Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-08-08
THE BLACK HAND
Is RaIded and Assassins and
BIackmallers Arc Caught.
DOZENS ARE JAILED.

5 OOG6VO HN6 yHIlEU.
The United States Steel Corporation
Was Back of Plan to Round Them
Up-Twelve Murders I'm Two Years
Are Attributed to the Organization
Which Is Composed Of a Lot OF
Despcradoes.
After waiting for months and
spending thousands OF dollars and
spreading drag net that has caught
men In four states, the United States
steel Corporation has rounded nm
what is said to be the worst gang of
blackhand assassins in the country.
Dozens of arrests have been found
and men are in jail in New Castle,
Penn.; Youngstown, Ohio; Sharon.
Pa: Plainfield, n. j.. and Rochester
N. Y.
A dozen murders in the Mahoning
and Shenandoah Valleys in the last
couple of years are attributable to the
gang. For headquarter the gang
picked Hillsville. a quarry town in
Lawrence county, Pa, few miles
west OF New Castle. Here are locat-
ed the immense quarries OF the John
ston Limestone company. Hillsville.
locally. is known as "HelltoTn." The
quarries, full OF caverns, Afforded
hiding places that could be searched
for week for suspects without re-
suits.
Detectives were started after the
| gang. Some went to italy and came
back as immigrants, going to Hills
vile, where they worked with the
| Black Hand members.
The raid was made Saturday after
noon. 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-
| ries.
AS the men came up for their mon
ey stranger with a check list scann-
ed them. When a man wanted ap-
peared the stanger would tell him
there was something wrong with his
| envelope. and ask him to step into
back office. Before any alarm was
| raised twelve men had been inveigIed
into the room and hand-cuffed. Final
| ly all the men were paid off, and
nine 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 Hillsville. no longer afraid, tell of
what became known as flashlights
firing" Every night. long flashes of
light suddenly would be seen all over
town. Finally it was explained that
the lights were made by pocket flash
lights used by Black Hand leaders to
scare timid Italians into giving up
money. The lights were ascribed to
supernatural causes.
| Nicolo Ciurlee, who was suspected
by the gang of being a detective, was
subjected to abuses and torture such
as few white men endure and live. He
told his story in a Justices court at
the hearing of some OF the suspects.
| Jim Rocs, grocer, who caused the
arrest of Saltwater Exposito, says 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 a rubber figure of a man, and
on 1t were marked the places in
which properly to insert the stilletto
and cause instant death.
Joe Bagnato, who is said to have
llevied tribute money from Italians
for months and finally left Hillsdale
with $11, 900 In gold, Is badly want
cd.
Joe Pochesso was murdered in
front of Sam Sauline's saloon, East
Federal stree, Youngstown, Sustai-
no Martone, boy of nineteen, is un-
der arrest for the crime. He de-
clares he shot Pochesso in self defen-
; Sc. When asked If he belonged to
the Black Hand, he boastingly said
he did. The murder of Pochesso, the
. police say was caused by his efforts
to stop the blackmailing of arch
Italian women of Youngstown. The
boy felt so secure that he did moot &c
fifteen miles away from Youngstown
In South Sharon the police say thai
Sam Yallous and Sandy Pereno were
murdered by the Black Hand. South
. Sharon workmen at the Steel corpo
, ration furnaces are said to have con
tributed $4,000 to the black hand
, agents. Two men were arrested Sat
lurday charged with attempting tC
, Iblackmail a woman by threats OF vio
lence
, Owners of mills and other indus
> trial establishments are still fearful
of vengeance. One big cement con
Germ near Newcastle. which has 81,
900, 900 invested in plant is said Il
be guarding against fire. In othe
mills extra precautions are beini
taken to guard against incendiarism.