The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-06-17

aI1EADl tGNNN9 lice Headquarters
N\W5A WIN simply b e cause
t%lc-l EMI there we're cilcum.
NI>Tl w, stances which pre-
'T 81 isge vented the Chief
~ from making it
public at tho time" said q retired
Central Office detective, as he chewed
the end of an unlighted cigar reAec-
lively. He referred to the arrest of
murderer which gained fame for the
former head Of the Detective Bureau
at the beginning of his career.
"rhe murder was one of those or
dinary incidents of life in the italian
quarter, and there was nothing of any
great interest in the cause of the crime
and the manner in which it was done, 4"
he continued. "It was mystery,
however, from the fact that there was
not the slightest clue to the indentity
of the murderer, and you can just bet
tho Chief made us hustle. have O
clipping here of the story the news
paper, printed about the murder the
day after it occurred"
The ex-Central Office man pulled
out his card case and handed the re-
porter the clipping. 1t read as fol.
lows:
Giuseppi Casselln, twenty-eight years old,
OF 2i7 Mott street, while standing at tho cor
ner OF Mott and Houston streets at H. 80
O'Clock last night was stabbed and fatally
wounded by stranger. Cassela, who had
only been in tho country two weeks. was
talking with friend named Domenico Muir
ano, when a strange young man who was
very drunk happened along The Italians
laughed at the young man, and he turned
suddenly and attacked them.
In the fight Cassella was stabbed In the
left side. He dropped to the sidewalk, and
Murano remained to attend to his friend, al
lowing the strange young man to make good
his escape. When Murano discovered that
Cassella was badly cut he shouted for help.
Policeman Rowley Of the Mulberry street
station, heard his cries, and when he arrived
at the scene found Cassello in dying con-
ditton. Ho sent in hurry call for an am
bulance to st. Vlncent's Hospital but Cas-
sella died before tho surgeon arrived.
Murano, who is detained by the police rs
witness, cannot describe the murderer, as
he says he was too much excited to remem-
Der what he looked like. He kept repeating
in answer to the questions OF the police that
the young mau was an "Americano." Gem
tral Ohlce detectives are working on the case
with little hope OF success.
"That was all any of The newspapers
printed about the case the first day.
AS soon as the report of the stabbing
was sent in from the station house the
Sergeant at the desk in the Central
Office 'phoned to the Chiefs house
and told him of the facts. He was told
to send out the two emergency men
and any others that came in during the
night on the case. The next morning
the Chief was around bright and
early, and when We assembled for roll
call he talked to all hands about the
case in q general way, and said that no
effort was to be spared to hunt down
the murderer. Then, before we left,
four of MS were told that we were
wanted in the Chiefs private office.
Two were Detective Sergeants, the
star men in the Office, and my side
partner and myself, who were anxious
to become Sergeants. The old man, as
we called the Chief, had an admirable
way of getting at the meat of a case,
and when We entered he did not waste
any time in telling us what he wanted.
" I've had talk with this fellow,
Murano, who was with Cassella when
the stRbbing occurred, and I'm salts.
fed that he had nothing to do with
it, the Chief began. Both the man
that was murdered and Murano car
ried stilettos. but these were found
sheathed in their pockets. Now, all l
have been able to learn as to the
description of the stranger whom Mu-
rano says did the stabbing is that he
wore a blue gingham jumper over q
red undershirt. The jumper was open
at the throat, showing the shirt. He is
a stout, well built young man of
twenty-five or twenty-six years, with
dark hair and n smooth shaven face.
That's the best description could get
from Murano. want two of you fell
lows to drag the saloons around the
BOWery and the other two to take this
fellow Murano with you and see if he
can't run across the stranger. /
thought at first il might have been one
of those Italian vendettas or a Malta
scrap, but tho Italian priest, who
knew both men, assured me that it was
nothing of the kind, and would not
waste any time on that theory. The
motive was not robbery, and you
needn't bother with crooks, either. 1t
was a simple fight, and it will be
hard job, but you want to see what
you can do.
''We paired OF. each of tho Ser
geants taking one of us novices. My
boss took Murano, and We started on
the hunt. Murano was a stupid fell
low, and l don't think that if the mur.
dorer was brought face to face with
him that day he could have identified
him. We certainly saw every tough
IN that precinct before dark, but
Murano gave us no hope. The other
fellows had no luck either, and we set
tied down to make a systematic in.
quiry through the district. We knew
nearly everybody IN the district that
ran Joint such as the fellow described
would frequent, but our questioning
was Of no avail. Il was a tough Job,
and We seemed 10 be working in
blind alley. Tho reporters had a lot
OF fun with us for week or SO, and
thOn the story died ont We Kant nm