The Washington herald., 1909-03-14

New York. March 12-The men who
have worked under Joseph Petrosino for
years in detecting. Furnishing. and driving
out Of the country the Italian black
Enailers and all-round criminals who came
20 be generally known as the Black
Hand Society" believe that Petrosino was
assasslnated by some OF the sixty Syrian
and Arabian outlaws whose deportation
the lieutenant brought about while he d.
rected the Italian bureau OF the police
department here.
Perosino could not bring about the con-
viction OF these men In New York. but
made the town too hot for them. When
ne could not get direct evidence that
they were blacl1mailers or knife men, he
put into practice a system OF police perse-
cution that the circumstances justified in
his mind. and in the opinion Of his su-
periors. Espionage. a succession Of ar
rests. rough treatment when the slightest
resistance was offered. and threats backed
I'D by a powerful police machine that
Perosino had perfected himself. fright
ened the sixty out OF the country
There was hardly a man OF them, as
Petrosino and his bureau detectives
thoroughly realized. who would not have
stabbed him IN the back If there had
been a chance OF eluding capture in this
country. There was not one chance in
a hundred that they could murder Petro-
sino here. and get away with it. Their
names. the records OF their crimes. their
pictures. the very lines Of their thumb
tips were down IN Petrosino's books at
BIG Lafayette street.
Bunditti Awaited Victim.
Petroslno's assistants are convinced the
deported bandits awaited their opportuni-
" IN Italy, where murder IS not capital
crime. and where old and powerful
criminal societies offered a chance Of
protection and escape.
The facts have been communicated to
the state Department ct Washington by
Fourth Deputy Police Commissioner Ar
thur Woods. chief Of the detective bureau
In the effort 70 find and arrest Petrosino's
assassins. the police department VIII
work through the state Department In
assisting the Italian government Petro-
sino was something more than police
man on detached service when he went
70 Italy. He carried credentials from
the State Department, and had been act
ing as a diplomatic agent IN attempting
TO bring about an understanding between
Italy and this country. as to dealings
with italian criminals
One Of the things Petrosino went to
Italy for was TO secure the cooperation
Of the Italian police IN procuring the
records OF immigrants who had been con-
victed at home. The solution OF the
Black Hand problem lay in Italy. not
IN New York, PetrosinO believed.
The detectives presence in Italy, and
HIS activities for a month past. were
known not only to toe sixty who had
and relatives.
story OF the Crime.
Rome. March 12-At 8 o'clock last night
on the Piazza Marina, which is a very
dark spot IN Palermo. Lieut.. Joseph Pet
rosino. OF the New York police force, was
shot and killed A sailor saw q man
leaning against an iron railing with blood
streaming from his mouth. He fell dead
within a few minutes without speaking
The sailor saw two men hiding In a
neighboring house These two men fed
at the approach OF the police.
The Identification OF the dead man was
easy. Besides a police shield. numbered
2S5. there was found on Petrosino's body
a letter addressed to Adelina Petrosino,
223 Lafayette street. New York City.
which the detective carried In his hand
rea6v to mail when he was killed. In ad-
dtion 10 this. there were many credentials
and visiting cards.
The magistrate ordered the body re-
moved to the police station, where it was
ascertained that death had been almost
instantaneous Two bullets. either Of
which would have killed. had been fred
at close range. They struck the detective
in the cheek near the mouth.
The body was afterward conveyed to
the cemetery, where a post-mOrtem was
held. The result Is not announced.
Nobody knew Of Petrosino's presence in
Sicily, or the nature Of his mission, except
the chief of police Of Palermo.
The italian newspapers. without excep-
tion. deplOre the crime. and publish long
sketches OF Petrosino.
Special instructions have been sent
from police headquarters here to Palermo
that no effort must be spared TO arrest
the assassins. 1t is reported that the
police have a clew, which they are fol-
lowing, but not mitch credence is given
this. as similar crimes committed by the
Malta. the Black Hand. and the Camorra
are never discovered.