Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL, BOSTON, Jan. 20, 1909. To the General Court. In compliance with Revised Laws, chapter 7, section 8, I submit my report for the year ending this day. The cases requiring the attention of the office during the year, to the number of 3,398, are tabulated below: Land-damage cases arising, etc., Armory Commissioners, 2 15 Land-damage cases arising from the taking of land by the 3 Land-damage cases arising from the taking of land by the 70 Land-damage cases arising from the taking of land by the 12 Land-damage cases arising from the taking of land by the 6 Land-damage cases arising from the taking of land by the Miscellaneous cases arising from the work of the above-named commissions, . Miscellaneous cases, Public charitable trusts, Public administrators petitions, Savings bank accounts, withdrawal of, Settlement cases for support of insane paupers, CAPITAL CASES. 34 143 102 158 1 25 Indictments for murder pending at the date of the last annual report have been disposed of as follows: ASSAD ALEXANDER KALIL, indicted in Essex County, September, 1907, for the murder of Joseph Zaharan, at Lawrence, on July 13, 1907. He was arraigned Sept. 24, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. John T. S. Mahoney, Esq., was asigned by the court as counsel for the defendant. On Feb. 28, 1908, the defendant retracted his former plea, and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. This plea was accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendant was thereupon sentenced to State Prison for not less than seven nor more than eight years. The case was in charge of District Attorney W. Scott Peters. LORETO DE GRAVIO, indicted in Essex County, September, 1907, for the murder of Valentino de Pietro, at Lynn, on May 16, 1907. He was arraigned Oct. 11, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. John Ingram, Esq., was assigned by the court as counsel for the defendant. On Oct. 26, 1908, the defendant retracted his former plea, and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. This plea was accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendant was thereupon sentenced to two years in the House of Correction. The case was in charge of District Attorney W. Scott Peters. LOUIS TENNIS, indicted in Suffolk County, March, 1907, for the murder of Philip Tennis, at Boston, on Jan. 17, 1907. He was arraigned March 11, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. Hon. Herbert Parker and Robert Silverman, Esq., were assigned by the court as counsel for the defendant. On Feb. 17, 1908, the defendant retracted his former plea, and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. This plea was accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendant was thereupon sentenced to State Prison for a term of not more than twenty nor less than eleven years. The case was in charge of District Attorney John B. Moran. GIUSEPPE A. ZECCOLO, indicted in Middlesex County, September, 1907, for the murder of Charles Reed, at Watertown, on July 12, 1907. He was arraigned Dec. 24, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. Lafayette G. Blair, Esq., and Frank M. Zottoli, Esq., were assigned by the court as counsel for the defendant. On May 15, 1908, the defendant retracted his former plea, and pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree. This plea was accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendant was thereupon sentenced to State Prison for life. The case was in charge of District Attorney John J. Higgins. FERDINANDO DE RIBASSO, indicted in Middlesex County, December, 1907, for the murder of Mary D. de Ribasso, at Somerville, on Sept. 14, 1907. He was arraigned Dec. 10, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. Harvey H. Pratt, Esq., was assigned by the court as counsel for the defendant. May 15, 1908, the defendant retracted his former plea, and pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree. This plea was accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendant was thereupon sentenced to State Prison for life. The case was in charge of District Attorney John J. Higgins. PASQUALE COLUCCIELLO and RAFFAELE REPPUCCI, indicted in Middlesex County, June, 1907, for the murder of Luigi Marro, at Newton, on May 24, 1907. They were arraigned Nov. 7, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. John J. Mansfield, Esq., and Frank Keezer, Esq., were assigned by the court as counsel for the defendants. On April 16, 1908, the defendants retracted their former plea, and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. These pleas were accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendants were sentenced to State Prison for life. The case was in charge of District Attorney John J. Higgins. JOHN A. STEELE, indicted in Suffolk County, December, 1907, for the murder of Edward Cohen, at Boston, on Dec. 5, 1907. On Jan. 15, 1908, the defendant was adjudged insane, and committed to the Insane Asylum at Bridgewater. The case was in charge of District Attorney John B. Moran. JOSEPH MARTINO, indicted in Essex County, September, 1907, for the murder of Joseph de Cicco, at Haverhill, on July 10, 1907. He was arraigned Sept. 24, 1907, and pleaded not guilty. The indictment in this case was nolprossed. The case was in charge of District Attorney W. Scott Peters. Indictments for murder found since the date of the last annual report have been disposed of as follows: JOHN J. KILLIAN, OSCAR L. KELSON and GEORGE FRANCIS GILMORE, indicted in Middlesex County, March, 1908, for the murder of Charles E. Bushee, at Somerville, on Jan. 12, 1908. They were arraigned March 6, 1908, and pleaded not guilty. William R. Scharton, Esq., Thomas A. Mullen, Esq., and E. C. Creed, Esq., were assigned by the court as counsel for the defendants. On May 18, 1908, the defendants retracted their former plea, and pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree. This plea was accepted by the Commonwealth, and the defendants were thereupon sentenced to State Prison for life. The case was in charge of District Attorney John J. Higgins. JOSEPH F. BLIGHT, indicted in Middlesex County, March, 1908, for the murder of John J. Keefe, at Lowell, Dec. 21, 1907. He was arraigned March 6, 1908, and pleaded not guilty. James F. Owens, Esq., appeared as counsel for the defendant. On March 27, 1908, the defendant retracted his |