The Washington times., 1907-12-25
BLACK HAND BAND
CAUGHT IN SCHOOL
TEACHING MURDER
Nineteen Italian DeSper-
ADDE'S Found in Pitts
burg House of
Horror.

PITTSBURG, Dec. 25.-FOllowing the
discovery that the Black Hand Society
had established in Pittsburg the ma
tional headquarters Of its organization,
the police raided yesterday the mother
house OF the nefarious gang. Nineteen
prisoners, armed, were taken. The
house in which they were caught,
tenement / nan obscure alley In the
Italian quarter. was a school in which
assassination was taught by experts I'm
murder, was well equipped with under
ground passages for secrecy in going
and coming. and contained an arsenal
OF more than 800 weapons and a large
supply of explosives and ammunition.
The raid was made by two platoons
OF police, assisted by italian detectives
from ten cities. the visiting pjolice hav-
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 Italian mer-
chant. OF FilipO Rel, a Black Hand des-
perado, who demanded $4,000 of Sun
seri upon pain Of death. At the mo-
ment Of the raid corOner's Jury was
acuuitting Sunseri of the murder OF the
blackmailer.
Captain OF Detectives Edward Nc
Cough learned enough OF the organiza-
tion 20 conclude that his cwn Italian
detectives could not cope with the stu
utlon. He asked for aid. Several OF
. the out-of-town detectives became mem
bers OF the band, and reported that
there was a regular school in which
Tho younger members were taught to
use the Stilettn. A plan was laid TO
raid the place during the instruction
hour. The headquarters was at 81 Clay
alley. In front. on the ground floor
was apparently a restaurant, a large
room with tables and chairs back Of
which was a supposed kitchen The
Misunderstanding range proved 10 be a
forge, the suppOS ed meat block an anvil
and the white-aproned chef the clever
est stiletto maker in the country. IN
DER a table in the Kitchen is a trap
door. with steps TO q cavern extending
Under several buildings. Leading from
this is long passage, with an exit in
a small alley of Clay alley.
Captain MCGough personally conduct
ed the raid. Men were stationed az every
exit, including the secret passage, and
then a dozen detectives entered the
front Of the building. overpOwered the
man in the kitchen and forced their way
down into the underground cavern.
As the raiders entered seventeen new
members were lined up. all of them
naked to the waist. and each armed
with 4 stilettO. VinCenZo TOya, said to be
wanted in New York. and Antonia
Nicola. were pointing out 10 the class.
on the back of one naked man. the exact
spot to drive "a stilettO to insure death.
in the room was a dummy upon which
the class took turns at practice, and
everywhere about the wall We're Wierd
drawings of assassinatiOns. bleeding
hearts with daggers thrust through
them, and everywhere the italian
words. "CamOristi Mano Nera" (Black
Hand.
When the detectives swRrmed into the
place. everyone of the nineteen occu-
pants had a stiletto. No word was
spoken, but at a sign they made a con-
Certed movement to charge the police
This was checked as the Italian detoc-
tives demanded a surrender Then hey
made a rush for the underground pass
age, through which they expected to
reach the street in safety. The officers
allowed them 10 hIe into the passage
way, for dozen detectives were sta
UOned at the other end with drawn re-
VOlVers-
As they made their appearance at the
end of the passage each one was over
powered and thrown into a patrol
wagon. half a dozen of which were
waiting All were safely landed in Cen
Jral station.