Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-18
Police of Palermo Trying to Find
the Assassins of Lieut.. Pet
rosino Of New York.
WAS ACTING AS DETECTIVE
Had bccn Searching Records Of Itniinn
and Sicilinn CriminaIs-Tvo Motor.
ious Men in Custody-The As
snssinntion Was a Cold
Blooded Affair.".

Palermo. Sicily March 14.--The as.
sassihation of Lieutenant Petrosinc
mas stirred the police to unprecedent.
Ell activity. Many arrests already
nave been made and these include q
number Of Italians, with criminal rec.
ords. who lately have returned from
the United States
Inc suspicious of the police are os.
pecially centered on two notoriou,
criminals. ono of whom is thief OF
international reputation and the othe,
an assassin. to whose door are laid
many crimes committed in New York
The latter was obliged to leave the
United states because Of the strinren,
watch kept upon him by Petrosino
1t Is impossible to ascertain the namos
of the mon who have been placed un-
DER arrest as the police maintain
complete silence on this subject
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.
Lieut.. Joseph Petrosino. head Of the
Italian squad at the New York police
headquarters. was shot to death at 9
| O'Clock last evening under the shadow
OF the trees Of Marina square in this
city Whether he was lured there or not
Is unknown, but it is believed that Pet
rosino, who during his stay in Sicily
has been interchangeable in searching out
the records Of Siciian criminals. went
To the square in the hope Of obtaining
informa ton which he considered OF the
utmost Importance
Petrosino had managed to collec.
while here much evidence OF the GRIM
inality OF large number OF Italians
who have taken refuge in the United
States. which would have given the
American government the right to de-
port them. In n number Of cases Pet
rosino had traced murder to them His
work will he largely destroyed hv h,s
death. FOR he had NOT had the time nor
the opportunity to place much OF his
data on record
His assassination was most cold.
hlooded one. He was attacked in the
darkness at the corner of the deserted
square by two men. who fred three
shots al him. Petrosino. though NOR
tallT wounded chung desperately to life.
and showed at the very last moment ex-
ira ordinary courage and GOODNESS
Thourh he knew death was near. he
chung ore hand TO the grating Of nearby
window. He managed to draw his re-
"o>ver and fire che shot and then fell 20
tho ground. HIS bullet missed ito mark, !
but the noise Of the CARTRIDGES dis
charre attracted several persons. Tho
first Of 1850 was sailor from the war
Shin Calai ria. who. rs hc ran M. saw
tho detective dragging himself to his feet
aNd Eras9lns the iron har with uorveless |
hand l}ut ms tho sailor reached him |
fetrosinO fell again To tho ground
He was dead before ,'.e sailor ard |
others who came to his assistance could |
raise his bead
a magistrate who was notified .. tha |
rssa ssiration Went immed atev to the |
SPOT. From papers found on him II APP |
rcars that he was gathering evidence !
with reference 10 Italian criminals in
The United States. There We're also not ,s
concerning the Palermo members 81
he ''Rlack Hand" Several postal cards |
were found, addressed to his wife Ado
ina Petrosno. 223 LAFAYETTE square. New
York" and a metal badge. No. 2S5.
From other papers found on the body
/ appears that Petrosino had made n
our of Sicily and had given special at
cntion to Trapani The magistrate gave
,rders that the body he transported to
Rotalli cemetery. where a post norton
'as held