The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-09

= l'SS men. an Italian VINO mas Inale some
thing Ikea quarter OF a million dollars
by hard and honest labor Pressing hin
FOR some Information about the Black
Hand. the man refused even TO express
an opinion.
The newspaper man was amazed al
this reticence and made light Of it. AL
very WELL said the merchant. but II
some day you receive a letter written In
blood. demanding money on pain oi
death. and when you leave home in the
morning you do not know but that on re.
turning you will find your wife with a
stiletto in her heart or one Of your chill
Ike this you change your views of the
mater; you pay up. and shut up. too
FEAR THE CRIMINALS.
The man OF the press was amazed. Is
1t possible said he. that a ran OF your
intelligence. influence and ability will sub
init TO this terrorism at the hands OF a
pack Of human jackals?' We have to-
was the reply.
7 venture TO say that there are not n
dozen Italians of known wealth but have
received letters demanding money in the
same way, and invariably have done just
as | myself have done.
Twice within a year I have put UP
$50 demanded. and twice glad to get out
so easily. / have known others VINO have
less money. but VINO made trouble and
Pernaps squealed to the police. who got
heavier doses. and in more than one in
lance l have seen men driven out OK
business and OUT Of the country. too.
The police? Why, of what use is 1t
the threatening letter over and say: w
can do nothing for you.
wait till something happens, then
come to us. and we will help you" Wait
till something happens. indeed, Then.
alas, it is too late
This aC-Ual conversation shows with
what inststent terror the Italian views
the mysterious workings of the Black
hand and like societies.
For the most part the Italians here
have been comparatively ignorant men
who by hard labor have made money at
the expense OF their education.
The members Of the gangs are well ed
ucated-at least. the chiefs are. ard their
victims know il. They have not stolen
INTO the country By the Storage route,
but have slipped through nv way Of the
first cabin. so that their passports have
been ignored.
In Italy It IS impossible to travel from
one place TO another without al passport.
which tells in black and white just what
the criminal. If such he be. has done. and
his prison record Is also given. He can
not escape this surveillance. over here.
should this man not he kept OUT but.
rather. Why should this man not be ai-
lowed TO enter? 1t is altogether too easy.
The Federal Government IS doing what
1t can with a small appropriation for the
purpose and a small number OF inspectors
both here and abroad. But to keep the
criminal classes out is impossible.
They will always find a way to enter.
" not through the great needles eye OK
Fills Island; then through the South. or
down over the sno wdrifts of Canada.
Once in. they remain here. and there
are no laws by which they may he dis
lodged or placed behind solid walls on
mere suspicion OF crime. Over there it is
different.
NEED OF ITALIAN Detectives.
And so, TO my mind. at least land I
have studied this problem at closer range
than perhaps any other detective on the
staff 1t would seem that the best way
to root out these bands is by increasing
our working force from the ranks Of the
Italian themselves. for !t is only the
Latin races that understand thoroughly
the Latin character. speaking not only the
language perfectly. but also the scores Of
dialects Of the various sottOpopoli of Italy
and the patois OF the criminal classes.
must be met with something quite as pow
erful TO destroy. Within a year I believe
1t would be possible to train a band OF de-
%tectives TO GO out and cope with this terri
BILE problem with certainty and dispatch.
one OF two of them might be missing
In the crusade. but the blood OF the mar
tyr has been the seed of more than one
successful enterprise. and none of US fear
death IN the pursuit of our duty.
There are Italians OF the highest in
telligence and aggressive spirit who are
capable OF carving out a concerted cru
am sure that with the rounding Up of a
score or two of these Scoundrels the 1tel-
ian colonies and the Americans them
selves would soon be rid of a danger that
turks in darkness"
Signor r. L. Frugone of II Bulletino
della Sierra CThe Evening Bulletin), one OF
the most influential italian newspapers in
New York. TO make an active crusade
against the banded miscreants who prey
upon Italians. was very outspoken in his
opinions with regard TO what he believed
TO be inadeGuacy of the police to cope with
the growing problem
LAWLESS ELEMENT INCREASING.
Magistrate Tighe.' said Signor Fru-
gone. was apparently right when he re-
marked It as his belief that the lawless
element among the Italians IS on the in
crease to such al extent that the police
find themselves embarrassed.
Every good Italian regards the situa- |
tion as personally rejecting upon him and
all his countrymen at home and abroad.
feel that 1t IL up TO us to do some
thing practical toward combating the ex-
listing evil.
The police force, including detective
service and all. Ia recruited from the ltal-
ian ranks to the extent Of not more than
men, Now. while crime has
been on the increase in certain quarters,
the force has not been correspondingly
to meet the emergency What
can seventeen men co toward racing a |
that would tax the ingenuity
and the energy Of a hundred?
1T is all very well to say that the police
are able and efficient. u~nt!ring IN their eff
forts and ~sleeplesS In vigilance.
There IL something more required than
mere assiduity-an TINA knowledge Of
the criminal situation at home and
abroad, conversance with the language
and the methods of the criminal popula-
ton.
"A million italian immigrants have come
the country within the last ten years.,
and nearly one-third of them have re
NAMED in New York and vicinity. IL
hey were encouraged to go elsewhere and
AXE up some work for the betterment of
heir condition and the good of the
country as well they would succeed and
here would be less lawlessness. black
extortion and the taking of hui
nan life.
ITO cope with such a bloodthirsty.
and restless band as the Black
Hama gang requires a power just as