Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-15
Result from Murder Of
Police Lieut. Petrosini
Italian Police Center Suspicious
On Two Men.
One Of Them a New York Murderer
Whom PetroslnI Drove Out.

''--
stirred the police to unprecedented ac-
| tivity. MANY arrests already have been
made and these include number OF
Italians with criminal records. VINO
lately have returned from the United
| States.
The suspicious of the police are es-
| pacially centered Oh TWO notorious
criminals. one of whom is thief OF in
| ternational reputation, and the other
an assassin, to whose door are lald
many crimes committed in New York.
The latter was obliged to leave the
United States because of the stringent
watch kept upon him by Petrosini. 1t
is impossible to ascertain the names Of
the men who have been placed under
arrest because the police maintain
complete silence on this sumject.
The authorities of Palermo have ar
ranged for the funeral and the body
will be shipped to New York. accord
ing to the instructions received from
that city.
New York, March 14.-Though there
was an air of quiet activity at police
headquarters today, nearly all OF the
chief officials having been there and
in conference. no definite developments
regarding the work of tracing the as
sassns of Lieut.. Joseph Petrosini. in
Palermo. Sicily, We're announced. There
was a feeling of chagrin and even r.
sentiment over the fact that not one
word regarding the murder of the not
ed New York detective had come from
the Italian police, notwithstanding a
cable had been sent them seeking GER
tain information.
Inspector McCafferty, head of the
detective service here. said that he
was particularly anxious to know
whether Petrosni had been robbed af-
ter being shot. He intimated that
Petrosini had some papers valuable
to the police here in running down
Black Hand and other Italian Offend
erS The failure Of the Palermo police
to answer leaves the police here in the
dark whether Petrosini had these pa
pers in his pocket when slain. and
whether or not the aSSaSSinS got them
The inspector said that PetroSini had
letters of instruction from the depart
ment here which if stolen by the mur-
derers. would reveal to the Italian
criminals just what plans the police
Of New York have on foot.
Lieut. Joseph Petrosini was the
Black Hand expert Of the New York
police department. and & terror TO
Italian criminals. 1t is said that he
had moro convictions for murder 70
his credit than any other five police
men connected with the detective
bureau In his work. it is only natural
that H. incurred tn" cnmity of I'll
Italian criminals.
He went to Italy more than 4 month
ago to work on Il plan suggested ~
Police Commissioner Bingham. the "D-
iert of which was to be the adoption
of means to check the tide of undesr
able italians and Sicilians to this conn
try, and particularly to New York city.
A native of Italy and n man OF great
experience on the local police force,
Petrosin was the best allround man
to accomplish the mission. A private
Subscription was started and 100000
was raised.
With this to defray the expense of
the undertaking, Petrosini left for his
native land to establish bureaus
through which it was hoped to keep
such complete records that the news OF
the departure from italy or Sicily OF
any criminal could be flashed to this
country almost Immediately. so that
the authorities here could be on the
alert and prevent his landing, or place
him under arrest.
Relentless warfare will ba waged
against the BLACK Hand" societies ny
the police of this and. it is hoped. other
cities as result of the murder of Pc
trosini.
With this end in view Inspector Nc
Cafferty. head Of the New York de-
tective bureau. sent kilograms to the
authorities in the principal cities Of
the country asking that the police in
crease their activities against all
| BLACK Hand suspects. The kilograms
were first sent to Chicago. Philadel-
phia. Boston. San Francisco, Pittsbu! 9
Baltimore and ST Louis.
In New York City he issued orders
for general arrests of Black Hand sus-
poets.
The death of Petrosini has had the
effect of concentrating public attention
on the numerous crimes credited Y"
| Italian criminals and already stricthr
| laws are called tor. especially regard
| ing the manufacture. possession anu
| throwing of bombs. This is necessary
for the eradication of the So-cail2d
Black H3nd evil, according to Assist
ant District Attorney Mott. who has
mad. q study Of the subject Mr..
Mott, however, does not believe there
: Il central Black Hand organization
or that the Black Hand resembles
Hucn societies as the Armenian Hunch-
akist, the Malta or the Camera. He
| thinks that the outrages are due to
different groups of Italian thugs. The
SC-caleo Black Hands record Or muir
der and eXtortion during the past II
months as known to the police of New
York and adjacent towns. is amazing.
| Tie crimes have averaged more than
| one d day since Jan. /. 1908.
| According to Police Commissioner
Ringhams annual report, issued Jan.
| |. 1909. the Black Hand cases reported
| Tor the year We're 424, the arrest num-
| tered 2l5. the convictions SO, the dis
charges l56. and the cases pending %.
1t is known that a world-wid hunt
for Petrosini's slayers has begun. The
| initial step was taken Saturday, stimuli
| taoeoI,cly in Now York Roltip,ora Nau.