The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-08-09
THE BLACK HAND
Is Raided and Assassins and
BIackmaiIers Are Caught.
DOZENS ARE JAILED.

The United States steel Corporation
Was Back of Plan to Round Thcul
Up-Twelvc Murders I'm Two Years
Arc Attributed to tho Organization
Which Is Composed of IL Lot OF
Dcsperadoes.
AFTER waiting for months and
spending thousands OF dollars and
spreading Il drag net that has caught
men in four states, the United States
Steel Corporation has rounded IN
what Is said to be the worst gang of
~blackhand assassins i'm the country
Dozens of arrests have been found
anq men arc in Jail i'm New Castle,
penn.; Youngstown, Ohio; Sharon,
N. Y.
dozen murders in the Mahoning
and Shenandoah Valleys in the last
couple OF years are attributable to the
gang. For headquarters the gang
picked Hillsville, a quarry town I'm
Lawrence county, Pa, a few miles
west of New Castle. Here are locat-
ed the immense Quarries OF the John
SION Limestone company. HillsviIle,
locally, is known as ':IIelltown." Tho
quarries, full Of caverns, afforded
hiding places that could be searched
Tor a week for suspects without re-
suits.
Detectives were started after The
gang. Some went to italy and came
PACK as immigrants, going to Hills
vile. where they worked with the
Black Hand members.
The raid was made Saturday after
loon. July 18Th, by. County Detective
Logan, Detective b. Marshal, of New
Castle; Deputy Sheriff Frank Wad-
dington, Detective Mehard, several
New Castle policemen, and railroad
detectives. The time selected for the
raid was payday at the Johnson quar-
rics.
AS the men came up for their mon
ey a stranger with a check list scam
ed them. When a man wanted ap-
peared the stranger would tell him
there was something wrong with his
envelope, and ask him to step into a
back office. Before any alarm was
raised twelve men had beer inveigled
into the room and h~and-cuffed. Final
~ all the men were paid off, and
suspects were still wanted. A
house In the town was then raided by
the police, and the missing nine men
caught.
The men under arrest were charg-
ed with conspiracy to rob and being
suspicious persons, Men and women
Of HiIlsvillc, no longerAnfraid fell of
what became known as "nashlights
firing Every night. long flashes of
4 OIL nj ~ ~ go al ~ -
town. Finally it was explained that
lights used by Black Hand leaders to
scare timid Italians into giving up
money. The lights were ascribed to
causes.
Nicolo Ciurlee, who was suspected
by the gang of being a detective, was
subjected TO abuses and torture such
few white men endure and live. He
told his story in Il Justices court 1t
the hearing Of some Of the suspects.
jim Rocs, a grocer, who caused the
arrest of Salvador Exposito, say he
was compelled to mortage his home
for $500 to meet the demands Of the
Black Hand. EXposito is said to be one
Of the few real Black Hand men.
John JOtti. arrested in Youngstown
by Chief Mcdowell and Detective
Kane, is said to have conducted a
school in which Italians were taught
the use of the stiletto. 1t is said that
he had Il rubber figure of n man, and
on ii were marked the places in
which properly to insert the stilletto
and cause instant death.
Joe Bagnato. who is said to have
levied tribute money from Italians
for months and finally left Hillsdale
with $1,000 in gold, is badly want
ed.
Joe Pochcsso was murdered in
front Of Sam Saulinc's saloon, East
Federal stree, Youngstown, Sustai-
no Martonc, a boy Of nineteen, is un-
der arrest for the crime. He de-
clares he shot Pochcsso in self defcn-
tho Black Hand. he boastingly said
he did. The murder of Pochcsso, the
police say was caused by his efforts
to stop the Matchmaking of arch
Italian women Of Youngstown. The
boy felt SO secure that he did moot go
fifteen miles way from Youngstown.
In South Sharon the police say that
Sam YallouS and Sandy Pcrcno were
murdered by the Black Hand. South
Sharon Workmcn at the Steel cOrpO-
ration furnaces arc said to have con
tributcd $4,000 to the black hand
agents. Two men were arrested Sat
urday charged with attempting to
blackmail q wOman By threats Of vio-
lcncc.
Owners Of mills and other indus
trial establishments are still fearful
Of vengeance. One big cement con
Germ near Newcastle, which has ST.
900, 900 invested in a plant is said to
be guarding against fire. In other
mills extra precautions are being
taken to guard against inccndiarism.
FELL INTO RIVER.