Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-19


The next day I went out at o'clock to
get the chief Of police to send man with
me to arrest Ceramello, for I felt sure
he was there. But, no; 1t was too early
The chief said 1 must wait until the de-
tectives came in.
So went back to the house alone and
Knocked at the door.
Come I'M" some one said.
went In. There were three men and q
woman on my left and a man leaning
over stove on niy right. He answere'
the description / had OF ceramello.
Anybody sick here?" l asked. TN
from the health board, and hear youV.
got smallpox.
Then turned to the man by the stove
whats your name?' '.Fioni." "Comc
here"
There was an ak standing against the
wall. and ns spoke l kicked 1t away
with my foot. Then l grabbed the man
by the back Of the neck ard took him
downstairs. On the, way to the police
station he confessed to having k!!leo
Brogno. I brought him back to New
York, and he was tried and sent to pris-
on for life, while Carboni was pardoned
Four years later occurred the bar
rel murder" one Of the most important
cases Of Petrosino's career. 1t did nof
result in q conviction, but Petrosine
always believed he had the right man
The body Of man with the heaG
nearly severed was found in 1902 in o
barrel in tenement Oh East Eleventh
street, New York. There was nothing
to show his identity, and it looked al
the outset like an impossible case. But
Petrosino had a rather distinct recol-
lection Of the face of the dead man.
and he couldn't get rid of the impress
sion that he had seen 1t somewhere.
Finally he fixed the time and place. re-
calling him as having attended trial
of counterfeiter. Giuseppe Diprimo.
in the federal court a year or SO be-
fore. So Petrosino went to Sing Sing
to interview Diprimo.
As soon as he saw photograph of
the dead man Diprimo exclaimed.
That's my brother" adding that he
had seen him at the prison recently
with Tomaso Petto. This man Petto
was arrested because he knew Dipri
mo, because he lived in Buffalo and
because pair Of gloves found in the
OhAA CA pOAC tlC hAlHS VI ISuuu1S
store. Then the counterfeiter told the
detective that his brother had carried
q watch which he recalled bore some
deep scratches ION the neck" There
the clews seemed to end.
Back to New York came Petrosino.
The pawnshops were rakcd over, and
Diprimo's watch was found, with it's
scratches ION the neck More, 1t was
learned that Tomaso Petto had pawn
ed the watch. Then Petto was rear
rested, and the pawn ticket for the
watch was found in his possession.
But. though Petto was held in prison
for eight months. the necessary cor
roborative evidence was lacking. The
police were morally sure Of their man,
but had to consent to his discharge.
1t is interesting to note that among
the men arrested on suspicion in this
case were three who, 1t was learned
later, were wanted" In Italy for mur-
der.
As an example OF Petrosino's watch
fulness when in pursuit Of criminal
the story Of Paulo Rondo, who shot
and killed his wife In Little Italy in
New York six years ago, may be cited.
Petrosino tracked the murderer, who
was shielded BY his countrymen, to a
little village on the outskirts OF Long
Island City and located him in a house
on the ground floor of which was a
grocery store. All attempts to get at
the murderer proved unavailing. The
detective climbed convenient tree
and, hidden by the foliage, kept
watchful eye on the house. He spent
most uncomfortable night, but was
rewarded at daylight by seeing
wagon drive up to the door. A large
bundle was carried from the house
by several men and carefully deposited
in the wagon.
Petrosino came down from the tree
and as the wagon started away
grabbed the tailboard and, selling the
bundle, dragged it to the ground. The
covering burst, and up sprang the muir
derer. A desperate fight ensued. Cap
tor and captive rolled over and over
on the ground, the friends Of the MUIR
derer crowding around and cheering
the man they had sought to conceal.
They were about to interfere when
Detective Sergeant Krauch, who had
also been watching, appeared with
revolver in each hand. Then the
crowd fell back, the subdued murderer
was put into the wagon from which he
had been dragged, and in the vehicle
brought for his flight he was taken to
the nearest police station. He expiat-
fenced to eleven years In Sing Sing.
Petrosino could fight as well as
"sleuth." This he proved when, on
March 80, 1896, he arrested Giuseppi
Guiliano on charge Of grand larceny.
Guiliano had enticed a homeward
Bound fellow countryman, Antonio
Sperduto by name, to dive and had
given him Knockout drops. A weeks
search located the guilty man in
house on Park street, in New York.
The pair wrestled and rolled down the
stairs from the third floor to the street
Petrosino got his prisoner as far as
sewer opening, over which they fought
for fully ten minutes. Finally the dea
tective, with a viselike grip on the
mans throat, forced his head into the
sewer opening and swore he would
hurl him into the sewer If he did not
at once surrender. Not until the man
became unconscious was he dragged
from the sewer opening, and it was