The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-15

OPERATORS
IN GRAFTON
One Culprit
Placed In Jail

/
GRAFTON, Aug. 15.-Haye members
Of the BLACK Hand been attempting
their nefarious practices in Grafton?
1t would seem 50. ifoccurrences Of the
past twenty-four hours we're taken in
to serious consideration. Three men.
all black.looEing, unkempt foreigners,
succeeded in getting money from a
foreign resident of the. city Tuesday
night. The success of the band was
attended5with some exciting instances,
too, and which are set forth briefly
in the following: Joe Ierareo, ayoung
italian who resides on Railroad street,
in the rear Of the Swain building, was
called upon Tuesday morning by the
three eyil.looklng men and was told
by them that unless he paid them a
hundred dollars by nine O'Clock they
would kill him. They fixed the county
bridge that crosses to West Grafton
as the point where the money should
| be paid. Then they disappeared. Joe
Immediately became alarmed but he
kept his nerve enough to consult with
friends of his and he was advised to
see the law officers. This he did not
wish to do, expressing himself in ia
yor of gathering enough Of his friends
together to catch the three men and
"beat 'em like hell" Joe even went
to Simpson to get friends enough to
accomplish this end, but they refused
to come to Grafton to do tits, saying
that someone might get killed and then
they would be blamed, so Joe came
back alone,
During the afternoon, however,
friends Of Joe laid the matter before
Squire Lilly, and later in the evening
the sqalre and several Officers deter
mined to make an effort to capture
the members of the "Black Hand. "
Accordingly, Joe was sgtyenn niglnstruc'
tions to meet the men on the btdge as
prearranged. Joe refused to DO this
without money, and having none of
his own he finally succeeded in borrow
| ing ten dollars from a.friend. AT about
half.past nine o'clock Joe went to the
bridge, but here, somehow, the plans
laid went wrong. Joe met the men on
the bridge and handed over the
dough" saying that it was allhe had,
the men told him he must get more or
they would kill him. Joe asked for
more time, and the mon said they
would wait on the bridge for him up-
Iul he could get more mon" Joe
came up street and borrowed another
ten and then started back. By this
time Squire Lilly had distributed his
men, Constables Dean and Deyers al
1.-THE west end of the bridge and B. & O.
Ioflcer Stone and himself at the east
side approach. Just as Joe, the vic
tim with the money, was coming back
a second time, Night City Policeman
'IDotson strolled out on the bridge and
the men took alarm and broke for lib
erty, which they gained.
Later the scene was changed to the
lib. & o. depot platform, where Joe
'Black Hand" gang who proceeded tc
hold him up for the other ten, and
then the fun commenced. Joe grabbed
hold Of his assailant and cried out il
Ia loud voice. The man he had grab
bed, however, was too strong for hin
and swept him aside and started tc
run on the B. & o. tracks. oficerf
Lilly and Stone were nearby and gave
chase. The fleeing man after leaving
the parkersburg branch side Of the de
Dot platform, ran around the G. & B
tracks between the express ONCE ant
the engine house and then toward Fet
terman, Squire Lilly gave hot chase
and fred his revolver three or foul
times into the air, with the hope o
soaring the man into stopping, but tht
ruse failed. Squire Lilly was atralt
to shoot after the fleeing figure fol
fear Of. hitting some of the yard men
and was at length obliged to give al
the chase. Later he and Constable
Dean boarded an engine and wen
down into the First ward, where thel
!. succeeded in capturing one Of tht
Igang, who was landed in jail. Thil
man gives the name of Morabito Gui
seppe. He will be given a hearing
Another Of the three men was recog
nized as Geo. Nicollette, who has ,
wife residing at Bretz, W. Va, a poIn
In preston county on the NJ. & R
road. Nicollette has been In Grafton
before. He married young womal
Of Barbour county. The other tw,
men are not known here. Both Nicol
EIette and his companion made goo,
1theIr escape and they have not beel
seen aywhere about Joe Ierareo doe
slodd ibis about town, such as excayat