New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-22
univ WAY to Deal with Crimi-
nails from His Country. De-
CIsreS Dr.. PecOrInl.
vACHR!S AGREES WITH HIM
Former Head Of Bureau Asserts
BEFORE Curran Committee 1t
Was a Grave Mistake
10 Abolish II.

An Italian cN-pollcc detective. an editor.
. notice aDtJn and ~ academlcian tes-
,ieod and the first three defended the old
,,ali,n detective squad before the alder
,,,.oic Investigating committee YESTERDAY.
rbe editor declared that unlike other ma
,oralities italians do not readily become
mart of the city. and that certain crimes
appeal to them
DR. Albert Pecorini, c0itor of an Italian
daily in this city. and former managing
director OF thc Italian American Civic
League. who once wrote q long article in
defence of the Italian squad as command
Cd bv the late Lieutenant Joseph Petro-
SIM. was asked To give reasons why he
thought the old Italian SQUAD should he
restored He said:
1T lust happens that the Italian COM
n,uuity commit certain crimes that have
never appealed To those of other COM
munitios Their, arc certain crimes that
appeal to them, and therefore l sincerely
believe thai the only way TO deal with
such a situation is to specialize with well
chosen Italian detectives. / think also
that the conditions under which they live
lcanizcd ! think again. that there should
be a number of highly trained American
detectives on that force for they will be
better ahl, TO withstand certain inIiu-
ences brought against them"
Former Lieutenant Antonio Nachris,
who commanded the Italian squad fol-
lowing the murder OF Lieutenant Pctro-
SIM i'm Italy. told how he went to Italy
10 bring back the criminal records and
information obtained there by Petrosini.
He said that after he had obtained about
four hundred records. and with the most
valuable yet 20 be got. Commissioner
Baker took office and ordered him back
10 New York. When he returned he was
assigned TO clerical duty, and Detective
Crowley. who had accompanied him, was
put into uniform and sent on patrol duty
in The Bronx
Vachris told also how the Italian gov
eminent had aided and attempted to pro-
tect them throughout Italy ana Sicily.
Later, when the squad was being depleted
daily. Nachris said he went to Commits
sioner Waldo and asked the reason. and
the Commissioner replied This is an
other administration. When the squad
was abolished the witness declared that
he told Commissioner Waldo. This is
grave mistake. Mr.. Commissioner. There
are none of us left, and there is great
amount of unfinished work. You know
the kind of work that we have been
doing"
on September %. 1911 Vachris was sent
to City Island. He said lie sometimes
was able To get to his home. in Bay Ridge
by using monorail. horsecar. buffalo,
elevated trains and subway. 1t took him
four hours at best. and no trains lett
City Island. he said. after II O'Clock at
night.
Vachris deplored the fact that the ltai-
Ian squad had been abolished that many
of the pictures in the RoGues' Gallery
had been destroyed. and that there were
no detectives stationed al the ferries and
railroad terminals and stations
Leonhard Felix Fuld. an examiner Of
the Civil Service Commission and author
Of a heavy volume called Police Admin
istration." next testified. DIR. Fuld is d
young man He said that he didn't think
that $4,000 was too much TO pay good
commissioner.
Captain Matthew McKeon, Of the West
io0th street station. furnished figures about
the expenses of FIRST year" patrolman.
Out of his $500 he said that the probation
er had to purchase about $50 worth OF
equipment The only thing the depart
ment furnished. he said, was mattress
and an iron bedstead.