Macedonia, Frances: 1943

Frances Macedonia of Altoona was shot by her husband, Ralph Macedonia, in the morning of July 10, 1943. He fired a shot from a .38 caliber revolver which entered her left cheek, went through her neck and finally shattered her spinal column, killing her. The bespectacled, bald Pennsy worker then fired a bullet into his own ear in a botched suicide attempt.

The killing took place in the second floor bedroom at the Macedonia’s home at 700 Eleventh Street.

Rose Marie, the couple’s only daughter, said that her mother had been nervous and sickly, and that her parents had been quarreling for years. Her mother had been acting strangely, and she had stayed home to look after her.

Frances Macedonia was afraid of her husband, and with good reason. She had tried to leave him before, but had returned as she lacked the twenty-five cent car fare. She had gone to her brother, but he had brought her home. The week before the shooting, Ralph had threatened to leave himself. Their youngest son, Ralph Macedonia, Junior, was seventeen at the time. He saw his father with the revolver on July 9^th, sitting in the house examining it. The father said he was concerned the gun was not working; his son suggested oiling it, which Ralph did. He asked his father what he intended to do; he replied that he was going to shoot a man named Joe in the leg. This conversation took place about midnight.

Rose Marie Macedonia gave the fullest account of the events leading up the murder.

The morning of July 10, Rose Marie arose about 10 in the morning. She observed her mother lying in her bed in the next room; she went downstairs. Her father arrived home, carrying a bag from the market. The ice man arrived and made a delivery. Rose Marie went onto the back porch, where she talked with a neighbor. They heard muffled explosions, but did no realize they had heard the murder weapon, thinking it was a car backfiring or neighborhood children firing cap pistols.

Rose Marie found the ice man had left a cake on ice on the kitchen floor and she called to her mother. When she received no answer, she went upstairs to find her mother. It was then that she found the bodies, in a bedroom, face down, with Ralph across his wife’s legs. Her father still had the revolver in his right hand.

Also testifying was Nunzio Ferucci, Junior; he heard shots while standing at a nearby gas station. He entered the house, and saw a man and a woman laying on the floor. Mrs Teresa Venturato, a neighbor, testified in Italian through an interpreter. She also entered the home, and in the confusion, took charge of comforting Rose Marie, who was crying. The police were called.

Lieutenant Haberstroh entered the house at 11:25 am. He saw the gun near Ralph Macedonia’s right hand, and had to move his thumb and two fingers to release it. Four shots had been fired; another in the gun had misfired. There was a bloodstained bag containing two dresses, two hats, and a coat. Mrs. Macedonia was obviously intending another escape attempt.

Macedonia’s children all testified at his trial. Rose Marie had found the scene, and told the court her parents had been quarreling for eight years. Joseph, her older brother, said that at the end of June his father had struck their mother in the face with the butt of a gun, and previous to that, had struck her with a leather strap and threatened to kill her. Angelo, who had left the family home in 1931 and was then living in Detroit, also testified a quarrels between the two. He said life in the home was not pleasant, and that his father was jealous. His younger brother, Joseph, 23 years old and living in Altoona, had married eighteen months before. He had stopped his father from striking his mother with his hand many times, and once with a strap. He stated his father had threatened his mother with the revolver, and had struck her with the butt end. and Ralph Junior, the youngest, had seen his father kick his mother in the stomach. He testified that he had heard his father say would shoot his wife through the head.

At the trial, Dr. Robert Hall said he had been called to the scene by Coroner Wray. The couple was still in the home; Macedonia was unconscious, and his wife was still alive, but soon died of her injury. Dr. John Hurst testified to the cause of death. A bullet had entered her left cheek and exited at the left neck. Macedonia showed no emotion, looking at the ceiling and glancing at the jurors. He tilted his head to hear due to his deafness, and leaned forward to look a the photos of the crime scene showing his wife with a gaping wound in her cheek.

The jury then heard about Ralph Macedonia’s wound. He had been shot in the right ear, and an x-ray showed a bullet in his head. Powder burns on him showed the shot had been fired from close range. Another bullet was found on the floor. At the hospital, Macedonia hit himself in his injured ear with a water glass.

The sole witness for the defense was the defendant. At the hospital, Macedonia had stated, “I don’t remember if I shot her or not. I was all dizzy. She was shaking. The gun fell on the floor. I don’t remember.” At the trial, Macedonia said he had come home from the market, went upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed. He said “She said she was going to shot me. The next thing I felt a pain in my head.” He rolled onto the floor, and then walked over to him, shaking. She dropped the gun, he picked it up, and shot her. He also claimed that his wife had shot him first. He denied ever abusing his wife, and said she had threatened him for years, and threw dishes at him.

Macedonia offered a rebuttal gunpowder expert, but the court found his credentials insufficient.

The jury consisted of nine men and three women. They were given supper one night, and enjoyed a break on the courthouse plaza.

Macedonia was cross-examined. His story had changed several times. He denied that he drank whiskey, or that he and his wife had ever fought, although he did admit to arugments.

The jury was charged. The prosecution asked for a verdict of first-degree murder and the death penalty; he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 20 years. As he had through the trial, he showed no emotion when the verdict was read.