The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-02
ORGANIZED TO KILL.

-.
Serge Suschenk in Pittsbtr0 Dispatch.
A hidden, but nevertheless powerful fac
ton in Pennsylvania mining troubles Is the
Omlsdina Secret Society among the ex-
patristed Hungarian and Slav workers 1
could prove that many murders are charge
able TO this organization. Its methods are
as follows:
A certain boss workman is obnoxious to
large number of his men and they re-
solve to remove" him. The next ones
ton Is how shall it be done. The con-
spirators being loyal members of the
Omladina, proceed systematically, end
after the secret session which has decreed
the REMOVAL dissolves, a piece Of red
paper is sent to another village, where
members of the order are numerous
This contains the name of the
victim, and is addressed to one
of the faithful, selected by a majority vote
20 carry out the sentence. The latter knows
the scarlet mlsslve means bloodshed, SO he
forthwith arms himself with knife and re-
volver and proceeds to the village whence
it came. Arriving there he goes 60 the
residence of the local head Of the order, and
as be enters places the index finger of the
right hand upon the Adams apple OF his
throat-thus giving the secret sign of
ntifcation-followirg this up by tine
password.
THEY hELI ON THE ALIBI.
Then the two proceed to business: the
chief arranges for the commission of the
deed, and dispatches the murderous ennis
sarY upon his fatal errand. Nothing more
10 known until the community is aroused to
the contemplation of the assassin's work
Suspicion may rest upon any one of the
Hungarians or Croats dwelling in the i'm
mediate vicinity, but it is, OF course, i'm
possible to establish case against them.
because not only are none of them directly
guilty, but, knowing beforehand the pre-
else time the attempt would be made, they
each and all have taken excellent care to be
At that moment in other places and in the
presence of persons whose evidence would
suffice to clear them if accused. The abb
Is thus their irrefutaole defense
Does the shadow of a doubt exist I would
fain ask the thoughtful reader, but that
the several murders so lately committed in
Pennsylvania, when American foremen In
charge Of Hungarian laborers were hurried
into eternity, and the responsibility for
which could never be placed, were actually
accomplished by the method have de-
scribed?
THE sCYTHEMEN OF POLAND.
No less dangerous is the organization ex-
isting among the Poles, who are found in
large numbers in the environs OF Chicago
IN Michigan and other northwestern states
They are called Scythemen because under
Martin LangiewicE they defied with their
seythes the sabers Of Russia. This patriotic
spirit bore the secret organization as its
fruit, and it is now established in America
Well-to-do Poles have disappeared in
several parts of the west within recent
years with comparative frequency, and
we're, say many people who have the OPP
portunlty for inside observation, simply
removed" by the Scythemen. l do not
absolutely guarantee the correctness of this
assumption. but it is certainly prevalent
mn hot oil ~ Del. r,;eI.l
whom l have come In contact. The orgaui-
cation Is radical throughout-radical in the
most extreme sense OF the word, including
murder, boycotting and the destruction Of
the property of obnoxious persons
Thus these Knights of the Scythe were
prominent in the church troubles in De-
troit, which are sufficiently recent to be
easily called to mind, and it is even claimed
that the turbulent pastor of the Polish
Clutch in Brooklyn, N. Y, Father
Yodyszus, belonged TO the order as we'll as
Mrs. Kraemer, the beautiful Pole who at
trscted so much attention early in the
present year through the newspaper noto-
r.ety in connection with the famine relief
expedition to Russia. Women, it should be
explained are eligible for admission to the
so1ety's ranks.
THE SOCIETY GRIP AND CIPHER.
According to the statement of Scythe-
man now in hiding, who is In dread OF as
eoeoAbAbOus uhNluR given OuSDS6 TO the
leader OF certain lodge the methods and
Signs in use among these desperadoes are
somewhat Masonic IN character. The grasp
or fellowship Is given as follows Two
members meet and, desiring to make their
identity known to each other, they clasp
their hands apparently in the ordinary
fashion, but when so dong rapid circular
motion is described by each party with his
forefinger upon his friends palm. This had
Its origin in the sweeping motion of a
scythe welded by the husbandman cutting
grass or grain.
Business at the lodge meetings is trans
acted through regular code of phonetic
ciphers so that even q concealed witness
could not understand the proceeding. Thus
should the question Of assassination be I'M
der discussion the conversation is like this
Send A or B package of tobacco" (KilI
or b. Send him cigar" Main or
mutlate him. "Send him package of to-
Oacco snuff" Burn down his house,, and
so forth and 50 on
There is yet another class of foreigners
who, like the Poles, consider themselves an
oppressed and downtrodden people. These
are the BohemIsns, who never willing to
De absorbed into tho homogeneity of the
austrian empire, have always fretted under
the hapsburg yoke. This unwilling subjec-
tlon on their part to an alien rule has pro-
ouced the result similar in all cases-it has
Iostered the development of secret societies.
AHo DeLIeF Class OF b0nom1dns VINO come
here are saved through their sturdy, staid
Qualities and the beneficenJ influence of
American civilization from drifting astray,
and 1t is only those Of blunted moral per-
ceptlons who are found in the ranks of the
pariahs.
Secret organization among the latter may
be called Bohemian brigandage, as far as its
operations are involved. In some way it is
less devilish than that existing among the
otner nationallties described above, for it
does not include murder, resting content
with peculiar system of swindling and
robbery, into which it has drifted from its
former phase of blackmail.
The organization is strongest in New
York and Chicago, and its chief victims,
strange to say, are newly arrived immi-
grants from their own country. Robbery
Is easy when the victim is lulled Into sense
OF security by the sound Of his native