Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-28
"bLACk HAND THREAT
Rich Orphan Girl Terrified by
Menaciny Letter.
DILIGENT SEARCH MADE
Twenty Armed Men Scour the Country
for the Criminal.
MANY CASES IN NEW JERSEY
Whole Community is Up in Arms Over
the Danger From the
Band.
MANY CASES IN NEW JERSEY

PLAINFIELD, N. J.. February 2S-
Twenty men of this place, armed with load
ed guns, were searching the Jersey mead
ows last night for BLACK Hand letter
writer who has terrorized pretty Bertha
Flynn almost to the point Of death.
Bertha t1ynn is one Of the wealthiest.
most popular girls in Plainf1eld. A week
ago DR.. A. H. Dundon, guardian of the
estate left her by her mother. who died
only a few days ago, received the Black
Hand letter:
Put 800 of Bertha Flynn's money under
the Grove street bridge on the night of
February 81. If you do not. she will be shot
or kidnapped. Beware!
THE BLACK HAND"
DR.. Dundon sought to keep the knowledge
of this threat from Miss Flynn, who was
already Ill with grief over her mother 8
death. He gave the letter to CHIEF OF PoHce
Kiely, and the latter, fearing the Black
Hand would carry out the threat, put a
guard over the girls home, at No. 532 9TH
street, Plainf1eld. But in some way the girl
discovered that policemen were watching
the house to protect her life.
Priest Urges Search.
Added to the sorrow she had already sur
fered, the terror of this news overwhelmed
her and for week her condition has been
SO critical that she cannot leave her room.
Finally her grandmother summoned the
Rev. Bondy Of St. Mary's Catholic Church.
When the girl, grown delirious with 1ear'
tried to tell him of the Black Hand letter
she was thrown into commissions. Even the
priest could not calm her, and, indignant
at the outrage, he summoned dozen OF
the wealthiest men of Plainheld ana urseo
them to hunt down the author.
We've had too many Black HAND cases
in New Jersey" said one prominent man.
Lets go after this one with guns.
Inside of an hour the armed posse mad
been formed. First, a message was sent 10
the terror-stricken girl that she need nave
no fear Then, with pistols and shotsuns,
the twenty citizens started out upon the
Black Handlers trail.
brothers, and even half dozen bachclors
who wanted to help revenge the attack
upon the young girl.
Want Summary Revenge. =.
The rendezvous was the Jersey Central
bridge. There the men discussed the pur-
suit and decided they would keep 1t Sc
cret from the police. Even the chief was
not told for fear he would try to thwart
the plans for summary revenge. Then
they chose leaders and divided themselves
into small but determined squads.
Before o'clock this morning the posse
had ranged ten miles over the snow-clad
distance Of the town where foreigner
was known to live was visited, and the
angry men refused to leave until satisfac-
tory explanations were made by the &C.
cupants.
Descending upon Warrensville at midnight.
the posse practically held up the entire
hamlet for an hour until every foreigner
living there had proved his innocence.
Search to Be Continued.
But no trace of the Black Handler was
found. Early this morning the searchers
returned to their homes, declaring they
would take up the pursuit again tomorrow
and continue until the whole of the country
side has been thoroughly searched or the
miscreant brought to justice.
Mrs. Fosbrey, grandmother of the fear
stricken girl, said last night that the letter
must have been pure blackmail.
I'VE have no enemies she said. "And
surely no one could desire Bertha's DEATH
But whoever it Is, he has frightened the
poor girl to the verge of death. If she
does not recover, the letter will surely have
been the cause
All Plainfield Is aroused, and men and
women throughout the city are divided be-
tween sympathy for the innocent girl and
rage at the man who threatened her life
Members of the posse, on returning this
morning, declared openly that If she dies
New Jersey will have a summary lynching
IL the Black Hand man Is caught.