Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-06
BLACK HAND
BLAMEDFOR
OUTRAGE
SLEEPING FAMILY OBJECT OF
HATRED
EXPLOSION FOLLOWS Baking
OF BLAcKMAILERs
Feud Over Love Affair, with Beginning
In Sicily, Phase Of Mystery.
Cottage Partially De-
stroyed

Blackmail, and feud over a love affair
that began in Sicily, are believed to have
been responsible for an attempt to blow
up Nicola Giardina and his family as
they slept in their. cottage at 220S Enter
prise street. The outrage is laid at the
door of the dread Black Hand.
A bomb planted upon the porch of the
little house was exploded in the early
hours OF yesterday morning, destroying
the veranda and setting fire to the debris.
Probably vagary of the explosive saved
the lives of the family, for fragments of
the death machine indicate that 1t was
capable of destroying the entire house.
An investigation by the police showed
that a fuse had been laid from the porch
to a point thirty feet away. This fuse
was attached to q bomb made of clay held
together with wires, which could be dis
charged either by electricity or fire. Many
fragments of the exploded bomb were
found by the police.
Giardina has been the object of other
attacks by enemies, and for years has
lived in constant fear that unseen foes
would snuff out the lives of himself and
those near and dear to him.
Two years ago a cousin of Giardina,
Phillip Giardina, reached Los Angeles
from Italy, and while in the midst of fes-
tivities at an adjoining house suddenly
left the place, turned after going few
steps and fired several shots through the
door, killing a man named Antonio Le-
peano and wounding Chavia Lepeano.
The latter has since been helpless in
valid, living with Giardina. The muir
derer escaped and is thought to have
returned to Sicily. 1t is now believed he
has returned.
Letters Demand Money
~
receiving letters demanding money. He
did not comply. but went to the place
appointed for the deposit of the coin pre-
pared to slay his enemy. A few weeks
later he received another letter, telling
him that he had been seen armed on his
previous trip to the rendezvous and
threatening dire results unless the de-
mands for cash were complied with. Gil
ardina reported the matter to the police
and an investigation was made without
result
Affairs remained quiet in the Giardina
household for few months and the
family was beginning to feel treasured
of it's safety, when near the latter part of
August an unknown person attacked Giar-
dina In the rear yard of his home, firing
several shots. Darkness alone saved the
Sicinan from being bit.
Since then Giardina has lived in con-
slant fear and has taken many precau-
tions to protect himself and family. His
fears were augmented by letters received
at frequent intervals carrying the sigma
ture of the Black Hand.
j -Fl1e police and Giardina's neighbors say
the prosecutions are the result not only
Of q desire to obtain money by blackmail.
but of an old love affair, in which Giar-
dina's wife was one of the principals.
Detectives from Captain Planners Of
fice are working constantly in an effort
to run down the perpetrators of the lat
est outrage. They have many letters
containing facts regarding the family
which may be of service to them in their
Investigations, and already have sue
ceeded in finding clews which may lead
to the arrest of the principals or others
having knowledge of the crime.