National Republican., 1888-02-24
4 CURIOUS KNIFE.
History OF u Blade That Has Killed
Twenty-Five People.

l'>tW ioIh itltBidm
one Of the detectives attached to the
twenty-ninth precinct has In his possession
stiletto which is said to have been used in
twenty-five murders, and which WAS the
ruin OF one OF the oldest aud wealtaies,
families in Italy. The weapon is kept by
the detective 10 a small iron box at his
home, and Ticgidm reporter is the only
one who has handled 1t since 1t came into
his care, five years ago.
When asked to tell the story Of how It
came into his possession, the detective said:
II was an officer on patrol duty the time,
and, as my beat was In that district known
as Little Italy, got to know a number Of
the Italisns living there. Among them
was u tail, fine looking fellow, named
iu!sCppi G.aveno, and he and were great
friends. He seemed to he better educated
han the others Of his kind, and would
stand and talk to me by the hour OF his
once magnificent home in southern Italy,
but which owed its ruin to kufe.
"1'he knife, he said, had been picked W.
by one OF HE ancestors In Egypt over 200
years ago, and had descended In his family
from father to sou, and IN + rat time twenty
two people had beeu killed with 1t. used
70 think he hal bnen drinking when he
would describe the murders, and more
especially when he would tell me, MS he
would often do, that no one could handle
the knife without cutting some one with It.
"One night he came up to me on post
and handed me something wrapped in
Niece OF cloth which he explained was the
mysterious and fatal knife. He was
afraid, he said, to keep 1t for fear he might
be tempted to use 1t, and wanted me either
to destroy 1t or put 1t some place where no
one could handle II. took the knife and
nut 1t in my pocket and forgot all about 1t
! fp 4 I
rolled the cloth, aud pulled the blade out
OF It's sheath. The blade was about five
inches long, and curved In and out In q
curious manner, giving 1t look ike n
tongue OF flame. The handle was covered
with dark colored leather, and !
took 1t up in my hand to look
at 1t more closely, don't
felt queer sensation all over my body.
My fingers closed over the handle, and the
queer shaped blade seemed to culver with
life. felt an unconquerable desire to
stick II into some one, and would probably
have done so had my hand not struck the
hot chimney OF lamp, and the pain caused
me to drop II.
81 managed to get the blade in the sheath
again ana wrap u up as II was given to me,
and put 1t into that iron chest, where It has
heensever sinre.n
The reporter asked to see the knife, and
after considerable pleading got The aetec.
tive to open tie box and lay the kG,e on
the table. The sheath was plain, heavy
leather one, and the knife looked 50 like
hundreds OF others he had seeu that the re-
porter smiled at the supposed ghost story.
The blade was Withdrawn, and, as the de-
teeiive had said, was curved In 4 curious
manner. Near the handle We're a number
of hieroglyphics, and, like the detective,
the reporter TO examine them lifted the
knife from the table. His hand hal hardly
closed on the shaft when the curious thrill
passed over him, but Just then the detee.
| tive forced the knife out OF his hand, aud
with sign OF relief lie saw II locked In the
iron chest from which II will shortly be
taken aud destroyed.
Ancient historians tell Of Damascus
blades which ad similar power, and the
s,iletto may have been fashioned BY the
| hands that fashioned them.