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Show j' ---- .. Mr 11 H Fenls lnat Beset the r"ath of the World's Greatest 1 1 Detective WhoFinallyGaveHisLifelnAnEffort 1 1 To Break Up the Black Hand Society. 1 jl ,1 Copyright, 1015, by Tho International Syndicate. ill L YAMPINO on tho trail of tho III ; M Black Hand, and other Italian III S wf a feudists, haa boon my portion III C or man' years. Vehdottas In III Now York City aro almost as numor- III 1 ouo as Ita"an bootblacks and all aro III marked by vlolenco of some sort. To III ffi ascertain tho participants In these III fr feuds and tholr succeeding killings III for-m3 tho principal work of tho Italian III I Squad of tho Pollco Department, or- III ' ganlzcd under tho regime of Pollco III i Commissioner Bingham, and placed II '' under tho command of Lieutenant Do- toctlvo Joseph Pctroslno, ono of tho III $ greatest detectives thl3 country over III 'i know. But for his untimely as-III as-III t Basslnatlon at Palermo, Italy, scores of III -I Italian criminals that havo swarmed III i t0 t1'3 countrv would have boon ap- II I prehended and deported, for his mls- III f 8'on tner0 was to set "rst hand In III if formation of tho records of theso alien III ! cu tnroat3- III i II fel1 to my lot to bo a membor III S Petroslno's squad and therefore I pos- III Bibly am ln a better position to toll III ot his work, his ambitions and his HI n beautiful character than any other III 1 man ,n thc Pllc6 dopartment I HI if knew him Intimately. I worked with III n,m day and nlnt a?li ln our raro HI moments of recreation had a better HI Yl opportunity to Judgo his many fine HI ' traits than those who only saw in him tho stern, relontloss foo of crlmo and HI criminals. Joo Petroslno died a : martyr to his duty. Not only tho Now Mr York Pollco Dcpartmont but tho en- I III? tire nation lost, by his untimely tak- I Wit nSt one tnQ ablcat champions law I III and order over had. I Ifi Jo Potroslno didn't know the III? meaning" of tno word foar. Whon duty I IH called him, there ho went regardless I Iff of consequences or the porlls that bo- llllf Bet bis path. Ho was a born soldier I IM ftnd ovor o'Jnff tno commands of his lllrt superiors he carried out theso orders llf to tho letter and I nover knew him to I I El 'aI1 m tnclr faithful and thorough exo- 111 cutlon. I Ifcr War On Bomb Toss era. I IllJf " not dwell on lbo early strug- In gles of tho Italian Squad. It is hls- I III tory now, and belongs to an era when I If? conditions at Police Headquarters I 111 """ero not as pleasant as they aro to- l$ day. Then tho ward leader and poll- III ft tlclan with a pull could always gain I llf tho Commissioner's ear and many I III 'wlros wero pulled so taut that they lllll rnado tho llfo of tho policemen dang- lllll 'mf from them almost unbearable. l i But that Is another story, and this one III" concerns the Italian cut throats who III; swarmed through Little Italy, tossing llll their bombs, stabbing their victims. Illl' or cso kidnapping tho children of I K thoso from whom they sought to I If wring hush money or bounty. I I ft No more notablo capture of ono al-llllt al-llllt J'ccl w'tn tno Black Hand was ever ac-I ac-I It compllshcd than that of Enrico Al- I kI fano, a criminal of International rcpu-I rcpu-I law tatlon and wanted In Naples for tho HeK many crimes committed during his II Ek Icaderslilp of the Camorra ln that province. This arrest. In reality, proved to bo tho opening gun fired on the Black Hand horo and Joo Petroslno Petro-slno fired It. Wo had received word from tho Italian police that Alfano had fled that country. A description of him was forwarded horo. togethor with a long list of the crimes of violence vio-lence with which ho had been Identified. Identi-fied. A photograph takon whon ho was a boy also was sent along, but this was so poor and antlquatod that wo hoped for llttlo aid from that direction. di-rection. War On Tho Gunmen. Shortly aftor the murdor of two po-lme po-lme noar Washington Square ln 1907. Petroslno and I trailed a number num-ber of Italians we knew wero armod to tho teeth to Mulberry Bond. It was our Intention to round up all these gun carriers and mako an example of them, hoping that it would act as a detorrent on others who wero arming themselves and terrorizing tholr follow fol-low countrymen. We soon camo upon the hiding place of thrco of this band and two of thorn readily submitted to capture and wo led them off to tho nearest pollco station. sta-tion. The third man fled and Petroslno Petro-slno announced he would follow and get that ohap if it took all night. The fugitive was seen to divo into a cellar several hundred feet away, and Potro-sino Potro-sino followed him. Tho battlo that followed in that dark cellar, doubtless, was ono of tho most thrilling Petroslno Petro-slno ever ongagod ln and it was due to his fighting abilities and raro courago that he was ablo to coma out victorious. victori-ous. As ho entered the Inky black cellar tho fugitive standing at bay In a ro-moto ro-moto corner drow his 3tllotto and pistol pis-tol and defied his pursuer to approach With tho spring of a panther Petroslno loaped upon tho fugitivo and seized him by tho wrists. Then began a furious furi-ous struggle for possession of tho woapons which tho dotectlvo's antagonist antag-onist was trying to turn on his adversary. ad-versary. Tho detective had no ldoa that tho man ho was engaged with In a llfo and death strugglo wa3 tho one criminal above all others he mo3t desired to land behind' tho bara Ho only know that a gonulnely bad man was battling with him to a finish, and as things then stood all tho odds wero in favor of tho other fellow. Alfano was possessed of almost superhuman strength, but fortunately Petroslno was a trained athlete. Dotoctlve and slayer In that darkened cellar fought llko madmon. First tho advantage would be on ono side "and then the other, but all tho time tho death grip Petroslno held on tho fugitive's pistol hand was never rolaxed. Could that gun bo twisted about ever so slightly It would bo trained on the detective's head, and this wa3 tho goal of the Black Handor who was battling for hl3 llfo and liberty. Betrayed As Cnmorrist. Aftor tho lapse of twenty minutes Detcctlvo And Slayer In That Darkened Cellar Fought Llko Mad Men. tho dotectlvo's superior physical condition condi-tion told and tho Italian crumplod up and gave in.. Petroslno shacklod him and disarmed him, meanwhllo dlro threats and blood curdling oaths escaping tho lips of tho captlvo brigand bri-gand chief. It was ono of theso oaths that escaped the Italian that gave Petroslno tho first clew to his identity, It was something hissed in Italian that made Pctroslno aware that the man was a Camorrlst This prompted him to glvo him tho closest scrutiny as he led him forth under the glare of an electric light, and there ho realized real-ized that his prisoner bore a close resemblance re-semblance to the much wanted Alfano. Al-fano. It was but tho work of a few moments, onco Pollco Headquarters were reached, to fully Identify the prisoner as Alfano and after grilling him a short time tho man broke down and ennfosod nil to Prlroslno Al fano was deported, tried and convicted. convict-ed. Today he Is rounding out a llfo term In some Italian dungeon where no ray of light penetrates and where ho never has, nor ever will, hear tho sound of human voice again. Tho body of a man was found In Van Cortland Park on ono occasion. Thirty-six stab wounds showed how death had been accomplished and marks on tho faco Indicated that It was the Black Hand, or some feudist, who had. in a frenzy of hate, plunged tho stiletto so many times into the form of his victim. There was nothing noth-ing on tho body or ln tho pockets of tho clothing to shed any light on tho Identity of tho victim. None of the many detectives who viewed tho body could aid ln this Identification, nor could thoso composing tho long line of Italians recruited from various section0 sec-tion0 of tho oltv who wort tnkon to tho Morgue to view the remains, help tho pollco ln the least. Tho man was a stranger, It seemed, and there was llttlo hopo of clearing up this park Man Identified. Finally Petroslno was called ln on tho case and he went to tho scone of the murder and closely scrutinized tho surroundings. A deep footprint ln thc soft turf attracted his attention and while examining this more minutely he spied a tiny slip of paper which had been trodden Into the mud. This ho put ln his pocket. Arriving at Police Po-lice Headquarters this slip was cleansed and then It was seen that n name and address had been scribbled on tho paper. Tho Inscription was "Sabbato Grlzzlo. Lambertvllle. N J." That night Petroslno was In Lambcrt-vlllo Lambcrt-vlllo and In rlnsp ennforence with Grlzzlo." From him ho loarnod that he, Grlzzlo, had scribbled his name and address on that identical piece of paper and glvon it to his friend Antonio An-tonio Traoslolo, who had gono to Now York a few dayB previously with fivo hundred dollars ln his pockets preparatory pre-paratory to embarking for Italy whoro ho was to buy a farm and sottlo down. Ho added that Antonio Strollo, also of Lambortvlllo, had accompanlod Traoslelo to New York. To find Strollo was the noxt move in tho, case and Petroaino at onco got busy. Tho detoctlvo travelled hundreds hun-dreds of miles, at times picking up clows which always led him back to Now York. After three wcoks of such work ho found his man in tho act of boarding a steamship bound for Italy. Nearly all of tho murdered man's monoy was found ln tho pockots of tho prisoner, and during tho sweating he undorwont at Pollco Headquarters he confessod to the murder, was tried, convicted and electrocuted. A slip of paper and a detective's determination to see Justice satisfied alone had solvod tho mystery, 'which baffled the' Now York Police Department Here was a caso whoro Joo Petroslno Petro-slno worked Incessantly to bring a murderer to Justice I will cite another an-other instance, to lllustrato his keen senso of fair play, whero ho workod oven more Incessantly and to liberate a man from Sing-Sing's Death House, whom Joe believed to bo Innocont. Just how well ho succeeded the succeeding suc-ceeding events will provo. This case haa to do with tho murder of Matalo Brogno. Matalo became embroiled ln an altercation al-tercation with Nlcolo Carbonne, a follow fol-low Calabrian, at tho corner of Baxter Bax-ter and Leonard Streets. Brogno suffered suf-fered a mortal stab wound ln tho back and died without being ablo to toll the police who his assailant was. Car-bonno Car-bonno was caught rod handed according accord-ing to tho pollco and ho was readily convicted and sentoncod to tho electric elec-tric chair. Seemingly there hadn't been a shadow of doubt that Carbonne was- tho murderer and the Jury brought ln a vordlct after only a fow minutes of deliberation. Slayer Caught In Tho Act. Whllo partaking of a lato supper in an Italian coffee house, whither ho had gono disguised as a laboror in quest of information bearing on tho Black Hand, Petroslno overheard a conversation during which ono of the speakers asserted that a night watchman watch-man and a messenger boy who had witnessed the murdor of Brogno had soon a third man slip across the street whllo Carbonne was seeking to pin his adversary to the street, plungo a knife Into Brogno's proBtratc form and then scud away. The police arrived before Carbonno arose from tho form of his antagonist. The knifo was still ln tho gaping wound from which tho victim's vic-tim's llfo blood was fast ebbing and altogether it was an opon and shut caso of a murderer caught In tho act. Tho bluecoats were warmly commended com-mended for their a,dmIrablo catch and the one who took tho prisoner to headquarters and was tho first to arrive ar-rive on the scene actually was promoted pro-moted for his tlmllncss. Without saying anything about h s newly discovered evidence. Petroslno wont to Sing Sing and had along talk IH with Carbonno. Tho poor doomed If H crcaturo at onco corroborated all that 1) Potroslno had heard. Unfortunately U H he did not know tho real slayer, had if I H not gained a good look at his features, jjll H nor could ho aid In any way ln eatab- fl III H llshing his Identity. Undaunted by M I H this set-back Potroslno wont on a stllf I ft H hunt for tho watchman and tho mea- HI I) H songer. Those ho located after weeks IS H H or toll and managed to pick up a fairly HI II H good description of tho fugitive slayor. l 2 JM tJJ? f,r5ond3 of th0 flla,n man Ifi! Potroslno learned that tho description 1 ho had strongly pointed to Alessandro R H Ceramollo. a Calabrian who had been iH missing from 'his accustomed haunta M sinco the night of tho Brogno murdor. M Othor scraps picked up hero and thero H convinced tho detcctlvo that Coramello II was tho man ho wanted and he net to - H work to locate him. There was. a llfo ! I- l at stako in this caso and Joo was sure j g H an Innocont man would In a few If i weeks forfeit hia life in tho death III H chair unless ho, Petroslno. could lo-' M H cate tho fugltlvo and wring from hlro ( K lil a confession of tho crime. LE H On Still Hunt For Slayer. . Tho trail took tho detective to Pitts- Pfi H burg. Then he doubled back' to Mil- ft'l H ton, Del; thenco to Halifax, Nova ft II H Scotia, and Anally to Baltimore. In jjp tho Italian quarter of tho Monumental !p H City Joo picked up the first real and k'II IH tanglblo clows and twenty-four houri i B IIh beforo tho hour set for Carbonno's I i'l execution, Petroslno had Ceramollo In j M custody. The next thing was to got l l8 M the confession and to this end Joe I1 II worked. Untiringly ho wont at his 'I M prisoner and sweatod him as nover of I Mf man was sweated before. He let his U jl prisoner know that he, Potroslno, had p Indlsputablo evidence that a feud had fj H existed between him, Ceramollo, and H Brogno, and that the formor had ill sworn to slay his enemy at sight. Tho opportunity camo whon ho saw him, . prostrato on tho sidewalk and the if chance presented itself for him to slip ' ; R the knlfo between tho struggling )M man's ribs and then floe, leaving an- i flH other to shouldor tho guilt. l H Four hours before Carbonno was to B havo walked forth from tho Death I 9H House to take his seat In Sing Sing's ! death chair, Pctroslno telegraph od to II H tho Governor of Now York Stato that H H he had tho confession of tho real cul- t prlt duly signed, sealed and witnessed,' jl HH apd that he would arrive ln New York City within a fow hours with this evl- t denco. A stay was granted and the, I noxt day Ceramollo was indicted for ! tho murdor of Brogno. Following his H extradition from Maryland ho was jjB tried, convicted and electrocuted, Car- JlB bonno being Uborated and returned to II ' jH tho bosom of hl3 llttlo family which Rffi VH long slnco had givon up all hope of ill! H ever soelng him alive again. (Ifi That will glvo a fair ldoa of tho if character of thc man. His knowledgo j ft H of thc Black Hand was so thorough j H that he knew tho various leaders' ln- 1 1 ncrmost secrets. He was turning up b H ln their midst at the most unexpected II H moments and ho never failed to con- 111 H vict his man onco ho decided to ar- ill Hbbbj rest him. li J Thero was but one Joe Potroslno ln j H this country, and ln my opinion thero B never will be another. Peace to h)9 jf IH ashes! Ill J |