Evening star., 1939-05-10

telling hoD the murder syndicate
Das discopered and ho1o 1t ,uaS
dble to operate for years.
By DAVID G.. WITTELS.
PHILADELPHIA, May 9 (N.A
NA0.-No editor of fiction maga-
zine would even consider buying a
story In which the chief investigator
summed up plot as preposterous
as this.
Here is a wholesale arsenic muir
der ring. We already know the
names and addresses of IS persons
murdered by this ring for their in
surance. We expect to find total
of at least 100 victims in this city
the largest mass murder case in the
history of America. Most of the
murdered 100 were poisoned Usually
they were fed the poison, bit by bit
in their food by their wives.
This went on for perhaps 10
years. They fooled doctors and they
fooled the coroner. One ringleader
was professional murderer, a
former member of the Black Hand
in Italy.
Two others were witch doctors.
One was a tailor. One was a
spaghetti salesman. One was a good
looking woman who gave herself to
many men-and most of them died
She was called the kiss of death
woman One was a mother who
murdered her husband and boarder
and stepson-and gave part of the
profits to her son so he could marry
Physician Supplied Poison.
"A reputable physician supplied the
poison and also names of prospects
The ring would supply the prospect
with poison, advice on how to get
insurance on the victim, and in
formation on how to fool the doctor
into issuing death certificate-all
for $500 of the first $1,000 insurance
and 10 per cent of the rest. On the
side, members of the ring dealt in
counterfeit money and arson.
1--WE also have indications that
the ringleaders planned the slow
death of the widows of the murdered
men, so there would be no witnesses
left against them. Some of the
widows, among our most important
witnesses, are sick. We can't tell
yet whether it is hysteria and strain
or arsenic"
The summation is by Acting 1t
Samuel Riccardi, of the homicide
squad, Philadelphia Bureau of Po-
lice. It is backed by Capt. James
Kelly. head of the homicide squad;
by District Attorney Charles F
Kelly. The facts are proved by ex-
humed bodies, sworn confessions and
damning official statements. Twenty
persons are under arrest.
The investiga ton is nowhere near
its end. There are leads that point
to things even more fantastic.
Held as Accessory.
Under arrest and held without bal
are:
DR.. Horace D. Perlman, so, a prac-
ticing physician for % years. A
dappef man with graying hair and a
waxed mustache. his legitimate spe-
cialty was obstetrics. He is charged
with being an accessory before and
after the fact The district attor-
neys Office told the court that he
furnished the poison and obtained
prospects"
Cesare Valenti, SIS, handsome
hulking 6-foot-2, 230-pounder. Ir
Italy he was member of the dread
ed Mafia-the Black Hand. In this
country he was at one time, briefly, a
heavyweight boxer: then bootlegger
member of counterfeiting ring, one
OF the chiefs of the arsenic murder
ring. Withal he is so naive that he
paid a witch woman $500 for q
powder which would make his son
college football star, return to him
Morris Bolber, As, self-styleo
"psychiatrist," known to his South
Philadelphia neighbors as a witch
doctor" He is accused of being one
Of the leaders of the ring, but his
exact role is not yet clear.
Herman Petrillo, 40, swarthy anc
baldish spaghetti and olive oil sales
man. He was chief of one branch
Of the murder ring, operating ir
North Philadelphia and German
town. He has confessed IL murders
and told of more. He often got
prospects by making love to wives
He has been convicted and is under
death sentence.
IRA fic CoufocSyon
Paul Petrillo, As, a tailor, cousin
OF Herman. He was chief of the
South Philadelphia branch, accord.
ing to police. He is said to have op.
Grated largely through the kiss oi
death woman" who at one time
was secretary to Morris Bolber.
Mrs. Carina Favato, As, a dumpy
swarthy woman, with large mouth
and graying hair. In the midst of {
trial she suddenly and dramatically
confessed, breaking the case wild,
open. She murdered her husband
boarder and step-son, was inter
mediary for the ring in a dozer
other murders. She believes ir
"black magic" and fears evil spirit!
and paid hundreds of dollars to {
switch" She collected $4,000 in.
surance.
Mrs. Stella Alfonsi, %, rather
pretty, dark eyes, dark hair, full
mouth. Her husband was a cemen
contractor when she married him
He went broke and was reduced to {
w. P. A. laborer. He died of arseni,