded to excess. On the afternoon of 2nd ult. the case terminated. The jury retired at 2.30 to consider their verdict. In two hours they returned into court. Amid breathless excitement the foreman announced that the jury found Guglielmo Montanari innocent, and the others guilty of murder and robbery. The President of the Court rose and declared formally the innocence of the condemned son, and ordered him at onco to be set at liberty. There and then many rushed forward with their congratulations, and the Countess Viilmann put into the young man's hand a bank-note for 500 francs. Others also gave him tangible proof of their sympathy and goodwill. The burglars were sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from four to twenty years. Under the new penal code, as is 'veil known, capital punishment has now h> "jn abolished in Italy. Gaglielmo Moiuanari had a triumphant procession to the Piazza of Marco. So great was the crowd in the narrow calle of the Merceria, and under the colonnades of the Piazza, that merchants had to close their •shops. By and by Montanari, with his fiancee, Angela Pilon, who has been faithful to him during his four years of cruel imprisonment, took refuge from the enthusiastic crowds in a gondola. A banquet has been arranged in his honour, and steps are being taken to approach the Government in order to obtain for the falsely-condemned and imprisoned Montanari a measure of compensation. ?