The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-01-20
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M- -MM received letter signed
.uauu 81, gra" i'm which he was or
dered TO pay $1,000 or forfeit his life
he promptly paid up in accordance
with the directions contained in the
mysterious misslve. Capicllo is of Ital.
ian extraction, and in his native land.
| as in other Latin countries in the south
of Europe, La Mano Negra," or 1.-THE
Black Hand" Is even more dreaded
that the Malta, as an organization of
| cut-throats banded together and
shrinking from no means, however des-
perate, in the carrying out of their
fell purposes
1t was for this reason that mortal
| fear took possession of Capiello'S soul
when. after this first payment. he re-
ceived other threatening letters. one
demanding $4,000, the other $4,000,
| from the same source and found that
| 1t would he impossible for him to COM
| ply with the demands. He was ut his
wits end, but finally. upon the repre-
sensations of his family, he went to the
police and asked protection, denounc-
| ing five Italians with whom he had
dealt In paying over the initial $1,000.
| These five men. who. the police de-
clare, were the local agents of the
'Black Hand" were arrested and held
in $1,000 bail on a charge of blackmail.
If Capiello had followed carefully the
trend of events in his native country
and in Europe generally during this
year he could have saved his $1,000 and
spared himself great deal of worry
and anxiety into the bargain. He
would have learned that no such organ
ization MS the "Blac Hand" ever ex.
| listed, that II was merely fiction
started for political purposes and had
n conspiracy on the part of the Span
ish police and high officials of the
Spanish Government of thirty years
ago to thank for its artificial life.
The BLACK Hand" was first heard of
in 1874. In that year the news that an
organization of criminals so named
and having vast qualifications had
been discovered in the south of Spain
made the round of the European press.
1t was said that the members. in car
rying out its purposes, robbed muir
| utltb anu uIllltu lllt lbI'I Ill lHt
most cruel and reckless fashion, and
that they could be successfully dealt
with only by the most radical repres-
sive methods, such as wholesale i'm
prisonments. numerous death penal
ties. and life sentences.
During the past year facts have been
brought to light which, it is affirmed,
show beyond doubt that this was mere
~ Il fiction circulated as the first step
i'll carrying out a programme, then
mapped out, for the suppression of GER
tain liberal and revolutionary tenden-
cies which had manifested themselves
among labor organizations in Spain.
In Spain the year 1874 was ushered
In by the coup G'etat in which the Cas-
telar's republic went under and Al
phonse Nil, father of the present
King, was placed on the throne. Re.
dictionary measures by the new Gov
eminent gave rise to social unrest all
over the country, but especially in the
southern province of Andalusla, where
Il famine had plunged into deep dis
tress the great agricultural working
I pbphAhNiOil, W AO 'N'Il III INC liOSl Ia
vorable years suffered greatly under
the injustice of INDECENT landowners
Sundry cases of violence that had oc-
cured occasioned Il speech in the Cor
ties by the late Premier Sagasta, who
recommended that the malcontents be
sternly suppressed. Shortly afterward
prosecution of the BLACK Hand" was
instigated by Don Tomas Perez Mon
forte, then Governor OF the province.
From sworn statements which had
been published in the Spanish organ
TERRA y Libertad, an idea can be
gained Of the methods used by Mon
forte in beginning his work of repres
sion. Manuel Sanchez Alvarez, n Span.
ish laborer and survivor from those
| days, declares that he was at work
In a vineyard near Neres, when a
gendarme appeared and took him be-
fore the Governor. The latter invited
him to smoke good cigars and drink
! sparkling wine, and then. telling him
he could talk to him as freely n to
his father confessOr. made him an of
fer Of five or six times n laborer's hire
IL he would divulge to him the names
Of some OF the most active members
in the labor organizations and incite
them to set fire TO some plantation at
ter first having given the police n hint
Alvarez declined but shortly after
ward acts of that particular nature
were committed in the vicinity, and
thirty or forty men, including Alvarez
were arrested, tried and many Of them
sent to prison.
This was the beginning. What the
"Mano Negra" was none of those ac-
cused of being members Of the organ
ization ever knew. The only thing
known is that one day, in the vicinity
of Villamartln, in the district affected
by the unrest, the black impression
Of hand was seen in two 1r three
places on house wall.
TO many this only was an indication
that some painters who had been at
work on the house had been careless.
but Monforte insisted that this was the