POLICE THINK THEY HAVE SOLVED "BARREL MYSTERY"
Item
- Title
- POLICE THINK THEY HAVE SOLVED "BARREL MYSTERY"
- Source
- The Washington Times
- Date
- 1903-04-25
- page
- 1
- Identifier
- https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026749/1903-04-25/ed-1/?sp=1&q=counterfeiting&r=-0.049,0.532,0.729,0.435,0
- Crime
- Counterfeiting
- Subject
- murder, rearrest
- Race of alleged offender
- White
- Gender of alleged offender
- Male alleged offender
- Law enforcement involved
- Police
- Stage of the Legal System
- Arrest
- Location
- Out-of-state, NY
- Length of story
- 303
- Description
-
POLICE THINK THEY HAVE SOLVED “BARREL MYSTERY”
Petto, Arrested After Desperate Fight, Has Pawn Ticket For Victim’s Watch in His Pocket.
NEW YORK, April 25.—The long lane of police search into the murder of Bennetto Madonia, whose body was found stuffed in a barrel on the East Side has not been without its turning, and today damaging evidence against one of the thirteen counterfeiters, Tomaso Petto, an Italian clothing presser, was obtained. Petto is now in the House of Detention under charges of counterfeiting. He will be rearrested today on the charge of murder.
When Petto was arrested he made a desperate fight. On his person was discovered a peculiar shaped knife or dagger. In his pockets was found a pawn ticket for a watch, which had been
pledged in a Bowery shop. The watch had been pawned for a dollar. Petto was closely questioned about the ticket, which he said he had obtained from a man named John. He said he had known the man for years, but refused to give his address.
Petto said he had slept with the man in a Brooklyn lodging house on Sixth Street and that he had obtained the ticket from him while there. The detectives found that Petto told an untruth about his presence in Brooklyn, and then went to the pawnshop, where the watch was obtained. A detailed description was telegraphed to Buffalo, and Inspector McCluskey received word from the Madonia family that from the description of the watch it belonged to the dead man.
Detective Sergeant Petroshini went to Buffalo and brought to this city Salvatori Sagliebemi, the stepson of Madonia Sagliebemi said the watch had an engine engraved upon it, and this was found to be a fact. When shown the watch Sagliebemi, positively identified it as having belonged to Madonia.
