ESCAPE FROM DEVIL'S ISLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14507, 22 October 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

ESCAPE FROM DEVIL'S ISLAND

ITALIAN HANDED OVER TO FRANCE. DUMPED IN ENGLAND. Two years' solitary confinement is the usual penalty for escape from Devil's Island, and at Bow-street, it was decided to extradite to France tho convict, Jean Pierre Cappellini,, who fled from the island and a lifelong sentence and came to Europe. He took ship from Lisbon to New York, and thence was deported as an undesirablo alien to Liverpool, the port at which ho had last touched and from which lie had immediately come. 110 was arrested at Liverpool. He is a man of 26, an Italian subject, and was sentenced to life-long imprisonment for murder within the jurisdiction of the French Republic. With regard to what then happened, he said, when arrested : "Tho matter was only a dispute with one of my friends over a girl. The man 1 killed shot at me three times. 1 then shot him in self-defence, and killed him. 1 am an Italian, but was born in France." IVecause lie was an Italian, counsel applied for a further remand in view of the possibility of the Italian authorities taking action in his interests. After escaping from Devil's Island. Cappellini made his way to Brazil, then to Lisbon, and thence to New York, changing vessels at Liverpool, where he was compelled to remain for t wo or three days. After reaching New York, in October, 1908, lie worked as a waiter until July last, when, in consequence of information received from the French authorities, he was deported. Counsel thought it- was doubtful whether the American Government- would have surrendered an Italian citizen to France, but. what they did was to send him to England, where he was arrested. Counsel said the wise was very peculiar. Cappellini was convicted in Paris, of murder, six years ago, ;uul was now only 25 years of age. He had a good defence, which he had never been permitted to make. Mr. Marsham said he was informed that tho Italian Government did not propose to take any action in the matter. The convict would be committed for extradition, but he would be allowed 15 days in which to appeal. In the event of there being no successful appeal tho convict will be sent to Fiance, and in all probability returned to Devil's Island.