Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-03-13
New York Police Official Shot
Down in Front of His Hotel O..
In Palemo, Sicily.
VICTIM OF THE BLACK HAND
Had Gone There to Garry Out
Plan for Restriction of Grim
inal immigration.
Was a Terror 10 Italian WrOngdOcrs-
Death VIII Result in War on Malta,
Camorra and Like Societies.

New York. March 13-The special dis
match TO the Herald from Palmero si-
Clly, says.
Lieut.. Duke Joseph Petrosini of he
New York police department was shot
end killed early this evening near his
hotel.
His assassins are unknown, He had
come here on an important Nilsson
which had for its object the protection
Of peaceful Italians Of America.
Lieut.. Petrosini was tine head Of
what is known as the Italian squad ot
the New York police department and
one Of the principal organizers OF IT,
he was sent 10 Italy TO carry out
plan which was suggested a year ago
by a special agent whom the commits
sioner had hired to propose ways and
means of stemming the tide of italian
and Sicllian crime in New York City.
WILL STAMP OUT MALTA.
1t is said by prominent Italians in
New York who have done all they could
60 suppress the lawless element he.e
among their countrymen that the as
sassinatlon Of letroslni unquestiuuably
would result In redoubled efforts 20
stamp out the Mana, the Camo,ra the
.plack Hand" in New York and money
for this purpose would now be fortn-
coming in much larger amounts han
would have been possible had not the
assassination occurred.
Joseph Petrosini was the "Bla k
Hand" expert Of the New York pJLce
department and a terror TO Italian
criminals. It is said that he had more
convictions for murder to his credit
than any ave policemen connected with
the detective bureau. In his work il
is but natural that he incurred the
enmity OF an Italian criminals and the
report OF his death in italy leads to the
belief that he at last fell victim 10
those whom he had so relentlessly pros
ecuted
MISSION TO ITALY.
He went 10 Italy more than year
ago TO work on a plan suggested by
Police Commissioner Bingham TO check
the tide Of undesirable Italians and
Siciliang 70 this country and particu-
larry to New York city. A native
OF Italy and a man Of great experience
on the local police force, Petrosini
was the best all-around man 20 ac-
complsh the mission. \ private
subscription was started and $4,000
was raised. with this TO defray the
expense Of the undertaking, Petroslnl
left for his native land to estabhsh
bureaus through which IL was hoped
to keep such complete records thar
The news of the departure nom ltaly
or Sicily of any criminal could oe
flashed TO this country almost imme-
diately so that the authorities could
be on the alert and prevent their land
ing or place them under arrest
Petrosini was so accustomed TO re-
ceiving threatening communications
and Of hearing of threats against ms
life that he paid little attention 20
them. It is said that he had been
warned against going TO Palemo, where
d. is reported 10 have been assassin
ated. but that he ignored the threat and
scoffed at the idea OF being killed.
RESULT OF HIS DEATH.
Prominent Italians iu the city are Of
the opinion that the detective met
death among his cOuntrymen az d.
rect result OF his untirlng EFFORTS 70
suppress the Malta, the Camorra and
the Black Hand" but they think his
sudden death viii only serve 10 kim
die anew the feeling against these
criminals, which viii bring about even
"a more drastic crusade against them
than has heretofore been conducted.
When official news Of the assassl-
nation in palemo of Lieut.. Petrosini
was received here today by chief OF
Detectives McCanerty. he immediate
ly sent kilograms 20 the chiefs o
An am the country's large cities asking
them 20 round them every Black
Hand suspect iu their locality.
RELENTLESS WAR.
Relentless warfare will be waged
AGAINST the "Back Hand societies by
tho police Of this and IL Is hoped, oth-
er cities as "a result OF the murder on
Lieutenant Joseph Petrosini, the noted
Adjective in Palemo, Italy. For years
peterosini had been active I'M ms Work
10 bring "a Justice members ui nus own
race who carried on backmaliing OBJ
erations in this country through
threats of murder made boz The name OF
tho Black Hand II is believed that
his murder was the result Of a plot
that had It's inception Boo the United
states and the persons lhllI'Dt1
responsible for his death are sim Win
FHa American UnIIUn.