The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-10-10
AN ITALIAN VIEW OF
THE BLACK HAND"

burg, Pleads for Sane and
Sensible Treatment for Ital-
ians Unjustly Accused of being
Allied with this Society.
There is hardly a murder in which
an Italian is involved in some way
or other that is not at once,
thoughtlessly and recklessly attrib-
uted to the so.called "Black Hand"
Society by the American news
papers. This seems to be their pet
hobby and they feel that a good days
work has been accomplished when they
announce in big, red glaring letters
some crime committed by the "Black
Hand"-something which exists only in
their imaginatiOn-in fact it is q de-
fusion that has gotten a stronghold on
their minds. Tho public is heartily
sick Of gcading OF the BLACK Hand"
"Camorra, " "Mafa, etc. They no long
err take any stock In such foolish news
items, therefore il is about time for
such newspapers to give something
0riginal-tO give facts that are true
the old tactics have been worked to
death. OF course we do not want to be
understood as saying that this is done
Intentionally in every instruction a
great part Of it is attributable to
sensational and incompetent reporters
who desire to show their altertUess and
ability in writing up cases and to a few
detectives and policemen who have a
craving appetite to see their names in
print, and thus make statements IN
warranted by the facts sand circum-
stances.
If these newspapers would pause for a
moment and seriously consider the eff
feet of such articles, they would indeed
be cautious and refrain from such NOR.
bid and gruesome publications unless
there were reasonable and probable
cause for the belief ia the truth and
existence of the Black Hand o~rganiza-
ton and its connection with the par
ticular crime then in question. The
purpose and scope of the newspaper is a
grand one, and as an educational factor,
exerts a most powerful influence on the
reading public, who, strange as it may
seem, are prone to believe more readily
what they see in print than what they
hear by word of mOuth-this is only
another reason why the newspapers
should be careful. Take for example,
the murder of Frank Ricci in Bloom
field, whose dead body was found last
Monday morning with a knife wound
over his heart. The Pittsburg news
papers at once came out with "Black
Hand" "Vendetta.n etc. Some papers
said he was a vagrant, others that he
was the leader of the Pittsburg
Sicilians, in fact they conficted with
each other on every material fact in the
crime and they cannot all be true
someone lied, and in every instance
disparaging terms are used. Their
motto seems to be "False news is better
than no news" In their efforts to out
rival each other they lose sight of the
truth, dish out %unfounded statements,
distort the true object OF journalism,
create more prejudice between Italians
and Americans, estrange the goodwill
and friendship that a exist between
them, tramples under foot the true
American ~policy-which is to encourage
the Italians Of this country for Ameri-
car development and citizenship. For
no concern Of this country is more
momentous and urgent than the dis
tribution and education of her foreign
element-and such yellow" articles
will not accomplish it.
"La Trinacria" made a careful in
vestigation Of the Bloomfield murder
and learned that the dead mar was no
vagrant nor the leader of the Pittsburg
Sicilians--he is an Abruzzese, having
been born in Atcl"to, Province of
Aouila, (Abruzzo) ami had been in this
country nearly 10 lars, and about 2
years ago was a Bartender for Bruno
Posteraro.
Instead of the Book Hand" it was
found that Frank Ricci, a laborer, came
to his death through an affair involving
drink and women for James Waters, is
now accused OF the murder. Can the
Pittsburg newspapers explain why on
Monday they connected the crime to
that hobby of theirs, the ''Black Hand"
and IN Tuesday announced the arrest Of
James Waters, an Irishman, accused