Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-05-06
TRIBUTE TO A SLEUTH
Candle to Burn Nearly Five Years
For Joe PetroSin0.
TERROR OF ITALIAN CRIMINALS

Nine Foot High Candle Adorned With
Gold Will Remain Lighted In Mem
ory of New York Detective Slain In
Palermo, Sicily.
A candle soon will be lighted to burn
four years and seven months In MEM
ory of Joseph Petrosini, the detective
on the New York police force who was
Rssassinated in Palermo, Sicily. 1t was
constructed with mathematical GER
tainty by New York firm and was to
have been placed In the procathedral
on Mott street, New York, to keep
alive the light of remembrance, but
because of its dimensions and expen-
sive character the determination was
reached that it await the wishes of
it sent to her husbands birthplace in
Italy and there enshrined to burn I'M
til the last particle is consumed.
There was another reason apart from
those advanced to explain why the
candle was not placed in the procathe-
dral. Anonymous threats were made
to destroy the church on the day of
the funeral of Petrosino, and it is I'M
derstood that it was thought the burn
ing of the memorial candle in the
church would be constant reminder
of PetrOsino's martyrdom to the des-
| peradoes who plotted his death To
avoid this the candle was quietly tax
en- back TO the makers, in whose home
Petrosino had been reared and where
he was looked upon as beloved mem
Der OF the family
The fashioners Of the candle are ex-
| perts in the making of candles used in
| the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic
church. About nine months ago Petro-
| sino called at their shop while Father
| Monteleono of Mount Carmel was
there and ioklngly asked what kind of
candle would be made to burn for
him. The elder member of the firm re-
piled that the day was far off when
that service would be required, but
when PetroSino insisted replied jok-
| ingly:
| when the time does come, Joe. a
candle to burn in your memory will be
made that never has been equaled II
Rome or in France or in the United
| States. 1t will be the most perfect ever
! designed"
Immediately after the news of the
J assassination was received the promise
was recalled. and the candle firm set
| It's most skillful men at work They
kept at the task night and day. for the
! candle had to be made by hand and its
ingredients SO blended and its long
! wick so prepared that it would burn
! longer than any candle ever manufac
! tured
The principal material used was pure
/ Austrian hecswaX kneaded and TEN
pered and mixed with a secret ingrc
dent to rctard combustion. The wick
of special Egyptian cotton. was treat
ed with composition TO keep it from
feeding too fast with the waXy fuel
The candle was ready ON the night o
the day the slain detectives body ar
. rived in New York
The candle is nine feet high and ha
a circumference of three feet six inch
es. 1t weighs IFS pounds. From with
! IN one foot OF the tip TO one foot of tn
base it is embossed with fourteen
carat gold. laid on in octuple leaf. Th
centerpiece. all pure gold, shows lille
of the valley and a reproduction il
miniature of the holy college. Tn
laying on of the gold ard the fabrica
ton of the design were the work o
two men, who kept at their task, whel
time began to press, thirtysix hours
with only a brief intermission for eat
ing and sleeping. The cost of the can
die was $3.50.
Precise calculation as to the time the
candle will burn was not figured ou
to the hour, but the makers believe
they are within ten hours when they
say that 1t will burn steadily -four
years and seven months.