Italian Harlem's Police Report #8

Topic: A Fatal Game of Ball 1884

The case of Michael Garrete, who is charged with being accessory to the murder of Francisco Canzone,who was killed at No. 423 East One Hundred and Eleventh street, on Oct. 5, came up yesterday before Recorder Smyth. The wit nesses who were examined testified that on that afternoon a number of Italians were playing ball in the yard of the house. The ball struck Francisco Canzone, one of the players, in the leg, hurting him severely. He picked it up and threw it over the fence. A quarrel there-upon arose among the players over the ball, and that led to a free fight. Canzone went into a room and soon emerged with a long stiletto in his hand. He made toward Garete, who was only armed with a stick. The latter said that he did not want to fight with knives, but would fight with sticks. Canzone kept advancing, however, and Garete struck the knife out of his hand; and immediately afterward Donato Demaso, another of the Italians, picked up the knife and stabbed Canzone in the back, and Rizzio, a third Italian, struck the wounded man with a board on the back of the neck.

Soon afterward Nicola Demaso, who had been hurt during the fight, went into one of the rooms, and he was followed by his brother Donato, who had stabbed Canzone. Donato took out of his pocket the stiletto, which was bloody, washed it, and put it into the coal scuttle. He then made his escape. The case is still on.

Source: The New York Times December 17, 1884

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