Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-26
THE ..BLAcK HAND.n
The Spanish acknowledgements and
Extent Of the MOyement-Arrests.
Trials and Convictions. Etc.

There is no more lovely valley in the world
than that In which the city of Xeres is placed.
Luxuriant vegetation fringes the rivers which
traverse it majestically. Vast herds feed on the
slopes. Wealth untold and still unsought lies
hidden in the rocky soil. patient population,
accustomed to poverty. till the fields In patience
paying to others the fruit of rlabor, earning
for themselves a scanty subsistence. Middle
men of the class best known in Ireland and
Egypt gather their rent or serve them with no.
tices of eviction. Their landlords are grande,s
who live in Madrid buzzing round the court Of
the young king Alfonso. never moved to visit
their territories in the south.
But there came a time when the peasants
refused to recognize the claim Of the land
owners-refused to pay rent to the middle
men. Civil guards and soldiers were against
them Then began carnival of crime Rob-
berry on the highway. cattlc-stcaling. incendiar-
ism. destruction Ofvineyards. moonlight attacks
these were for months the burden of the news
papers. Threatening letters were received by the
authorities; landowners fled from the rural dis
tricts. Among the wine-growers of Here's the
socialist propaganda had been spre ad. Many
murders were reported in lonely parts of
the country; dozens OF people mysteriously dis
appeared: judges came down with extraordinary
powers; civil guards conducted the most rigid
investigations, but nothing of Importance could
be learned. At last a servant called on his mas
ter, told him that he was deputed by q secret
society to kill him, and gave information where
the leaders OF the society might be found. On
the following night an attack was made on
lonely farm; the assaants. driven Off left one
OF their number behind, and he, being at the
point OF death, made confession attributng
the deed to the instigatiOn of secret society,"
Thus was discovered the organization of THE
Black Hand" Its leaders were schoolmaster
smuggler and a brigand. It's inspiration came
from the defunct International" It's plan of
action was to tempt the discontinued operatives
and farm laD0rers into its ranks. Offering them
relief in sickness or old age and promising that
their material condition should be improved
Within the circle of casual recruits was formed
an inner circle which gave itself the name of
1.-The Black Hand" and printed black hand on
every warning missive which it sent out 1t
held its sessions by tOrchight. the members
wearing masks. 1t decOyed its victims into
lonely glens. slew and buried them there 1t
established secret juntas over the entire region,
and partly by persuasion. partly by force,
compelled $1,000 persons to join its ranks.
1t boasts that it had branches in Murcia Estre-
madura and Portugal. and allie, in every sOcia-
listic society IN the world
The principles of the Mano Nera are a sort of
communism, as may be Judged from the follow
ing passage OF their program: Land" they
say. "exists for the common good of mankind,
and all have an equal right to its possession; it
was made what it is by the active labor of the
working classes. The existing social OrraniZa-
produce and the rich do nothing but benefit;
and not only so. but have hold on the work
ers; therefore it is impossible to feel too deep
hatred for political parties, for all are equally
desplcabe. All property acquired by the labor
OF others. be 1t revenue or interest is illegiti-
mate; the only legitimate possessions are those
which result directly from personal exertiOns
consequently our society declares that the rich
be held to participate TO longer in the rights Of
man to his fellow, and that to combat them as
they deserve, all means are good and necessary,
not excepting steel, fire and even SANDER"
Their mode of action is exactly that of the nihists
in Russia and that employed also for the
agrarian crimes in Ireland The tenets of the
popular or secret tribunal resemble also those
OF nhilism. They are headed by the following
declaration: ''Whereas the government by it's
refusal to accept the international law, has pre-
vented a peaceful solution of the social ques-
ton. 1t has become necessary to establish q
secret revolutionary organization. Victory
is still far distant. Sins are daily committed
which must be punished and as all the men,
bers of this society are bent on a chastisenent
being carried out, popular tribunal is
charged with the condemnation and punish
ment of the crimes of the middle classes Men,
bers of this revolutionary tribunal must belong
TO the international league. and be capable of
executing the task they undertake. The mid
ole classes may be chaStised in every possible
Way-by steel, fire. poison or otherwise" In
the 14th century socialism in England had very
similar notions. save the reference to the en-
ployment of force. The following words are
put into the mouth Of a priest. John Ball,
by Frossart: "Good people things can
not and will not go well in England
till all shall be in common; that there
be neither lord nor vassal. but we
shall be all united. To what good are those we
us in bondage? And if we be all descended from
the same father and mother, Adam and Eve,
how can they show themselves better than we
save only in that they spend what we earn?
They are clothed in silks and camOcas. in vel
vets and furs, while we wear the poorest cloth.
They have their wines, their savOry dishes good
bread and cakes. while we sleep on straw and
live Oh rye bread and water. They have their
manors and palaces, which they enjoy in idle
luxury, while we labor in the wind and rain to
earn scanty nOurlshment, and yet it is our
labor that gives them their plenty
In March last it was reported that the total
number of persons arrested in Andalusia for
completely in the anarchist movement was l 900
OF this number 800 were charged with being
abetters of the Black Hand Society Sixty of
the prisoners up to that time had confessed
their completely in four murders. The informa-
ton received by the government shows that the
secret societies must have contained in the
provinces OF JereZ. Seyia, and CadiZ alone
over nine thousand members. and the docu-
ments lists and letters seized as we'll as the
confession of the adopts of the inner circle
prove that they had admitted into their ranks
dii tue UliSailUS dEu tiCkeC-Ol-le1Ve men, I'M
fortunately very numerous in southern Spain
The documents that have come into the hands
of the police at Xerez and Cadiz clearly prove
that the leaders of this socialist and anarchist
campaign, like their cOmpeers in France, in
Italy, and in Russia aimed at both political and
economical ends. and were in close correspon-
dence with the most noted revOlutiOnsts in
Switzerland and the other centers OF reyolu-
tiOnary action. Their plan seems to have been
to develop a state of agrarian agitation,
parallel with movement among the work
ing classes already much devoted to the
tenets of the InternatOnale in Madrid in Bar
ceiOna, in SaragOssa and in southern towns. in
order to keep such elements ripe and trained
for future outbreaks or political disturbances
They found in the local condition Of Andalusia,
In towns and in the country, very excellent con-
ditiOn to promote their propaganda and might
have slipped detection had they not let loose
their ferociOus instincts of their more degener-
ate allies. As usual when detection takes place.
the foreign and the principal native agents Of
these secret societies appear to have bolted and
their peculiar mode of organization only allows
the police to lay hands on the local ring leaders
and the brutal executioners OF the decisions of
the Xerez and other branches of the secret junta
and tribunals.