Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-05-07
TRIBUTE TO A SLEUTH
Candle to Burn Nearly Five Years
For Joe Petrosino.
TERROR OF ITALIAN CRIMINALS

Nine Foot High Candle Adorned With
Gold Will Remain Lighted In Mem
Dry of New York Detective Slain In
Palermo. Sicily.
A candle soon will he lighted to burn
four years and seven months in men,
DRY Of Joseph Petrosini. the detective
on the New York police force who was
assassinated in Palermo. Sicily. 1t was
constructed with mathematical Ger.
tainty by New York firm and was to
have been placed in the procathedral
on Mott street New York. to keep
alive the light of remembrance, but
because Of it's dimensions and expen-
Sive character the determination was
reached that 1t await the wishes of
Mrs. Petrosino. who probably will have
1t sent to her husbands birthplace in
Italy and there enshrined to burn un-
til the last particle Is consumed.
There was another reason apart from
those advanced to explain why the
candle was not placed in the procathe-
dral. Anonymous threats were made
to destroy the church on the day of
the funeral Of Petrosino, and 1t is un-
derstoCd that 1t was thought the burn
Ing OF the memorial candle In the
church would be constant reminder
of Petrosino's martyrdom to the des-
peradoes who plotted his death. To
avoid this the candle was quietly tax
en- back to the makers, in whose home
Petrosino had been reared and where
he was looked upon/as beloved mem.
Der of the family
The fashioners of the candle nre ex-
perts In the making of candles used iii
the ceremonies Of the Roman Catholi;'
church. About nine months ago Petro-
sino called Mt their shop while Father
Monteleono Of Mount Carmel was
there and jokingly asked what kind Of
a candle would be made to burn for
him. The elder member of the firm re-
piled that the day was far off when
that service would be required. but
when Petrosino insisted replied jok.
ingly:
when the time does come, Joe, a
candle to burn in your memory will be
made that never has been equaled in
Rome or in France or in the United
States. 1t will'be the most perfect ever
designed
Immediately after the news of the
assassination was received the promise
was recalled, and the candle firm sci
its most skillful men at work. They
kept at the task night and day, for the
candle had to be made by hand and its
ingredients SO blended and its long
wick so prepared that 1t would burn
longer than any candle ever manufac.
tured
The principal material used was pure
Austrian beeSwax .kneaded and TEN.
pered and mixed with secret ingre.
dent to retard combustion The wick,
OF special Egyptian cotton. was treat.
ed with competition to keep 1t from
feeding too fast with the waxy fuel
The candle was ready on the nit;ht OF
the day the slain detectives body ar.
liv,d in New York.
The culd,e is nine feet high and ha,
circumference Of three feet six inch.
es. 1t weighs It's pounds From with.
in ore foot Of the tip to one foot Of the
base 1t is embossed with fourteen
carat gold. laid on in octuple leaf. TIL;
centerpece. all pure gold. shows lilies
Of the valley and Il reproduction III
miniature Of the holy college The
laying Gn of the gold and the fnhrjca.
ton Of the design were the work OF
two men. who kept at their task. when
time began to press. thi"ty-Aix hours
with only brief inlermission for eat.
ing and sleeping The cost Of the can.
die was $3.50.
Precise calculation as to the time the
candle will burn was not figured out
to the hour but the makers believe
they are within ten hours when they
say that 1t will burn steadily four
years and "ey i months