Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-16
ELEVEN ITALIANS ARRESTED
Men Taken in New York Believed to
Know of Petrosino Plot
BLACK HAND CRIMES NUMEROUS
over Four Hundred Cases Reported
TO COmmissiOner brigham Last
NcRr-PnIcrmo Police Sus-
plcion Two Men.

NEW YORK. March i5.-Detective An
tonic Nachris, chief assistant to Detective
Joseph Petrosino, who was killed 10y
assassins I'm Sicily, arrested four l~taliaus in
a little wine shop In one Of the squald
Italian quarters or Brooklyn tonight. IL
was intimated that Vachrls had reason to
believe that the men mad knowledge of the
plot to XIII Petrosino. Stefano Castronouve,
one Of those arrested. who made a desperate
attempt to escape. is said to have recently
come here from Chicago, where he is al
legged to have been n leader Of the Black
Hand groups. Revolvers and s~tilettos were
found on the prisoners.
Seven other arrests OF italian suspects
we're made in the city during the day.
The death of Petrosino has had the effect
Of concentrating public attention on the
numerous crimes credited to Italian Grim
inals and already %stricter laws are called
for, especially regarding the manufacture,
possession and throwing of bombs. This
lie necessary for the eradication of the So
called Black Hand evil. according to As
slstant. District Attorney Mott, who has
prosecuted several Of the important cases
worked up by Petrosino.
Outrages Are Numerous.
Il know of no reason to suppose that
there is a central organization of the Black
Hand" said Mr.. Mott. There are groups
OF italian thugs. but they are separate,
though It may be that now and then they
work together. The members are the Grim
inal element OF the Italian population
The so-called Black Hand outrages have
averaged more than one a day since Janu-
airy l, 1908.
According to Police COMMISSIONS Bing-
- - -. ---a a-.-H T..-,. IO1Q
the Black Hand cases reported for the year
were 424, the arrests number 25 and the
convictions thirty-six.
The bomb cases reported numbered
forty-four, in connection with which there
were seventy arrests and nine convictions.
1t has developed that Petrosini died a poor
man and steps have been taken to raise
a fund for his family. A New York mer-
chant, one of the subscribers. said that
at least s2O,Ooo would be raised. Prayers
were said today for Lieutenant Petrosini
in all the Catholic churches Of New York.
I Palermo Police Active.
PALERMO. Sicily. March 1A-The assas-
sination of Lieutenant Petrosini has stirred
the police to unprecedented activity. Many
arrests already have been made and these
include a number of Italians with criminal
I records who lately have returned from the
United States.
The suspicious of the police are especially
centered on two notorious criminals, one
of whom is a thief of international repu-
| tation. and the other 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 stringent
watch kept upon him by Petrosini. It Is
impossible to ascertain thenames of the
men who have been placed under arrest,
as the police maintain complete silence on
this subject.
The authorities of Palermo have arranged
for the funeral and the body will be
shipped TO New York, according to in
structions received from that city,
American Ambassador busy.
ROME, March 1.-THE American ambas
sador has made further representations tc
the Foreign office, setting forth the i'm,
perative necessity for the protection of bott
Italians and Americans of bringing the
assassins of Petrosini to justice. The For.
eign office officials assured him that every.
thing possible was being done by the
italian government and promised that III
should be kept informed of all develop.
ments. The general inspector OF police
has already proceeded to Palermo to make
a full investigation and the government
I'm addition to leaving nothing untried tc
discover the criminals, has offered large
rewards.