April 16, 1909 (Friday)

HEADLINE TELLS ONLY PART OF THE STORY OF WOMAN'S EFFORTS TO FREE THE MAN SHE LOVES: A curious case in Providence, R.I., made the front page of today's Globe, with the multi-deck headline shown above. The top deck ("Love Unlocks the Jail Door") is appropriate enough. And all the other elements are, indeed, true. The prisoner, Camillo Destino, has married the woman, teenager Christina Palmieri. He was in jail for shooting and wounding someone on March 8. After a quarrel, he fired three shots at the person. One hit that person in the BACK. That someone was Christina, who is now his WIFE.
The bottom headline -- "Providence Man Charged with Intent to Kill" -- neglects to mention WHOM he intended to kill. She has forgiven him, and it looks as though prosecutors will have to drop the case. Christina was the only witness to the shooting. As the Globe points out, "since her marriage to the defendent [sic], she cannot be compelled to testify against him."

IT'S ONE THING FOR A LAWYER TO BE THE BUTT OF JOKES, QUITE ANOTHER TO BE PUBLICLY WHIPPED: Jessie McClellan is expected to be arraigned today in Superior Court on charges of HORSEWHIPPED lawyer George Sweetser -- TWICE. The first time was on January 12. The second time was on March 8. What makes the recent one most interesting is that she mistook Llewellyn Pulsifer, a selectman of Natick, for Sweetser and whipped him on a train. She has pleaded guilty to three charges of assault and battery.
The Globe adds:
She has promised or will promise today that she will whip no more lawyers.