BLACK HAND ASSASSINS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2495, 7 May 1909, Page 2

BLACK HAND ASSASSINS.

FAMOUS DETECTIVE SHOT IN ' SICILY. ‘ Lieutenant Petrosino, "who had been acting as the head of “a body of American police specially organised to dealwith ,the criminals i belonging to ,tlie“ secret society known as the “Black Hand,” was murdered on March 12 in* a street, of Palermo, Sicily, while waiting for' a' traniear. He had arrived from the United States only'a fortnight previously, and was investigating the working of the Mafia and Camorra secret societies, many of whose members, when expelled from Italy, or driven thence by fear of detection, went over to New York and other'American cities, where they continued their dastardlywork. IT is supposed- that PetrosinO was shadowed ;by of tlie '“Black Hand” all" the way from America. • -

Intense indignation lias been roused ill America by the outrage, and a comprehensive campaign against the “Black Hand” gang is being organised there. The “Daily Chronicle's” Milan correspondent writes: Lieutenant Giuseppe Petrosino, head of the Italian department at the Detective Bureau of the New York police, and the investigator and “terror” of the- famous “Black. Hand” gangs in the United States, has met the fate which sooner or later overtakes most men engaged in work of tins kind, having been mysteriously assassinated at Palermo, the headquarters of the Mafia, by four revolver shots fired into his face.

—History of the Victim.—

Petrosino, who was born in Padua, in Salerno Province, had emigrated to America as a boy, and after he had spent some years engaged in humble occupations he was enrolled in the international police corps of New Y'ork. His extraordinary knowledge of-, the manners and customs of the Italian Mafia and Camorra, joined to a rare practical insight and courage, enabled him rapidly to win liis way, till he became the recognised Sherlock Holmes of his adopted country. His most remarkable period of activity dates from sixteen years ago, when a group, chiefly composed of criminal refugees, redounded the notorious secret society called Mano Nera, at New Orleans, Louisiana. Though the Black Hand organisation had never formally existed in Italy, it has always been leagued with and recruited from the Sicilian Mafia and the Neapolitan Camorra, evolving the most formidably organised “trust” of bornbthrowers, black-mailers, and assassins known to modern criminological history. Petrosino brought shoals of tlieir associates to justice, and the Italian police feel convinced that his doom was sealed as a sequel to his more recent triumph in capturing in New York the supreme chief of the Neapolitan Camorra, Enrico Alfani. —A Secret Mission.—

Quite lately Petrosino returned to his native land, after thirty years’ absence, ‘ entrusted by the United States Government with a secret mission, which is believed to refer not only to various extradition cases and the ItaloAmerican crime problem generally, but to the special surveillance of certain home-coming desperadoes, in view of ex-President Roosevelt’s approaching visit to Southern Italy. Flo had already visited the Rome and Naples Secret Service Departments before proceeding, on February 28, to Palermo, where he stayed at the Hotel do Franco in the Piazza Marina under the name of Signor dc Simone. . | It was just outside., the Ofeto Cafe, towards ten o’clock at night, that sino, a tall, powerful, corpulent man, was beguiled into conversation, most probably by old “acquaintances,” and brutally murdered. The only witness of the scene, who speaks of two hastilyretreating figures after the shots rang out, was a sailor. An examination of the corpse showed that the victim had been completely taken by surprise, but before he died he had strength enough to draw his own revolver and fire an ineffectual shot at jiin assailants, who made good their escape. Precious time was lost before the murdered man was identified by means of the vast quantity of important documents found upon Turn and at his rooms. Many of these, written, in English, were notes, of his investigations, and included long lists of Sicilian criminals, their record, whereabout, and photographs. —Never Knew Fear. — He had had long interviews with Commendatore G’eola, of Palermo, to whom lie poured out bitter complaint on the subject of ItaVs tardy co-ope-ration with the United States authorities in the extirpation of the. Black 'Hand. He expressed great surprise at the easy way intending emigrants, with a criminal past, were accommodated with passports. Commendatore Ceola urged Petrosino to use the utmost prudence, and pointed out to him the grave risks he ran in Palermo. He also offered him a couple of detectives, but Petrosino declined the proffered protection, saying that' he had never known fear; When, however; this arch-enemy of the Mafia confided to Ceola that lie was planning a tour in the interior of the island, the : Commendatore energetically opposed the idea, insisting that it meant certain death. The Sicilian police, impressed by the tremendous outbursts of indignation in America, are making wholesale arrests. Scores of suspects who have. lately come homo from across the .Atlantic have.had 'their dwellings ransacked from top to hot-, tom. . The police theory is that Petrosino was shadowed from the very banns of the Hudson. They believe that in. order to avoid complications m America the ■ execution of the death decree was deferred till Petrosino . was rut of the country. ' ” T ■ >■"