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Show DESPERATE MAN IS EXONERATED Italian Laborer Who Shot Contractor Con-tractor Is Found Not Guilty by Jury. FAMILY WAS STARVING Second Tragedy Caused by Non-payment of Wages by i Gray Firm Arouses Public Pub-lic Sympathy. San Krani iseo April 17. Joseih lo-i lo-i oeo. ;iti Italian laborer, who last N'o- iremher shot and killed George W. Gray, s prominent contractor of this Clt; hs round noi guilt) at midnight last night of the charge ol murder The jury was out six hours. Lococo testified that he had tried repeatedly to collect $17.60 due him for wages from Grftj brothers, of which firm George W. Gray was a member, He said he w&t penniless and his family was starving When Cray refused, he said even to let him have a couple or dollars and started start-ed to walk away, he became wild and drew his pistol and shot the con -t raclor. The killing of (Iray caused a sensation sensa-tion in San Franeisco. not only on ae-eount ae-eount of the prominence of Gray, but because It was the second tragedy of the kind connected with the non-payment of wages by the firm of which Gray vas the head About two years previously Miss Caroline Brasch the firms cashier was shot and killed in the firm's offices by J. K. Cunning ham, who, he said, had been wrought to insane fury by Gray brothers refusal re-fusal to pay him his wages Cunningham Cun-ningham was adjudged insane and sent to an asylum When Lococo's story and plight become be-come known, after his shootinc of I Gray, public sympathy was aroused and provisions, fuel, clothing and Other supplies poured in on the pov erty Btricken family. Several prominent promi-nent attorneys of San Francisco volunteered vol-unteered their services free of charge for the defense of Lococo. |