The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-13
SHOT -FOUR TIMES
Lieutenant Joseph PetrOsinO
Dies by Hand of Assassin.
Killed by His Countrymen in
His Native Land.
BLACK HAND EXPERT.
He Was the Terror of Italian
Criminal sin New York.
Had Many Convictions for Mur-
der to His Credit.

New 1Ofk, March ia special
cable dispatch to the Herald from
Palermo. Sicily, says:
Lieutenant Josep-- Petrosino, of
New ork police department, was shot
and killed early this evening near his
hotel
His assassins are unknown He
mad come here on an important mis-
sion winch had for its object the pro-
lection of peaceful Italians of Ameri-
ca"
Joseph Petrosino was the black
hand expert of the New York police
department and terror to italian
criminals.
It is said that he had more con-
victions for murder to his credit than
any five policemen connected with the
detective bureau. In his work it is but
natural that he incurred the enmity of
all Italian criminals, and the report
of his death in Italy leads TO the belief
that he at last fell victim to those
whom he had so relentlessly prose-
cuted
He went to Italy more than a year
ago to work on a plan suggested by
Police Commissioner Bingham, the
basis of which was to be the adoption
of means to check the tide of unde-
sirable Italians and Sicilians to this
country and principally to New York.
A native of Italy and a man of great
experience on the local police force,
Petrosino was the best all around man
Raised $4,000.
A private subscription was started
and $4,000 was raised. With this to
defray the expense of the undertaking,
Petrosino left for his native land to
establish bureaus through which it
was hoped to keep such complete rec
ords that the news of the departure
from Italy of Sicily of any criminal
could be flashed to this country almost
Immediately, so that the authorities
1 L. l..
their landing, or place them under
arrest.
Petrosino was so accustomed to re-
cefving threatening communications
and of hearing of threats against his
life that he paid little attention to
them. 1t is said that he had been
warned against going to Palermo,
where he is reported to have been as
SasSinated, but that he ignored the
threat and scoffed at the idea of being
killed
Prominent Italians in the city are
of the opinion that the detective met
death among his cOuntrymen as a di-
rect result of his untiring efforts to
suppress the Malta, the Camorea and
the Black Hand, but they think his
sudden death will only serve to kind1e
anew the feeling against these GRIM
inals, which will bring about even a
more drastic crusade against them
than has heretofore been conducted.
Petrosino's young wife was seen at
her nome, ZS3 Lafayette street, but
she said that she had heard nothing
from her husband since she received
a letter on Thursday last. There was
a shade of anxiety in her voice as she
stood in the doorway holding her lit
tie daughter in her arms. But" she
said, "I am sure that he is all right,
or should know"
Report Is Verified
Rome, March ia dispatch has
been received from the American con-
sui at Palermo, Sicily, stating that
Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, of the
New York police department, had
been assassinated in that city. His
murderer, a member of the Black
Hand, fired four shots from a re-
volver.
Petrosino arrived in Sicily only a
short time ago and he was engaged in
conducting an investigation regarding G
Italian criminals