Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-10-26
BLACK HAND
Rigid Inquiry Suggested to the Immigration Au-
 therities.

| A rigid inquiry into the operations of the Black Hand band with 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 canvass of the entire territory east of Chicago with a view to deporting all suspects of that stripe who are found to have criminal antecedents.
 | MT. 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 that 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 in the United States for apprehending the lawless SiciIians. "He is the only man who knows them by sight as we'll as being acquainted with their criminal records" declares MT. Brandenburg. He could trail them wherever they might hide and detect them even though they attempted to conceal their Identity. If he had once known them they could not escape him."
 Commissioner Sargent has not yet had time to consider the suggestion finally, but he regards 1t with favor. The main trouble In making such de- portations, be realizes, will be in trac- Ing those who have gained admittance to the United States under assumed names. Until the department assures Itself on this point In each case 1t can not place the responsibility as to which steamship company must bear the ex- pense of deportation. In this exlgency the personal knowledge which Detec- tive Petrosino possesses might bridge the difficulty.
 The commissioner Is considering the subject in the light of similar case which engaged his attention only few days ago. It was that of woman suspect living in Cleveland. The inves- tigation disclosed her criminal record and established beyond a doubt, from anarchistic literature and infamma- tory correspondence in her possession, that her activities were of 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 for preying upon their own countrymen among the immigrants that they are making their threats indIscrimInately. It is pointed out that the Mafia. of which the Black Hand Is a sort of SicllIan offshoot. was originally devot- cd to the vendetta. but spread out into lawlessness without tlnge of so called honor" to be avenged. The newer band has gone even further in it's dis regard of methods.
 Commissioner Sargent believes that these developments emphasize the ne cessity, upon which he commented in dis last annual report. for a stricter surveillance over immigration. He sees increasing need for more thorough pro lection against foreign anarchists seek Ing asylum in the United States. and fayors reaching an understanding with foreign governments 10 require vised passport from every immigrant. De- sirable newcomers would have DO diff acuIty in procuring such official recom- mendation in their home country. Were a passport to be issued willfully abroad 10 get a criminal out of the country he would have to run such great risk of Identification and deporta- ton here that be would probably turn in another direction. At present New York Is the easy refuge appealing most strongly to the least desirable immi- grants.