ITALIAN MURDER TRIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19280, 19 March 1926, Page 11

ITALIAN MURDER TRIAL.

DEATH OF MATTEOTTI. CHIEF ACCUSED'S STORY. Sun. ROME, March IT. The trial has been opened at Ohicti, a small town in the Abruzzi, of Dumini and four other persons who are charged with tho wilful but unpremeditated murder of Signor Matteotti, tho Socialist Deputy, in June, 1924. Tho greatest interest was displayed in. the defence of Dumini, who has accepted the responsibility for kidnapping Matteotti and for conveying him to the country. )

Dumini said he saw that Signor Matteotti was ill and stopped the motorcar. Afterwards he drove 160 miles with the corpse, which ho finally mutilated to prevent it being recognised. lie then buried it.

The Judge cross-examined Dumini with a view to proving that his defence was a fabrication. He pointed out that fingerprints showed that Dumini was inside the motor-car, not driving it. Moroover, Duminj's deformed arm would have prevented him driving 160 miles. The Judge said it was absurd for Dumini to attempt to exonerate the other accused persons, because Signor Matteotti was stabbed to death and Dumini bore the marks of a struggle when he was arrested. Chieti is en fete. The people there regard the murderers as national heroes.

§ignor Giacomo Matteotti, a Soc.dliat Deputy, who was believed to be in possession of incriminating documents, disappeared from his home on June 10, 1924. Two persons, Filippo Filipclli and Amerigo Dumini, were arrested and both made statements incriminating persons in high office. This led to the resignation of General De Bono, Chief Commissioner of Police, and Aldi Finzi, Under-Secre-tary of the Interior, and to the arrest of Commissioner C. Rossi, Chief of the Press Bureau, and Commissioner Mfirmelli, a member of the directorate of the Fascist Party, on suspicion of connivance in the murder. For a considerable time the search for the body of Signor Matteotti, who had been kidnapped, proved fruitless, Finally the body was found in a wood with the skull fractured. For several months afterwards there were outbreaks of violence owing to the delay in bringing the murderers to book, and the Prime Minister had difficulty in riding out the storm of public indignation. A political effect was the complete withdrawal from the Chamber of Deputies of the Opposition. Counsel who should have appeared for Signor Matteotti's widow and children announced early in January that ho would withdraw from the trial, A letter to that effect was sent by tho widow of Signor Matteotti to the president of tho Court of Assize. It is expected that the trial will not last morn than two or three days. Signor Farinacci, secretary-general of the Fascist Party, is defending Dumini.