The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-11

things: III you ant me TO come home
safe send the money that il asked for. "
tn kidnappers lost their nerve and the
next day the boy returned home. But
their threats against Bozzufi did not end
IL was only a few weeks later that a dyna-
mite bomb was exploded in a tenement
which he owns.
On June 3 last a stick of dyna mite ex-
ploded in the homs Of Joseph Marrone in
Mount Vernon. Somsbody had put IL in
his kitchen stove. Demands had been
made on him for $500. but he had ignored
them. Marion was M sooner out OF the
hospital than the threats we're renewed
with the amount raised $500.
Unless you leave 81 900 where we told
you TO you'll be killed and buried in the
New Rochelle Cemetory 10y July g." the
Slack Hand letter read.
All Of tho Italian extortionist bands sign
their letters in the same general way. al
though sometimes tn Q sketch Of the hand
in varied with tn drawing Of a skull and
crossbones or a dripping dagger.
rHE cAMoRRA IN AMERICA.
In the ranches OF the Camorra in this
country as in Italy there are three grades
OF criminals. First comes the ruling power
known al the Camorrista. They are the
wise heads or councillors. Next come the
exeoutioners and finally the youths who
are being trained in crime. The men who
are elected to the grade Of executioners
hope some day to become members OF the
Camorrista class. At council meetings
when some person il sentenced TO death
there is often rivalry between the execu-
TONERS for the job. The exeoutioner h
is selected is always introduced to the
council by one OF the members with the
words: Recognize the man. The execu-
toner takes an oath in which he declares
hs will have no relations with the police
department. will show fidelity to his as
sociates and will betray none OF their secrets.
The members Of the Camorra take the oath
over crossed knives and with some Of their
wi blood on their hands.
An oath also binds together the members
Of the Malta bands. In these bands also
there is a council. Often witnesses who
are to appear against the band in q court
OF law are summoned before the council
and formally warned under threats Of
assassination. There are SOM cases in
which the Malta has compelled men to
become members Of the organization when
these men had got hold Of some Of the
secrets Of the band. , With them it was a
case OF joining or being put to death.
Joseph and Charles Pzzo Of Wilkesbarre
resisted the demands Of the Black Hand
for months and finally succumbed. After
paying tribute for several months they
we're admitted to the meetings Of the Black
land and listened to the plans that were
made for the death Of several persons.
There were thirty-seven members Of the
and in Wilkesbarre. This gang terrorized
Wilkesbarre and the surrounding country
80 badly for a time that a meeting Of Catholic
priests was called for the purpose of organic
ing among the Italians In each parish a law
and order society for the protection OF
citizens. Seventeen murders have been
charged up against the Black Hand in that
section OF Pennsylvania in the last few
years. 1t was out near Wilkesbarre that
Peppo the Ok, one OF the leaders in the
barrel murder gang. was shot TO death a
year or 30 ago.
The Black Hand. like most OF the other
Matchmaking organizations among foreign
ers, sticks pretty closely to its own people.
One Of the few exceptions when IL has at
tempted to extort money from Americans
was the case Of David Wesson. the wealthy
revolver manufacturer. He began to re-
ceive Black Hsnd letters more than a year
ago. At first he paid no attention TO them.
but when one thing happened after an
other to convince him hat the Italians
were bound TO pursue him. indifference
turned to anxiety and anxiety finally to
terror. His death was attributed largely
10 the worry which these letters caused
him.
THE SOCIETY.
The Hunchakist society. or rather that
branch Of il which has been engaged In
Matchmaking wealthy Armenian merchants
in this city. had until the recent murder
in Union Square escaped the attention
Of the police because Of the terror which it
inspired in the minds OF ito victims. II
has been operating in this city for 9 year
or more. but the men who were marked
by it had been 90 fearful of their
lives that they had not even dared to
complain TO the police. The most of
the murders which are attributed to this
society had been committed in foreign
countries and we're known only to Ar
menians in this city. Since the murder
of Hovhannes Tavshanjian. the wealthy
rug merchant. the killing Of Father Caspsr
Vatarian in a West Thirty-sevsnth street
house three months ago has assumed a new
light. The police believe now that the
priest was strangled and packed away
In a trunk at the instance Of blackmailers
who wanted to make this crime a warning.
The Armenian method Of extorting money
is one OF the most skilful practised by foreign
blackmailers. The Armenisns operate I'M
der the guise Of patriotism and use fanatics
such as T~avshanjian's murderer to commit
the actual crimes. These fanatics always
are under the impression that they are
rendering a service to their stricken ooun-
try Unlike the other criminal bands
which operate in New York, the Hunchakist
has branches all Owe the world. Cyprus
and Paris are the headquarters OF the two
factions. The society was started in 1888
in Athens by Armenian patriots who planned
"a revolution to free their country from tho
tyranny Of the Sultan Tn g society ha
secretly supplied the young men Of Ar
menia with arms. Members OF the old
H~unchakist society declare that there
IL an irreooncilable gulf bet ween them and
the branch which is accused Of having
plotted the murder OF the rug merchant.
The Hunchakists go cunning only after
h,w wa,na navna-Aa -. .aa1. 81. ~