Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-06-08

was getting on very slowly, but Il
seemed to me that / was making prog
ress. To hurry might lead to a mis-.
take and a mistake would not only
end my investigations, but my life.
was In constant dread Of meeting some
friend or acquaintance who would
recognize me. To prevent this I told
Genazzini that, since / was liable to
be recognized by those from whom l
had stolen, would better make nv.
self up. He assented to this, but I
found the plan impracticable A
makeup can't be used in close prox.
Unity with persons. for they will soon
discover 1t.
Well, one day what I feared han
pened. ] was in a restaurant getting
instructions in the matter Of a robbery
Genazzini was planning. He had gone
to the cashiers desk to pay the bill for
some refreshments when in came Gio-
vanni Cont, one Of my Milan friends.
He was fashionably dressed and, to
my horror, saw me and came toward
me with outstretched hand. Genazzinf
was passing out at the time. l saw
him look at my meeting with Cont,
but without appearing to take any es-
pecial interest In 1t. l pledged my
friend not on his life to mention me
to any one and got away from him as
soon as / could.
| ! confess that on meeting my en-
ployer again I dreaded to see some
indication Of an awakened suspicion,
but he did not refer to having seen
me addressed by a gentleman or seem
to have remembered It. / breathed
easier. He said his last plan necessi-
tated my putting on the same kind Of
dress l had worn when he first met
me. Before leaving me he directed me
to meet him at a wine shop near the
railway station and in beggar's ap-
parel. was to go there about 6 in
the evening and wait for him till he
came. We would then go to commit
the robbery.
This brings me to the wineshop look
| ing at the shadow Of a figure advanc-
ing to murder me. One second was
sufficient to tell me that the figure
was man and that man was Genaz-
zini. l would not have known it but
for the shadow of his hand. The shad-
ow showed only three fingers, the
thumb and foreflnger being absent.
| But this was not all that flashed upon
my mind, though what thought was
inferred. On leaving the restaurant he
had gone to some place where, unob-
served himself, he had seen me talk
ing with my friend Cont and must
have known from my expression and
my manner that I had received a
shock and was directing Cont not to
publicly recognize me again. Since
then Genazzini had doubtless put the
machinery Of the Camorra to work to
ascertain who / was. He must have
been successful in at least learning
was spy If not a Gardiner. 1t was
necessary that / die before could do
any more harm, and possibly the Sc
crets had learned might die with me.
The shop was doubtless under the con-
troll Of the Camorra. The only person
besides myself In 1t was the woman
who kept II, and she was not likely to-
give evidence against the murderer. A
stiletto would be used, since it made
| no noise.
This is a great deal to 60 through
ones mind while another is advancing
from behind to stab him, but to me.
who seemed to be doomed, there was
plenty of time. as have said. within a
second.
And I would have been doomed.
would never have told this story had
It not been for the advantage Of the
| shadow cast on the wall. And even
this would not have saved me had it
not been that in the raised Swallowed
hand recognized by the missing
thumb and forefnger the MANNED fist
| Of Genazzini.
Having known that my life was ev-
cry minute in danger, /, Of course.
went armed and invented contrivancese
4 to enable me to use my weapons quick
~. On my back, under my coat, was
a stiletto, the favorite weapon in west
ern America some sixty or seven
ty years ago. In both sleeves / car
ried a self cooking Derringer pistol
suspended on a rubber strap. The pis-
toll hung just above my wrist, and by
| a quick fling Of my arm could stretch
the rubber so as to enable me to grasp.
the weapon.
All this would have been useless had
I not seen the shadow and identified
It by the missing thumb and finger,
for / would have been crushed under
the murderous weight while his stiletto-
let the life out Of me. As 1t was,
rose, gave my arm firt, and as my
enemy's hand came down on my Shout
der and the stiletto toward my throat
put ball through one Of his eyes,
at the same time lodging his blow.
He fell on the floor, and with one jump
reached the door and never stopped
till i reached policeman.
But all wanted Of him was assist
ance in case there were any members
Of the Camorra near to take part
against me. As soon as / was salts
fed in this respect left him and went