The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-19
DEATH WORK
OF BLACK HAND !. !.
SUGGESTION THAT FOREIGN Sc:
cRET SOCIETY CAUSED
MANS DEATH.
CORONER STILL AT WORK ON
THE WHEELsARRoW
MYSTERY.

WHEELING, July 1s.-The 'Blacf
Hand Is at the bottom Of the wheel
harrow mystery!
This Is the growing conviction Of
those making an investigation into
the death Of the unknown foreigner
whose dead body, suspened to q
wheelbarrow handle by a leather belt
was found Monday night in Alley 8
in the heart Of the bushes district.
Ohio County Coroner W. W. Rog
ers, who previously has stuck stead
lastly to the suicide theory, said:
@The more look into this case, the
more am led to believe that the
BLACK Hand" society had something
Ito do with this mans death. Each
development seems to show greater
mystery around the case. Withou,
question, 1t certainly does look like
the work of the Black Hand"
Developments in Mystery.
Though none Of them proved to be
of any importance in regard to solv
ing the problem. there were several
developments in the mystery Thurs
day.
First, it was positively ascertained
that the dead man was not resident
Of Wheeling.
Second, a close examination of the
body proved that the man had been
wearing beard and that he had just
been closely shaver.
Thirdly, 1t was seen that the marks
on his neck, presumably caused by the
leather belt, might readily have been
caused by some one choking him to
death.
No Word From Pittsburs.
Up until noon the coroner had NOT
received any word from Plttsburg, Pa.
in answer to the kilograms he sent
the Pittsburg Coal Company aud the
Greek Catholic union. Answers to
these messages he anxiously awaits
as they may throw some light on the
mystery.
The coroner accounts for the tardl
ness in both answering in the fact
that the miners employed at the For
est Hill mine, owned by the PIttsburs
Mining Company, are under ground
throughout the day. This being the
case, the management has likely been
unable to see the Seskos brothers,
John, George and Mike, to see what
they know about the case; and that
the Greek Catholic union is carefully
looking into the matter before sending
any word SO as to make it unnecessary
to look into the case second time.
Coroner Busy on Body.
All last evening, and up until quite
a late hour last night; then, again all
day yesterday, Coroner Rogers was
busy on the base, Wednesday night
he had before him Steve Lamonitin
and other prominent South Side
Greeks, trying to ascertain from
them whether the dead man had
belonged to the local branch of the
Greek Catholic Union. None of those
examined, who viewed the remains
had ever seen the man before.
steve BreIster, one of the leading
slavs of the city, who speaks six
languages and is supposed personally
to know all the slavs of this vicinity
carefully examined the body at the
Palace morgue Thursday morning
He stated that to his certain knowl
edge the man did not belong to the
Wheeling colony.
Upon the advice of the coroner
steve is now making inquiries of the
colonies Of Benwood and RIchlani
and the over.the.river towns, He will
report to the coroner Thursday even
ing.
Examine Body Again.
At the Palace morgue, Coroner
Rogers Thursday morning again ex
amlned the body. The corpse wa'
measured. It was found to be 5 feel
Z inches in height; not feet 10 inch
es, as was at first supposed.
The trlnkets and papers found OF
his person were again looked over
but nothing developed of the search
The haudybllly Tor blackiacR) wal
most carefully examined, 1t wa!
found to be brand new one. It il
an ugly death.dealIng "rapper' and l
has never been used.
"slack.Hand" Theory.
Why would a strong man, apparent
ly, easily capable of protecting him
self against two ordinary men Is
, powerful was the dead mani have
new blackjack IL he intended to con
nit suicide?
J Did he buy 1t to be able to protec
himself in case he was assalled b.
enemies Of whom he was living Il
dread and who, he believed, were fol