Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-26
CRIME IN NEW YORK.

New York papers declare that never
before were rowdyism and crimes more
rampant In the clt2, than at the pres
cnt time The gangs they say, large
and small, adult and Juvenile, are
abroad Assaults, robberles, shootings,
riots OF rowdies on elevated and SUR
face cars, barroom fights, abductIons,
stonngs, wanton destruction Of pro-
perty, blackmail by gangs attacks,by
strikers on worklngmen and now the
poisoning Of non-uni1n" meat going to
large restaurant-these represent the
sort OF crime that has been fragrant
In the past month or two,
Special attention is called to the ex-
istence OF criminal organizations OF
foreign origin. "The Black Hand Is
said to be one OF these, a twin brother
to the "Maha, the object Of which Is
backmail The widest stories are told
about this BLACK Hand" The menu
bers are said to be required to betray
their best friends, and to slay them, If
ordered to do so, In the interest OF tho
organization. Dlsobedlence 10 auperiors
means death The culprit Is buried
alive. The meetings, It is said are
often held in cellars, and It does not
take long to dig grave In which for
ever to silence troublesome member
The organization is said TO have orig
mated in Italy, where a noted bandit
organized some Of the poorer classes
into bands. melting them to demand
money from the rich. The business
is now said to be carried on at the
rate Of a million francs q year In Italy
and large sums are being collected In
this country by Black Hand means
Several instances are told as an illus
tration OF their methods Giovanni
Parere, a young Italian opera singer
was engaged to marry a wealthy heir
bearing The sign Of the BLACK Hand
informing him that unless he paid over
the sum Of 10000 francs he would never
live to wed the heiress, Parere was a
poor hoy, but he was not molested and
the wedding took place, which proves
that some one paid the sum demanded.
Another case told is that Of Father
spegulno Of Patterson n, j, lie had
collected about $4,000 with which to
erect a new church Three men visited
him one evening and informed him that
he WAS wanted at a certain place to as
sist a parlshioner who was in trouble.
Just as he reached the street he was
thrown down. chloroformed and taken
away In carriage. Three months later
he escaped, but refused TO utter a word
against his captors shortly afterward
he went back to Italy, insane, as the
result OF his experience, II was dscov-
cred later that the money collected for
building the new church disappeared
shortly before Father Speguino es-
capped.
Many OF the stories told, probably are
exaggerated. Tales Of that kind seldom
lose anything In transmission from
mouth TO mouth. But the fact remains
that lawlessness Is becoming altogether
too bold. We are Mortified nc a state OF
affairs I'm Bulgaria, or Morocco, that
permits brgands TO carry away citi-
zens and demand ransom. But not
long ago bright little boy was kid
mapped right In Brooklyn. and the
crime was laid at the door of the
BLACK Hand" Is our government in.
competent to deal with the lawless ele-
ment? or is the Indifference to infrac.
tions OF law taking possession? With
the means at the disposal Of American
officials It should be possible to break
up criminal organizations and scatter
their numbers to the winds. were there
AN earnest desire to do so. Crime can
not be eradicated, but criminal secret
societies can be annlhilated.