New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-06
With Razor He
Stays Man in
Tonbs' Shadow
Holiday Crowd Sees Murder
i'm Center ST.; Gives Chase
TO Suspect, Who Fights
Until Felled With Club
Mob Raises Lynching Cry
Police Say Prisoner Admits
Killing; Charges Insult to
Victim He Did Not Know

The Camorra, or some similar OUTFIT
Of killers, flung n grewsome challenge
to the police early last night, executing
the death sentence upon their victim
beside the wall OF the Tombs prison
and almost decapitating him. Although
the alleged executioner was captured
in fight and is said to have confessed,
the identity of the victim has not been
discovered. The prisoner, Francisco
Clara, averred he did not know him.
1t was about o'clock Many were
abroad on Center Street. Holiday
makers on their way to their East Side
home, from the Brooklyn Bridge or
from the B. R. 7. subway station in
the Municipal Building clustered along
the sidewalk in family groups The
windows of the few dwellings on the
street were open and men and women
sat in many of them. Other residents
Of the neighborhood stood at the curb
or on stoops gossiping.
Murder In Shadow of Prison
Clara, who is almost feet in
height, stood at the corner of White
Street, just below the wall Of the
Tombs, talking to another Italian of
slighter build. Sudden, swift motions
Of the bigger mans right hand aroused
no curious glance from passers-by, but
a shrek from his companion that
ended in gurgle as he dropped to the
sidewalk made them the magnet of
Mortified attention.
The big man started to walk UP
White Street toward Baxter and then
broke into run as a woman who had
on the stained sidewalk screamed
loudly. The sight of the man in fight
gave the crowd its cue Men and
women began running after him with
cries of "Lynch him!"
They pursued him to Baxter Street
and through that thoroughfare to
Canal Street There he swung west
and found himself cornered by traffic
when he came to Lafayette Street He
was fighting off his pursuers with his
fists when Patrolman Brennan, of the
Elizabeth Street police station, broke
through the crowd and felled him with
blow Of his nightstick.
The sight Of the blue uniform cooled
the ardor of the mob that had been
yelling Lynch him!" and Brennan had
little difficulty in getting his prisoner
to the station. A boy was waiting
there who had picked up razor near
where the chase started Clara, tho
police said, acknowledged that the
razor was his.
He admitted also, they said, that he
had used it to kill the man whose body
was awaiting the morgue wagon.
That much of his reputed story the
police believe. They have doubts about
tho rest.
Met by Chance, Name Unknown
Their prisoner told them, they said,
that he had no idea who the man was.
He had met him, the police say Clara
told them, at Mulberry Bend Park
day or two ago and by chance they en-
ccuntered each other again last night.
The stranger, the police say Clara told
them, called him vile name and ne
drew his razor and slashed him.
The most relentless questioning Of
the prisoner failed to shake his story.
He had been insulted and he had
struck; It happened that he had killed;
whom he had killed he did not know,
but his victim deserved it. That, the
police said, was all they could get
from Clara
The prisoner said he had room at
a hotel on the Bowery, but inquiries
made there failed to reveal any owe
who would acknowledge knowing him.
A Long Island Railroad time table with
a pencil mark UNDERLYING trains to
Edgemere was found in his pocket.
Clara said he didn't know how he hap
pened to have that.