Frank Pietro Sentenced to 30 Years For Stabbing Maud Latham to Death, Dec. 23, 1920

Frank Pietro, Italian, who stabbed Maud Latham to death at the home of her mother, Mrs. Charlotte Hagley, 110 Ward street, High Point, on the night of July 15-16, 1920, was permitted Thursday afternoon through his attorney, H.L. Koontz, to enter a plea of murder in the second degree by Judge J. Bis Ray, presiding over the criminal term of Superior court. The court sentenced the defendant to a period of 30 years at hard labor in the state penitentiary at Raleigh. Pietro, stockily built, between 35 and 40 years of age, wept copiously after sentence was passed. He spent six or seven very anxious hours during the day, and when the judgment was read to him he was unable to restrain himself longer. He stated that he was born in Panna, state of Naples, Italy, and had been living in the United States for the past 17 years, most of the time in Philadelphia, Pa. He was unable to understand or speak English, necessitating an interpreter, Mrs. Gus Pappas. On cross-examination Pietro admitted that he stabbed Maud Latham several times while she was sitting on the side of the bed. He admitted that he continued stabbing while she was hollering and screaming. (From the front page of The Review, High Point, N.C., Dec. 23, 1920)