The sun., 1907-12-25
RAID ON SCHOOL OF MURDER
POLICE FIND EXPERTS TEACHING
CLASS TO USE STILETTO.
Seventeen Men. stripped 90 waist. studying
Art OF Reaching Heart with Knife
at Black Hand Headauarters--Am
Taken After Brief show Of Fight.
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Art OF Reaching Heart with Knife
az Black Hand Headauarters-lAn
Taken After Brief show Of Fight
PTrrsBuRo. Dec. 2A.--A squad Of Pitts
burg detectives aided by twoscore de-
tectives from all parts Of the country this
afternoon raided a Black Hand head
quarters.
They found seventeen young men re-
ceiving from two Italian experts lesson
in the use Of the stilettO.
All OF the nineteen men in the place and
the lookout were arrested after severe
struggle and are now in the prison at CEN
tral station. ...
For months Pittsburg has been terrori1ed
by lawless Italians who styled their organi-
zation the Black Hand" several murders
have been committed and dozens OF per-
sons have paid tribute under fear Of death
Pittsburg has become the headquarters
of the Black Hand.
Some weeks ago Captain Of Detectives
Edward McGough learned that the orgsni-
zation had its headquarters here and that
a school was in existence where younger
members were taught the Use Of weapons
and the methods OF the organization.
Putting the matter into the. hands Of
City Detectives Peter Angelo and Charles
Aymer. both Of whom speak Italian.
McGouRh sent to nearly every large city
in the country and asked that detectives
familiar with Italian secret organizations.
and particularly Italian speaking detec-
tives. be sent here to assist in cleaning out
the band. Ten cities sent detectives and
for two weeks they have been working
with the local officers. The raid OF this
afternoon was the result.
The detectives learned first that the
headquarters Of the gang was at 81 Clay
alley, in the heart Of the Italian quarter.
From the appearance Of the front OF the
place il would be mistaken for a restaurant.
There Is a large room with tables and chairs.
back of which is what was supposed to be a
kitchen But the harmless looking range
Is a forge. and the white aproned chef Is
a stiletto maker who besides acting as a
lookout devoted himself to making and
sharpening daggers and keeping revolvers
and other weapons In order.
Under a table in the kitchen is trapdoor
which leads down a flight Of stairs into a
large cellar that extends under several
other buildings.
Leading from this cellar il a long, narrow
underground passage, which ends in a
small alley on Clay alley, through which
the members Of the Black Hand had
counted to make their escape II ever sur
prised.
All these things were discovered in the
last two weeks by Angelo. Aymer and
Italian detectives from other cities Sew
eraI Of the Italian detectives had become
memhers of the Black Hand so asrtO get
the information.
This afternoon was selected as the time
for the raid. and fifty detectives under
Capt McGough were on hand. Officers
were placed at every exit. including the
end Of 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 cellar.
There the class was surprised. The
seventeen young members were lined up,
all naked to the waist. and each armed with
a stiletto. Two instructors. VincenzO Toya
and Antonio Nicola. were teaching the class
how to use the stiletto.
As the police entered the teachers were
pointing out on the back OF one naked man
the place 10 drive the knife. In the room
was a dummy upon which the class took
turns at practice. and everywhere about
the wall were weird drawings Of s1ssi-
nations bleeding hearts with daggers
through them. and everywhere we're the
Italian words -Camoristl; Mano Nora
BLACK Hand.
When the detectives swarmed into the
place every one Of the ninetcsn occupants
had a stiletto. No word was spoken, but at
a sign they made a concertei movement to
charge the police. But each officer had a
revolver In his hand and had been in
strllcted to shoot II necessary. The Italian
detectives. using the language OF their
countrymen, demanded that they sur
render. instead they made q rush for the
narrow underground passsSe. through