Marie Louise Gato Murder - Jacksonville, FL
N 30° 21.012 W 081° 39.321
17R E 437015 N 3357773
Miss Marie Louise Gato, a beautiful young woman, was shot as she was entering the gate of her father's home in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, around dusk on April 20, 1897.
Waymark Code: WM2PHK
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2007
Views: 122
The Gato home was located at Laura and Eleventh Streets in the North Springfield area of Jacksonville. Miss Gato died within 24 hours of the shooting and in her dying statement accused her friend Edward Pitzer of the crime. Pitzer was arrested and his trial was one of the most sensational in Jacksonville's history. It lasted nearly two weeks amidst many spectacular courtroom incidents. The courtroom was crowded with interested spectators and general interest prevailed throughout the city.
The lawyers in the case were as follows: for the prosecution, State's Attorney A.G. Hartridge assisted by D.U. Fletcher
and A. W. Cockrell; for the defense, Alexander St. Clair Abrams with D.C. Campbell and F.W. Pope as associates. Judge R.M. Call was the trial judge and D. Plummer was foreman of the jury. In his concluding argument for the defense, Mr. Abrams made a heart-appealing speech that ended dramatically as he fainted and fell into the arms of a deputy sheriff. The defense was based on an alibi.
The jury deliberated for 22 hours and returned with an acquittal. Pitzer left Jacksonville soon after to make his home in the North. An outstanding feature of this case was the interest taken in the prisoner while in jail, mostly by women, who loaded his cell with flowers and kept him supplied with every delicacy. Another feature was the prompt trial of the case, May 26 to June 5, 1897.
The story made the news again in 1999 (visit link).