The Barrel Mystery

  CHAPTER VI

  DON PASQUALE, BLACK-HAND SKIRMISHER

  Here is where Comito gets into touch with a skirmisher, if I may usethe word, of the Black-Handers. The skirmisher is the scout for Lupoand Morello who are, as usual, in the distance, their minds ablazewith the idea of getting rich beyond the dreams of Aladdin by a boldcounterfeiting stroke. Comito is a printer out of work. Lupo andMorello have agents who tell them of such things. Comito might be theman to run a printing press and print the counterfeit bills. And so, Iwill turn you over to Comito. Listen to his own story once more:

  "On the evening of November 5, 1908, I was at a meeting of the Orderof the Sons of Italy, being a duty I owed the society as SupremeDeputy to attend the meetings of the different lodges. As was thecustom toward the end of the meeting I chatted with the variousmembers of the order, some of whom I knew by name and others whom Iknew only by sight.

  "That same night a member by the name of Don Pasquale, a Sicilian,came to me, clasped my hand, and without further ceremony said:'Professor, will you take a walk with me? I have something to say thatmight interest you.'

  "When we were outside, Don Pasquale said to me:

  "'I know you are seeking work and that you are a good printer. Afriend of mine is proprietor of a printing shop in Philadelphia. Ifyou wish I can recommend you; but you must go to Philadelphia towork.'

  "'It makes no difference to me where I work,'" was Comito's answer.

  Don Pasquale got Comito's address and said that he would arrange tohave his Philadelphia printer friend meet Comito at the latter's home.Comito then explains that the title "Don" is used by Sicilians as amark of respect among the working class, and that the word "Uncle" isemployed in addressing people advanced in years in the same sense.

  Comito recalls the knock on his door on the morning of November 6. Hesays:

  "I opened and saw Don Pasquale with his friend. I motioned them toenter and sit down. Don Pasquale said: 'Mr. Comito, I present to youmy friend, Don Antonio Cecala, proprietor of a printing shop inPhiladelphia.'

  "'Are you a printer?' asked Cecala.

  "'Yes,' I answered.

  "'Well,' he continued, 'I am the proprietor of a shop in Philadelphiaand in need of a trustworthy man who can take care of my affairs whenI am absent looking out for my business as an inspector of SingerSewing Machines. You can come to an agreement with me and establishyourself with your wife in Philadelphia. In that way I can be sure ofyour honesty,' said Cecala to me.

  "'But,' I replied, 'I don't think that I am going to your printingshop to act as boss. You have other men that work there?'

  "'Yes, there are other men, but they are not capable for the trade Ihave because they do not do this kind of work.'

  "And saying this, Cecala showed me some money order blanks, stampedenvelopes, commercial papers and some hand bills. I replied that itwas just such work that I could do, and that if the men employed byhim were not able to do such work they were not printers.

  "'Well, as you are a practical man at such work, you may remain alonein the shop and will assume full responsibility. Therefore, prepareyour things and tell your Mrs. not to continue working. However, ifshe wants to work in Philadelphia, then she may do so. Together youwill soon be rich.'"

  Cecala agreed to pay the rent due for the rooms occupied by Comito andhis mistress, besides what he owed elsewhere. The weekly salary wasagreed upon, and in the event that Comito should not care to remain atthe job he was to receive his return fare to New York.

  The reader will appreciate the humor of this arrangement as he getsalong further in the story.

  "'Then you wish that the lady come with me?'

  "'Surely. The lady is necessary for you.'

  "'But don't you want me to go first and find a house to live in?'

  "'There is no need of that. The house is ready. It is my property.'

  "'When you say that you will provide for everything, I am ready toleave to-morrow.'

  "In the evening Caterina came home from work. I told her what hadhappened. She did not care to leave her work, adding that we werewithout means and could not afford to undertake the trip. I assuredher, however, that all expenses would be paid, and she finallyconsented to come along. We prepared the household furnishings forshipment, Cecala insisting that we take all the stuff with us."

  Comito then tells of being taken to a photo-material store. Cecalabought a camera, some plates, bath platters, chemicals, a tripod,paper, and a case. Comito was induced to go to the printing house,where he had been formerly employed, and make a "dicker" for thepurchase of a printing press. The press was secured and everything wasmade ready for the trip to Philadelphia. Then Cecala called andintroduced a certain "Don Turi," otherwise Cina, as his godfather. "Heis a rich proprietor in Philadelphia," said Cecala. "Do not mind hisordinary clothes; he is a man of gentle manners." Comito's owndescription of the rough looking Cina adds a streak of humor to thesituation. As to "gentle manners" Cina almost maimed Comito when heshook hands with him. Comito was also introduced to a fellow by thename of Sylvester.

  It was two o'clock in the afternoon on the same day that the wholepack of them--Cecala, Cina, Don Pasquale and Sylvester--rushed intothe little apartment of Comito, and, as he says, "without any talking,began to label the furniture." This move was made after Cecala hadpaid the rent that morning.

  Comito had not put any address on his stuff because Cecala had assuredhim that all the furniture would be put on a wagon, and that the wagonand all would go under his name to Philadelphia. Comito observed abundle labeled: "A. Cina, Highland, New York."

  Turning to Cecala, he said: "Don't we go to Philadelphia?"

  "A--ha, ha, ha--a, ha, a, ha, ha, ha, ha," leered Cecala. "This is theplace the boat stops and then we go twenty minutes by foot. Have nofear; we will go by carriage."

  "Do we not go by rail?"

  "No," grunted Cecala. "It costs too much, and we cannot load all yourgoods on the train."

  Upon inquiring what time Cecala expected to arrive at Philadelphia,Comito was informed about eight o'clock, and that it would be all thebetter to arrive after dark because "no one will see what we aredoing, and we will give an accounting to no one." Cecala also assuredComito that there would be no delay once they got off the boat, butthat they would hurry to Cecala's house where "we will eat and drinkwine and warm ourselves."

  In this manner Comito's fears were lulled to sleep by the promises offuture prosperity that were held out to him. There would never be anymore worry or struggle for gain as far as Comito was concerned,according to the assurances of Cecala and the others. Life would flowalong like a pleasant dream with no worries of any kind!

  "It was about 4:30 P. M. of that same day, November 11, 1908, when Iand Caterina, together with Cecala, Cina, Don Pasquale and Sylvester,went on board the boat," continues Comito. "I was fully convinced thatwe were going to Philadelphia. I was quite happy thinking that byworking honestly I would prosper. When we were about two hours outfrom the pier Cecala came to me and said:

  "'Mr. Comito, we are about to make a bad showing.'

  "'Why?' I asked.

  "'Because I have not enough money to pay the fares of all of us.'

  "'Why pay for all?'

  "'Because they are my friends, and my godfather. Then, too, you sawhow they worked.'

  "'But they could have remained in New York.'

  "'No. They will help put up the press, etc.'

  "'This is just a circumstance,' explained Cecala. 'I imagined thatCina had money to spare, but he has forgotten his pocketbook. We areshort five dollars.'

  "Not knowing what to do about it, I remained silent. After a whileCecala turned to Caterina and inquired: 'Mrs., have you any money withyou?'

  "'I have just five dollars,' Caterina replied innocently.

  "'Well, give it to me because I need it. I will give it backto-morrow, as soon as I get to the house,' suggested the bandit.

  "Caterina stepped aside and produced a five-dollar bill from herstock
ing where she had hidden it for an emergency.

  "I took Caterina aside and asked her why she had given the money toCecala. She said it would be all right, that she would get it backto-morrow. I did not talk any more. I took a rest on a lounge, untilabout nine o'clock, when I heard the boat's whistle. It was the signalof our approaching a dock. I jumped up, thinking I was atPhiladelphia, and woke Caterina. I was surprised when Cecala informedme that Philadelphia was a little farther on, and that we would getoff at the next stop. Making further inquiries as to the location ofPhiladelphia, I was informed in a very brutal manner by Cina that hedid not know when the boat would arrive, but he guessed about oneo'clock. Right then and there it dawned on me that I was not dealingwith honest people, but with a dangerous pack who were probably tryingto get me into a trap.

  "When Caterina heard that we would not arrive until one A. M., shespoke cross to me and said that if any harm came to her I wasresponsible. I consoled her as well as I could and resumed my rest onthe lounge.

  "It was about half-past twelve that night when a long, resounding tootthat echoed in the mountains announced our arrival at a stoppingplace. When the deck hand announced the name of the place, which didnot sound very much like Philadelphia, I asked Cecala whether weshould go ashore here.

  "He said yes.

  "It was a freezing cold night. There was snow on the ground. Caterinaand I were chilled to the bone and very nervous.

  "'We will all stop at my godfather's for the night, and, if necessary,for a day or so until we are rested,' announced Cecala. 'From there wewill continue our trip to Philadelphia, which is one station beyondthis place. We will do the rest of the journey by wagon.

  "'This is Highland,[1] New York,' said Cecala, when I inquired thename of the place.

  "After a short wait in the dark near the dock we heard a wagon rushingup at top speed. It was driven by a man whom Cecala introduced me toas another godfather of his who was named Vincenzio Giglio. Cina andGiglio are brothers-in-law and own the place where I was to stop thatnight, Cecala told me.

  "We arrived at Cina's house and found a table prepared for dinner.While Cina invited Caterina and me to sit down, the wives of Cina andGiglio brought on stuffed chickens, young goats meat, baked potatoes,wine. The dessert was of cheese, apples and pears, raised, Cina said,on the premises.

  "My furniture was placed in a house near that of Cina and I was leftthere to live with Caterina on scanty fare and without money until, asCecala told me, the printing shop would be in readiness. I was told tohave my mail directed at the box in Highland, New York, where Cina hadhis mail sent. There were five little children playing about in theCina house. I heard Cecala tell Cina to make out a list of food-stuffsneeded saying that he would see Ignazio (Lupo) and have him ship it upto the farm.

  "Cecala then took his departure to look after his business as a'Singer Sewing Machine Inspector.'"

  For three days after arriving at Cina's, Comito says, he and Caterinaate at Cina's table. They were waiting for the supplies to arrivefrom Lupo, and which Comito and Caterina were to eat at their owntable. Concerning this time Comito says:

  "In the three following days, Caterina and I ate at Cina's table whilewe were waiting for supplies. The conversation was about nothing buthomicides, assassinations, and robberies. At times I thought my hairwould stand on end, but I tried my best to appear unconcerned evenwhen Caterina glanced at me in dismay.

  "On a certain cold and rainy day, I shall never forget, while we wereall huddled around the stove, Cina began to spin his yarns andboasted, among other exploits, that he had been a trusted man of thenotorious bandit Varsalona. In this way Cina had became implicated inthe murder of a school teacher in his native town, Bevona, in theprovince of Girgenta, Sicily, and had been obliged to flee the countryand make his way to America. Cina also remarked that he was married inTampa, Florida, where he had worked for seven years as a cigar maker.He married the sister of his intimate friend Giglio.

  "As we were about to go to bed that night I told Caterina that we hadbetter plan to get back to New York somehow. There was no longer anydoubt in my mind but that we were in the hands of confirmed criminals.

  "'How about the fare?' answered Caterina. 'I have no money at present.If you want money ask godfather Cina.'

  "I did not sleep a wink that night. I was blaming myself for havinginduced Caterina to come along. In the morning I hurried over to talkto Cecala to make arrangements for our return to New York, but to mysurprise Giglio informed me that Cecala and Don Pasquale had gone thenight before to New York.

  "I complained to Giglio of the manner in which Cecala had left mebehind with Caterina without money or return fare to New York.

  "With apparent good grace Giglio replied that I should have a littlepatience and wait until Cecala returned.

  "'Think of eating and drinking. Don't worry. Enjoy yourself,' he saidwith a grin.

  "The manner of Giglio's talk quieted me a little and calmed my nerves;he also said that when it was not raining I could go about the farm tosee what was cultivated and could roam around and forget aboutreturning to New York.

  "Caterina and I had to worry along in that godforsaken place untilDecember 7, 1908, when I was informed that we would be moved to theprinting shop. A wagon was coming for our furniture at three o'clockin the morning."

  FOOTNOTE:

  [1] Highland is about seven miles from Ardonia, New York, where thereader will remember I had discovered Lupo was in hiding after he ranaway from his creditors.