TWO WOMEN SHOT

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1930, Page 11

TWO WOMEN SHOT

CRAZED ITALIAN IN CANEFIELDS.

NORTH AUSTRALIAN DRAMA

Inflamed by jealousy and unrequited love, Peter Plazzo, aged 30, an Italian, dashed into the home of a beautiful 18-year-old Italian girl at Mourilyan, near Townsville, shot her and her mother, escaped, and in an affray with the police, wounded a constable before turning the revolver on himself and committing suicide. May Della Dadova, the girl victim of the shooting which occurred recently, died as the result of her wounds, and her mother, Catherine Della Dadova, is in a critical condition in hospital.

Plazzo had been infatuated with the girl for months, but his attentions had not been encouraged either by the girl or her mother, says the Sydney Guardian. He rushed into their home and shot the elder woman through the breast and the girl through the head. He was chased through canefields by the police, two of whom caught up with him. Plazzo presented the revolver at Constable Daly and fired, wounding him in the arm.

Daly closed with him, however, and in the struggle Plazzo turned the revolver on himself and fired into his mouth. He died later from his injuries. When the body of the girl was examined later at the. morgue police found other marks of violence on her which indicated an earlier attack . on her by Plazzo.

Six months ago Plazzo was bound over to keep the peace toward the girl by the court, as it was alleged that he had been forcing unwelcome attentions on her.

Stories told to the Townsville police indicate that the shooting is the climax to a vendetta characterised by several stabbing affrays during recent months among the Italian community of Mourilyan and neighbouring towns.