The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
TO WIPE OUT
 BLACK HAND Relentless Warfare to
 Be Waged. NOTED DEFECTIVE KILLED Lieutenant Petrosini AssaSsinated
 in Palermo. It Is Believed This Murder Was Re- suit Of Plot Which Had Its Inception Tn United

VIII po WdSed aSdlHSt the piack mana societies by the police of this and 1t Is hoped. other cities as a result of the murder of Lieutenant Joseph Petrosini, the noted detective. in Palermo.
 It is believed here that this murder was the result of plot that had its inception in the United States and tn at the persons indirectly responsible for his death are still within the reach of the American police. Every effort will be made to bring about their arrest and conviction and with this end in view, Inspector McCafferty, head of the New York detective bureau, sent tele- grams today to the authorities in the principal cities in the country asking that increased activity be exerted against all black hand suspects. The telegrams were sent to Chicago. Phila- delphia. Boston. San Francisco, Pitts diately orders were given to arrest at once all men in New York City who are believed to have connections with 'black hand" operations.
 Deputy Commissioner Woods was of ficially advised of Petrosinfs death through a telegram which read:
 "Petrosini shot, instantly killed, heart of city. this evening. Assassin unknown. Died a martyr.
 (Signed) Bishop,
 American Consul at Palermo"
 Work Won't Stop.
 Deputy Commissioner Woods, upon receipt of notice of Petrosinfs death issued a statement in which he an- nounced that the work in which Petro- sini was engaged would not stop be- cause of his death.
 "It would be hard to overstate the value of Lieutenant Petrosinfs work" " added Mir. Woods. Tt is hoped that the assassin of this faithful servant of New York City may bring home to the people some idea of the seriousness of the black hand situation. Although the number of black hand crimes has decreased in the last few months. 1t Is impossible to make any radical move against the outlaws unless the police department can have the use of the secret service fund provided by the city and unless Congress will pass immi- nals out and make it impossible to put out any that may slip in"
 Lieutenant Petrosini was the head of what Is known as the Italian squad of the New York police department and one of the principal organizers of 1t. He was sent to Italy to carry out a plan which was suggested year ago by a special agent whom the commits sioner had hired to propose ways and means of stemming the tide of Italian and Sicilian crime in New York City.
 It Is said by prominent Italians in New York, who have done all they could to suppress the lawless element here among their countrSmen, that the of Petrosine unquestion- ably would result in redoubled efforts to stamp out the Mafa, the Camorra and Black Hand in New York, and that money for this purpose would now be in much larger amounts than would have been possible had not the assassination occurred.
 Black Hand Expert.
 Joseph Petrosino was the Black Hand expert of the New York police criminals It is said he had more for murder to his credit than any five policemen connected with the detective bureau. In his work he incurred the enuity of all Italian crim- inals and the report of his death in Italy leads to the belief that he at last fell a victim to those whom he had SO relentlessly prosecuted.
 He went to Italy more than year ago to work on a plan suggested by Police Commissioner Bingham, the ba-
  means to check the tide of undesirable Italyians and Sicilians to this country. and particularly to New York City. A native of Italy and a man of great ex- perience on the local police force, Petrosino was the best all round man to accomplish the mission. A private was started and $30,0o0 was raised. With this tc defrGy the expense of the undertaking Petrosino left for his native land to establish bureaus through which 1t was hoped to keep such complete records that the news of the departure from Italy or Scily or any criminals could be flashed to this country almost immediately. SO that the authorities here could be on the alert to prevent their, landing or place them under arrest.
 Petrosino was so accustomed to re- ceive threatening communications and of hearing threats against his life that he paid little attention to them. It is said he had been warned against going to Palermo.