Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-12-18 | Page 1 | Billy Ranieri, on Stand, Tells of Abduction

RANIERI ON STAND TELLS or Of ABDUCTION nON Crowd in Chicago Court CourtIs Is Searched for Weapons WIT WITNESS ESS MURDERED Gangsters Shoot Five in Italian Club CHICAGO Dec 18 AP With AP With policemen lining the crowded courtroom courtroom court court- room a sim sUm haired dark-haired boy of 10 the states state's star witness ss in a trial in which it hopes to send three alleged kidnapers to the electric chair to today today to to- day climbed into a big witness chair in criminal court and gazed with curious but fearless eyes at the spectators He lIe was Billy BUty Ranieri Banieri captive captive captive cap cap- tive for thirteen days last September Septem Septem- ber by extortionists who attempted to force his father to pay for his release Dressed In fn a blue serge suit with long tong pants Billy appeared unmoved by the recent killing of one of ot the states state's main witnesses Ole Scully and the severe beating of ot severa several of ot Scully's friends The crowd which had been ordered from the room previously by Judge Robert B. B Gentzel Gentzel Gent Gent- zel and for weapons was deadly quiet as the lad Jad began his testimony URGES DRASTIC ACTION Judge Gen Gentzel after c clearing arl th the courtroom had urged drastic action to clear up the killing killing of of pf tl the e witness wit wit- ness and prevent further outrages As the oath wag yas recited Billy did not respond and Charles Mueller assistant stated state attorney asked him if he knew what happened to toli li little tle boys who did not riot tell the truth God will punish t them tiem em declared the boy firmly Th Then n without much urging except to t talk talk- louder Billy began a m matter mat mt- tt t- t t ter r of at fact recital of ot bel being g kid kid- while on his way home from school last Sept September 6 Two mens he began then corrected corrected corrected cor cor- had to say two men stop stopp stopped d a car to inquire directions When he approached he said they grabbed him and threw him Into the thear par ar ONE HIT HIM HIM One Orie of ot the mens hit me h he said Another one put his foot on my fly back and made me lay in the bottom of ot the car car Once he re referred referred re- re to his abductors as guys I Continued on on n page 10 I l K 1 1 O i l BILLY RANKER RANIERI ON STAND TELLS OF ABDUCTION f Con Continued fr from m page 1 but immediately corrected himself and amI said mens He lie told of being taken on a lon long ride and at nt the end said ho was a amet met by Andrew Cappellano one of ot the defendants Without hesitation L he arose in li-i the witness chair and pointed a forefinger at Cappellano as the man who had hed held him prisoner prisoner prisoner pris pris- oner on a farm Carm near neat IlL Cappellano lila his l old year son Ton Tony and Angelo are arc accused by the state of having fostered fos fostered fos- fos os th the plot The boy began his recital of or t the a a. v few hours after aner all law fuW agencies had been stirred to tb action by the killing of or Scully Scully who had told th grand jury of ot having been a victim of ot one of the extortion plots was shot an and killed last night in a north side Italian club A companion was probably fa fatally all beaten with a baseball bat and several sev hurt eral cral others were less seriously SUSPECT SEIZED Fred brother of ot the de defendant de- de Angelo was seized by the police when found loitering outside the courtroom The police had b been n searching for him to queStIon queStion question ques queS- tion him regard Scully's death Billy told of his thirteen days days' in incarceration incarceration in- in incarceration in an upstairs bedroom of of the Cappellano h home me and said sald he was treated all aU right most of ofte the te time Cape llanos daughter gave him a holy pin he s said id an and twice sprinkled water ater on him telling tell ten ing lag him If it he prayed he might be he freed d. d him candy he added Th The boy on examination cross stood by by At the noon recess his testimony nr was was completed His father was expected to testify next