Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-26
RAID MURDER SCHOOL
Pittsburg Police Storm "Mother
 House" of Black Hand.
STILETTO CLASS AT LESSONS

Pittsburg, Dec. ?. Following the discovery that the Black Hand society had established in Pittsburg the na- tional headquarters of its organiza- ton. the police raided the mother house of the nefarious gang. Nine teen prisoners, wickedly armed, were taken. The house in which they were caught, tenement in an obscure alley in the Italian quarter, was a school in which assassination was taught by ex- perts in murder, was well equipped with underground passages for se- crecy in going and coming and contain ed an arsenal of more than 800 weap- ons and large supply of explosives and ammunition.
 The raid was made by two platoons of police assisted by Italian detectives from ten cities. the visiting police hay ing been working here for some time upon acquisitions to their chiefs from Chief of Police McQuaide. who found himself confronted with a novel prob lem in crime. The discovery that the band existed was made two weeks ago in Investigating the shooting to death by A. Sunseri. reputable Ital- ian merchant. of Fillpo Ref. Black Hand desperado. who demanded S10.- 900 of Sunseri upon pain of death. At the moment of the raid coroner's jury was acquitting Sunseri of the murder of the blackmailer.
 Find Stiletto School. Captain of Detectives Edward Me- Cough learned enough of the organi- zation to conclude that his own Italian detectives could not cope with the sit uatiOn. He asked for aid. Several of the out of town detectives became members of the band and reported that there was regular school in which the younger members were taught to use the stiletto. A plan was laid to raid the place during the instruction hour. The headquarters was at B Clay alley. In front, on the ground floor. was apparently restaurant. d large room with tables and chairs. back of which was supposed kitch- en. The harmless looking range proved 10 be forge. the supposed meat block an anvil and the white aproned chef the cleverest stilettO maker in the country. Under a table in the kitchen Is a trapdOor, with steps to cavern extending under several buildings. Leading from this is long passage. with an exit in small alley of Clay alley.
 As the raiders entered seventeen new members were lined up. all Of them naked tC the waist and each armed witl<a stilettO. Vincenzo Toya. said to be wanted fin New York. and AntOnia Nicola were pointing out to the class on the back of one naked man the exact spot to drive a stiIetto to insure death. In the room was a dummy upon which the class took turns at practice. and everywhere about the wall were weird drawings of assassiEations. bleeding hearts with daggers thrust through them and ev- anywhere the Italian words .-Camoristi Mano Nera" fBIack Handt
 Police Trap Nineteen Armed Men.
 When the detectives swarmed into the pIsce. every one of the nineteen orcupants had q stiBetto. No word was spoken. but at a sign they made ron certed movement t0 charge the police. This was checkeI as the Italian detec- tives demanded a surrender Then they made rush for the underground passage. through which they expected to reach the street In safety. The off cerS allowed them to file into the pas sageway. for a d0zen detectives were stationed at the other end with drawn FevoIveTS-
 is they made their appearznce at the end 0f the Fsssssee each one was OveTpoEered and thrown into a patraI ws-on. half a dozen of whfrh were waiting AT were safely landed in cen trzI station