Shot Girl-Wife Mystery.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1922, Page 4

Shot Girl-Wife Mystery.

HOME, March 24. Intense intcrc :,l is being shown throughout lutlv m the trial oi the young paituri, Igimuxio Mesones, a blind invalid, v.h:. is uuineeted -with some of the best Homan families, on a charge ot murdering Btee SinioncUi, his 22-years old bride.

The ease lor the prosecution is that in .January BUS. with the assistance of his mistress, Maria tie Angelis. who is charged with being an accomplice, and who gave evidence yesterday, Mcsones shot his girl-wile in a lonely road near Home. When the IfOtly was found there wits a risking card in a purse lying by the side hearing the name of “Aiaii.i Hofclhiii.” Iho girl's identity was not disovered, and the body was bm ied as that of all unknown woman.

In the meantime .Mesones had stated that his wife had hen drowned while >m her way to ,\ev. York in- a ship torpedoed by a German submarine. It was .not until two years afterwards that, as the result of a cafe conversa.-

ion between the two men which a watchman overheard, the body was ex hunted ami the identity of Bice Simonett di -covered. Mesones'now says that his wife committed suicide. Previously he had confessed to shooting-Iter. Asked during his t ross examination why he had made this confession, he replied: “In orison 1 was visited constantly !y a nerson who said lie was my lawyer. I do'not know whether he tv.is or not. because of in- blindness. This person told me that my nether was aeecsed of rite murder and that the only way to sate her was to confer* tliiil I did il." FACE HIDDEN BY YEIE.

Mr.ria do Angelin, who is 24. wore a smart dark blue ci r.tttme when she gave her evidence. Her face was hidden by a thick black veil. Site spoke timidly end in such low tones that the judge often asked her to raise her.

voice. Several times she broke down and went. Although she is charged with being an ncomplice, it would appear that she had no material share in. the murder, since at the time she was in prison for fraud. When Mesoltnes and Bice Simonetti were married Marin do. Angelis violently attacked the wife with her fists in the presence of the wedding guests. When site was only 12. she told the court, (she fell in love with a certain Emilio Bcmteei. but when a. union with him was opposed by her family she tried to commit suicide by swallowing poison.

During her convalescence, after what she described as a “strange aberration” she ran away from a young man named Corsetti, blit returned to Homo and was forgiven by Ilenucei. Tt was afterwards that she met Mesones, with whom she fell in love. This was before his marriage to Bi'-e Simonetti. She had a child by him which Bentteei adopted and recognised as his own. After Signora Bice’s disappearance, when she was released from prison, Maria de Angelis continued, Mesones asked her to live with him, saving that his wife had committed suicide. rW.- .ns com poll od Tier to st:iy with him bv threatening that if she left him he would involve her in the di-appear-nee of his V'fe and have her arrested. DBA MAW SCENE.

Tiler was a dramatic scene to-day when l.ietiU Giuseppe Barhnro who is • l o charged with 1,-'i;i; an a—assory, turned to Mesones end said:—“Do

von r' , ininh. r in prison begging him to forgive von lor all tint f was suffering for you?”

?.!<'vonr« replied: “I do. f Icvo ai-r-ay.- known you as a good, li'nnost mail.”