The Washington herald., 1910-04-03

country took this stabbing as they had
/ the barred murder as a warning not 10
| defy the authority OF the big thief
The next crime OF which the Morrello
gang was suspected was the murder in
/ Italy OF Lieut.. Petrocino, the man of all
the sleuths OF the New York police
force whom the gang most feared. There
! has never been any admissible evidence
/ TO show that Morrello had any connection
with this crime. II was shown at the
time, however, that the business of Pet
| rocino in Italy was TO investigate the
past Of the members OF this gang. Such
evidence was being unearthed as that
which showed that Lupo, The Wolf. had
fed Italy because Of murder which he
had committed. 1t was also known that
members of the Morrello gang were in
the vicinity Of Palermo when the murder
was committed.
Courage of the Lamb.
Then begins the final chapter of the
operations Of the gang. the chapter in
which. because of the courage Of
despised supposed weakling known
men who had spread terror throughout
the nation were brought finally to a fell
ons cell
About year ago counterfeit money
began to appear in New York, Philadel-
phia, Buffalo. Cincinnati, Baltimore, and
other cities 1t was all OF the same kind
and all handled by Italians On the face
OF it there was evidently a well-organized
gang spreading this false money broad
east. So efficient had the Secret Service
drag built up by the most efficient opera
tive in charge, w J. Flynn. become that
It succeeded in gathering in fourteen Of
the men who were passing the money
and convicting them. But the men at the
head of the scheme were stiH hard to
reach. This difficulty lay largely in the
fact that so inundated were all of their
eountrymen who associated with them
that they would go TO prison in silence
rather than disclose the source of the bad
money, for to do this latter meant death.
But finally the man was secured who
had the direct evidence and who was
willing to give it. This individual was
Antonio Comito. The Lamb. Comito had
long been the unwilling tool of the gang.
He had been so tinid and inoffensive that
the viilainous crew regarded him as putty
in their hands. Had they not tanned the
proud spirits Of many of their courageous
and naturally upright countrymen? Why
should they fear this spirftless weakling?
Yet ComitO was the instrument which
sent the proud dictator and practically
all his intimates to the penitentiary.
DHres TO Tell Story.
Comito told his own story on the wit
ness stand at the present. session or the
Federal Court. The eight outlaws. mos.
dreaded among their countrymen of az
those that the Italian quarter had eve-
known, sat in the prisoners box and The
Lamb turned his head away while Il
testified, for he had not the courage TO
face them. He said that he knew that
he was to be killed for what he was doing.
but that it was better to die than live so
miserably. He but awaited the venge-
ance which was to be melted out to him.
While the trial progressed the Federal
building became filled almost to bursting
with low -browed. dangerous-lookingI
Italians. The authorities became alarmed
and Secret Service men and deputy mar
shals were brought into the building until |
it fairly bristled with artillery. About the
corridors these alert men Of the law
walked continually and dispersed each |
clump Of dark-faced men that got to-
gether in whispered conversation. The |
witness was constantly surrounded by |
officers, and when he was taken 20 and |
from the courtroom it was between ranks |
Of deputy marshals. One morning Mar
shall Henckle found a long and ugly-look-
ing dagger sticking in his door, obviously /
as a warning of the fate that might
await the enemies of the accused.
But despite all this Comito, The Lamb.
went forward with his testimony
by score of excellent and high
priced lawyers that the accused were
able to retain. Three times did the Secret
Service men see some Italian in the room
give him the death sign. the thing most
dreaded by the sons of Italy and usually
sufficient to close their mouths against
any further rtterance. This sign is given
BY raising the closed hand to the mouth.
biting the knuckle ana turning the ac-
ion of by running the finger around the
edge Of the collar. Comito would faltar
grow faint, and almost faint at such
lines. but his story went forward to the
md and was subslantiated by such adj
iitional evidence as to establish its IN
Questioned truth.
comito said that in october. 1908. he !