The Washington herald., 1909-03-15

New York. March 1A-They we're not al
all pleased al police headquarters to-day
over the tardiness OF the italian police in
cabling further information concerning
the assassination Of Lieut.. Petrosino. or
as 10 what had been surmised by the
police agents over there as 10 the identity
OF the sssassins
Not a word came TO the police depart
ment here or TO the State Department In
Washington. so far as the detective bu-
reau could ascertain, that would have as
sisted Commissioner Bingham's men IN
arrestinE Italians who might have been
indirectly connected in killing Petrosino.
In the absence Of suggestions from
Italy. the police here worked in the
dark They did two things. Every man
in the department was ordered 10 con
stitute himself a detective in the Petro-
sino case, so that to-day upward OF 1900
men were trying 10 find out whether ItaI-
ians who have got into trouble here al
various times had gone back TO Italy
recently. and whether any OF tho Black
Hand fraternity had been heard 70 utter
threats against Petrosino In addition.
the police commissioner requested the
police Of other cities 20 find out. II Dos
sible. whether any Italian crooks were
missing from their cities. Petrosipo was
Wei known 20 the blackmailers OF Balti-
more. Philadelphia. and Washington. No
arrests were made here and no informa-
ton was obtained UP TO a late hour to-
night from other cities
Police GrOpe BIIndIy.
Until the italian police communicate
definite information concerning the cir
eumstances Of the murder. and what con-
clusions have been drawn from II. the
New York police must grope blindly. So
many Itslisn-born criminals thoroughly
hated the detective that the police have
a eomplexity Of motives to tangle their
operations. 1t is thought al the detective
bureau that a start may be made when
they learn the story Of the murder in de-
tail. At present the belief in Mulberry
street is that Petrosino was shot to death
by Italians who had known him in this
city; by men whose deportation he had
secured, or who had followed him for
the purpose OF killing him when he went
TO Italy. early last February.
Petrosino went alone on his mission. II
may easily be inferred that his departure
was known by the criminals here, whose
graft he had interfered with, and that
he was trailed until a favorable time
came to murder him and escape. II il is
learned that Italians under suspicion have
gone TO Italy in the last few weeks. the
police department here will furnish their
names and descriptions to the italian
police in the hope that they may be
picked up.
His associates in the italian bureau
think that the assassination was the re-
suit Of a carefully-laid plan: that the de-
tective was followed TO Palermo, and lured
into A dark street In A day or two Il
will be known whether any OF the Italian
professional blackmailers Of New York.
whose names are down in Deputy Com
missioner Woods BLACK Hand Book.
have returned to Italy. The Italian de-
tectives here were especially busy on that
job to-day
Planned Long Ago.
1T is no exaggeration to say that Pet
rosino's assassination was decided long
ago by the Black Hand groups he fought
for years. said an Official Of the depsrt-
Continued on Page 3, Column 4.