LET HIS FEET HANG OUT.

New York, 1895

An Italian Railway Laborer Killed in a Peculiar Accident.

An Italian laborer, whose name is not known, was killed at Farmingdale on Sunday in a peculiar manner. He was one of 250 who had been employed on the new extension of the Long Island railroad at Amagansett and was being conveyed to Long Island City to be paid off. The men were in a train of box cars.

Just before the train reached Farmingdale the man who was killed sat down in the doorway of the car he was in, allowing his foot to hang out. The train was going thirty miles an hour. The man's feet struck the freight station platform and several heavy pickle barrels that were standing on the platform. The man held on to the iron rods that support the door of the car and was not pulled out.

The force of the collision demolished two of the barrels and swept several others from the platform. The man was not killed instantly, and when the train was stopped he still had hold of the iron rods. He died two hours later.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, June 14, 1895, p. 4.

Whose Box is This?

New York, 1895

Early Monday morning Officer Ashmead saw an Italian on Washington street, Jamaica, carrying a large box. The man acted suspiciously and Ashmead followed him to the woods at the foot of the street, where the Italian broke open the box which was fastened with a padlock, and took from it an overcoat, pistol and some other articles. He started down the railroad track, but was arrested and taken back to the place where he had left the box, and Officer Ashmead made him carry it back to the Town Hall. He was locked up. He gave his name as Nicholas Espanol. The box is marked J. Jackson, Wantagh. The prisoner would not tell how he came by the box.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 19, 1895, p. 8.

No Reward Necessary

New York, 1895

District Attorney Noble has asked the board of Supervisors to offer a reward of $250 for the apprehension of an Italian who killed another Italian in a fight, and in doing so Mr. Noble violated the law by saying publicly that the fugitive had been indicted, a fact which the law commands shall be kept a secret until after the offender has been apprehended.

There is no necessity for offering a reward in this case. Legally the Supervisors have no such power, but the power has been assumed with public consent where the victim of the crime was a prominent citizen, as in the case of Samuel Jones, who was murdered by Jackson and Jarvis, and in the case of the murder of the Maybee women by Rugg.

If the Italian has left this country for some other the country that has lost him is to be congratulated. To find him within our jurisdiction would entail an additional expense of $1,000 to try him, with a possible verdict of manslaughter. There are plenty of criminals out on bail who should be tried, some of them guilty of offenses more harmful to society than the killing of a man, the Democratic bribe takers, for example. Mr. Noble had better fry the fish he has in hand rather than go fishing for more.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 12, 1895, p. 2.

"Boots By The Quart"

1895

A Series of Remarkable Signs That Created Great Astonishment.

In South street, New York, there is an Italian who runs a Yankee notion stand. He speaks English after a fashion, but cannot read a word of it. This fact has made him an easy prey for a heartless joker.

His stock of goods includes almost everything from peanuts and chewing gum to suspenders and waterproof jumpers. Until recently he had displayed no placards, giving the prices of his wares, but the other day a man offered to paint all the signs that the Italian needed free of charge. The offer was joyfully accepted. The signs were painted and placed in position. Crowds were attracted to the spot, and visions of sudden wealth danced before the Italian's eyes. Here are some of the inscriptions painted by the mountebank:

"Cape Ann Boots! Only 50 cents a quart."

"Chewing Gum! All kinds, only 2 cents a yard."

They were prominently displayed near the top of the stand, but they were eclipsed by these a little lower down:

"Peanuts, raw or roasted, $2 a pint. Must be eaten here."

"Suspenders baked, fried or boiled, with edible buckles, 20 cents a plate."

The placard that won the most admiration and of which the innocent merchant was particularly proud was an oblong affair in gorgeous colors. It read:

Gold plated brushes, 5 cents
Diamond studs, 2 cents
Collar buttons, $10 each
All pocketknives, free

A few minutes after the signs had been put into place an old sailor was trying to buy two quarts of Cape Ann boots for $1, and the Italian was getting black in the face trying to make him understand that the boots were "Four dol' a pair." Many similar scenes were witnessed. Finally a sympathetic friend exposed the fraud to the victim, and the pasteboards were removed. — New York Recorder.

Murder of An Italian

New York, 1895

An Innocent Man Shot During a Fight in a Shanty.

A murder occurred on the Long Island railroad dock, in Long Island City, Thursday morning. A number of the Italians lived in a shanty on the dock. A row was started when Antonio Rollo wanted to go to sleep. Rollo put out the oil torch which furnished light in the shanty and Nicolo Pierre objected.

A fight ensued, during which pieces of iron were used as weapons. The belligerents were finally separated by their comrades and when quiet was restored the laborers all retired. At daybreak hostilities were renewed to such an extent between Rollo and Pierre that the other Italians took sides. Rollo was getting the worst of the fight, when his godfather and cousin, Tony Pierre, threw his arms around Rollo to save him from the blows rained upon him by Pierre. Rocco Pierre handed his cousin, Nicolo, a revolver. The latter, with an oath, aimed the pistol at his antagonist, Rollo, and pulled the trigger. Tony Pierre, the cousin of Antonio Rollo, fell to the floor unconscious. Nicolo, instead of shooting Antonio, had shot the godfather.

The bullet struck the man in the forehead over the left eye and went out the back of his head. The man was removed to St. John's hospital, where he died at 10 A. M.

Immediately after the shooting Nicolo Pierre and his cousin, Rocco, who gave him the revolver, ran across the meadows and made their escape.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 15, 1895, p. 8.

Gambling In Italy

1895

It Is Widespread and Brings the Government $10,000,000 a Year.

In Italy there are many highly moral laws against gambling, but the government is responsible for a system of state lotteries which encourages widespread gambling among the people.

The published statistics show average receipts of over $10,000,000 a year.

Every Saturday afternoon the lottery is drawn in the eight principal towns of Italy, and there are government lottery offices in every town and village, where tickets may be taken for any of the eight lotteries in this kingdom. A village may be too small to have a postoffice, but it will be pretty sure to have a lottery office.

The method of staking in the lottery is to select from one to four numbers and to stake what you please upon them at the nearest lottery office.

You may bet on one number, and if it is one of the five drawn in the lottery you receive 12-1/2 times your stake. Or you may bet that it will be drawn either first, second, third, fourth or fifth in the order of drawing. In this case you get 66 times your stake if you win.

Another plan is to take two numbers and back what is called the ambo. If both your numbers come out among the five, you get 300 times your stake. If you choose three numbers, which is called a terno, and they all come out, you win 5,000 times your stake.

If you back four numbers, called a quaderno, you win 60,000 nines your stake.

The method most in vogue among the peasants is to take three numbers and invest a small sum on the terno and on each of the ambos contained in it. A peasant's weekly investment ranges between 2 cents and 10 cents. As little as four-fifths of a cent may be staked.

All kinds of omens are consulted to arrive at the lucky numbers. Dreams are great favorites, and inspirations are drawn from any great national event.

For instance, when Victor Emmanuel died, the tip was to play the number of his age, the number of the year of his birth and the number of the day of the month on which he died. Thousands of people backed this terno, and, oddly enough, it actually came out.

A few weeks late Pope Pius IX died. The same game was played on the numbers relating to his death, and again the terno came out.

Of course the government lost a great deal of money on these occasions, but it would soon get it back again by the additional impulse given to the gambling by the news of these winnings. — Pearson's Weekly.

Shooting Skies For Rain

1910

Uncle Sam Has Lost Faith in Rain-Making Schemes, but Italians Are Still Sanguine

Washington. — Recently when fire was sweeping over the mountains of the west, leaving death and destruction in its wake, the despairing people appealed to the war department to bombard the skies and bring a much-needed rain. For obvious reasons their request was refused. Uncle Sam, a few years ago, spent large sums of money experimenting along this line, sending up bombs and firing cannon at the skies to produce rain by artificial means. It was no use, for clouds refused to "leak" in satisfaction of man's tiny tickling. Since then the government has been without faith in any scheme for rain-making.

It is now held that the reason why rain usually followed the great battles of history is because whenever possible the commanders moved their armies and began battles when the weather was fair. Rain falls on an average of one day in three, so it is no amazing matter that the clouds should spill their contents about the time one of those famous slaughters would be over with.

Of course, the great men of science know that it is useless for man, with his puny implements, to undertake to bring about those stupendous changes in nature necessary to produce the phenomenon of rain. It would be necessary to lower the temperature of a vast area of the heavens, or saturate such a region with moisture to obtain results, and our means of accomplishment are too limited.

Though our government has lost faith in rain-making, however, the Italians seem to be quite confident that in one way, at least, bombarding the clouds is productive of good results. In all the vineyards of that sunny land there may be seen curious funnel-shaped guns pointing to the sky. Hail storms form one of the chief dangers to the grape crop in that country, and the Italians believe that the firing of these guns prevents such destructive visitations by dissipating the clouds which give them birth.

Child Saved by a Bear

1898

Residents of Apalachin, N. Y., had a bad scare recently, when the four-year-old child of Henry Rathburn started out alone to look for trailing arbutus. It was half an hour before she was missed, and then all trace of the little one was lost. Her distracted father and his neighbors joined in the search.

While passing through a ravine they were startled to see an uncouth object shambling toward them some distance up the road, carrying a bundle in its mouth. Closer inspection proved to the terrified searchers that the object was a bear and the bundle a child. It is many years since a bear was seen in this section, but the men, though unarmed, prepared to give battle, one of their number going back for help. But the bear trotted toward them as though totally unconcerned, and when a few yards away carefully laid down the child it was carrying by its dress.

When the men approached and took up the little one the bear did not show fight, and a closer investigation proved he had a ring in his nose. Later it was found the bear belonged to an Italian who was camping in a nearby barn, making a tour of the country. He had purchased the animal when a cub and reared him in a New York tenement, where he was allowed to play with the children, and it was there he had learned the trick of carrying the little ones. — New York Press.

Old Home Week Gets Ugly Thanks to Italians with Spanker

Middletown, New York, 1908

DISORDERLY ITALIANS

Abuse the License of Old Home Week and Arrested Despite Resistance

Chief of Police J. D. McCoach had some trouble with two disorderly Italians, at the corner of King and James streets, Friday evening, shortly before 8 o'clock. The men had spankers made out of wood, and one of them struck a woman who was passing, a hard blow on the breast.

Chief McCoach took the fellow to account for it, and the Italian attempted to strike the officer, but the blow went wild, and the foreigner was placed under arrest. The other man, who was a brother of the one taken into custody, interfered, and punched at Chief McCoach, who necked him and hurled him to the ground, where he was caught by Chief Charles Higham, who happened along.

The two prisoners were locked up, but were released about 10:30 o'clock, when a friend deposited $20 for their appearance in court this morning. As Recorder Corwin and Acting Recorder Powelson were both absent from town, the case was put over until 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, when they were arraigned before Acting Recorder Elmer E. Johnson.

The men pleaded guilty and were each fined $5.

--Orange County Times-Press, Middletown, New York, September 29, 1908, page 2.