Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-03-14
bLACkHA'ND
): !: KILLED Him
: H "H
New York'S Noted Italian
Policeman Shot in Pa.
lermo, Sicily
Went There 10 Try Stop
Emigration Of Dago
CutthrodtS

Palermo, March 13.-Ldeutenant
Joseph Petrosino. head OF the ltal-
ian squad at the New York police
headquarters, was shot to death at >
o'clock last evening under the shad-
ow of the trees at Marina square In
this city. Whether he was lured
there or not is unknown, but It is
believed that Petrosino, who during
his stay in Sicily has been indefatig-
able in searching up the records OF
Sicillian criminals, had gone to the
square in the hops of securing in
formation which he considered of
the utmost importance.
The identity Of the assassfns has
not been disclosed, for they made
their escape after having made GER
tain of the deAth of the detective.
Not the slightest trace Of them has
yet been discovered, but undoubtedly
they were men who had reason to
dread Petrosino's presence in Italy,
either because he was on their track
or the track Of fellow members Of
some Of the secret organizations
from America. Petrosino had man
aged to collect while here much evi-
dence of the ecriminality of. q large
number Of italians who have taken
refuge in the United states, which
would have given the. American. gov
ernment the power to .deport them.
In q number Of cases Petrosino had
traced murder to their hands. His
work will be largely destroyed by
his death, as he had not had the time
nor the opportunity to place much of
his data on record.
His assassination was a most cold
blooded one. He was attacked in the
darkness at the corner Of tie desert
ed square by two men who fred
three shots at him. PetrOsino,
though mortally wounded, clung des-
perately to life, and showed at the
very last moment extraordinary
courage and GOODNESS.
Though the blood was streaming
from him and he could feel that
death was near, he clung with one
hand to the grating Of nearby win
dow. ell managed to draw his, re-
volver and fire one shot, and then
fell to the ground. His bullet missed
it's mark, but the noise of the explo-
sion attracted several passers. The
first of these was sailor from the
warship Calabria, who, as he ran
up and saw the detective dragging
himself to his feet and grasping the
iron bar with nervous hands, but as
the sailor reached him, Petrosino
fell again to the ground covered
with blood which was flowing from
a desperate wound in the face. His
eyes were still staring, and as II In
a last effort to defend himself he
turned the revolver in his hand to
where his assailants had been. He
was dead before the sailor and 9TH
ers who came to his assistance could
raise his head.
To BE Relentlessly Pursued.
New York, March 13.-No crome in
years has so stirred the people gen.
orally and the police in particular as
has the assassination of Lieutenant
Joseph Petrosino, of the New York
police force, in Palermo, Sicily. :.
BY many Petrosino is celebrated a
martyr. He had received numerous
threats that unless he ceased his ef-
forts against the Black Hand, the
Camorra, the Malta, and other Ital-
ian conspirators and criminals, he
would meet his end. Petrosino, how
ever, was not deferred in the work
he believed he was called on to do
for civilization and humanity,
though he often prophesied to his
friends the fate that befe11 him yes
terday. .ss.ss.s; s3s ss $gass .sss
5s A relentless warfare has already
comenced here and in many other
American cities against the class Of
criminals who brought shout Petro-
sino's death. Instead Of stopping in
vestigation and prosecution. % they
had perhaps believed. the murder
. win cause only added activity on the