Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-12-16
BLACK HAND METHODS
Rigid Inquiry Suggested to the
Immigration Authorities.
TO KEEP OUT LAWLEss sIOHIANs

BroughtOn Brandenburg Advises
That Sergeant Petrosino of New
York he Commissioned 10 Search
Entire Country East of Chicago For
Suspects of Criminal Antecedents
with IA View to Their Deportation.
A rigid inquiry into the operations OF
the Black Hand band with a view to
deportation has been suggested to the
commissioner of immigration, Frank
p. Sargent, by Broughton Branden
burg of New York city, says the
Washington correspondent of the New
York Post. He has written to the com
missioner suggesting a canvass of the
entire territory east of Chicago with 8
view to deporting all suspects of that
stripe who are found to have crimina
antecedents
Mr. Brandenburg's own investigation
of the immigration problem gives his
views unusual weight in the minds of
the federal officials, and his suggestion
is receiving attention. He urges thai
Detective Sergeant PetrosinO of New
York be commissioned by the depart
ment Of commerce and labor to under
take this search, as he credits the Ital
ian detective with qualifications better
than are possessed by any other man il
the United States for apprehending the
lawless Sicilians. "Ie is the only mar
who knows them by sight as we'll as
being acquainted with their criminal
records" declares Mr.. Brandenburg
"He could trail them wherever they
might hide and detect them ever
though they attempted to conceal theiI
identity. If he had once known then
they could not escape him"
Commissioner Sargent has not yel
had time to consider the suggestion
finally, but he regards it with favor
The main trouble in making such de
portations, he realizes, will be in trac
ing those who have gained admlttanct
to the United States under assumed
names. Until the department assure:
itself on this point in each case it can
not place the responsibility as to which
steamship company must. bear the OK
pense of deportation. In this eXigency
the personal knowledge which Detec
tive Petrosino possesses might bridge
the difficulty.
The commissioner is considering the
subject in the light of a similar case
which engaged his attention only 9
few days ago. 1t was that of a woman
suspect living in Cleveland. The inyes
tigation disclosed her criminal record
and established beyond a doubt, from
anarchistic literature and nGamma
tory correspondence in her possession
that her activities were of a lawlesS
sort and that she should be deported
This action has already been taken.
Representations to the department
allege that there are 5000 Black
Hand members in the United States
and that an extension of their depre-
dations is imminent. The basis for this
prediction is that the increase in the
number of foreign lawbreakers has de
creased so greatly the opportunities fol
preying upon their own countrymeu
among the immigrants that they are
making their threats Unfortunately
1t is pointed out that the Malta, OF
which the Black Hand is a sort OF
Sicilian OffshoOt, was originally devOt
ed to the vendetta, but spread out into
lawlessness without tinge of 50 called
honor" to be avenged. The newer
band has gone even further in its dis
regard of methods.
Commissioner Sargent believes thai
these developments emphasize the ne
cesSity, upon which he commented il
MS last annual report, for a strictel
surveillance over immigration. He sees
increasing need for more thorough pro
lection against foreign anarchists seek
ing asylum in the United States, anG
tayors reaching an understanding will
foreign governments to require viset
passport from every immigrant. De
dirable newcomers would have no diff
hculty in procuring such official recon-
mendation in their home country
Were passport to be issued willfully
abroad to get a criminal out of thu
country he would have to run sucl
great risk of Identification and deporta
ion here that he would probably turl
IN another direction. At present New
York is the easy refuge appealing mos
strongly to the least desirable immi
grants