Evening star., 1908-01-12
ALLEGED BLACK HAND SCHEME
MEMBERS OF MARINE CORPS
UNDER SUSPICION.
Held Pending Investigation Re-
garding Two Threatening Notes
Received by Local Firm.

Walter Reeves. twenty-three years old
and Neil c. Edgett. twenty-siX, United
States marines, stationed at the Washing
ton barracks, were arrested yesterday aft
ernoon and are held at the first precinct
station pending an investigation regarding
two threatening notes demanding money
recently sent to the firm of Moore &
Wood. JOG 10th street, the early part of
last week.
The two men were arrested by Police
men Owens and Johnson about 3:3O yes
terday afternoon in old red tree house at
the grounds of the Department of Agr-
culture. 1t is believed by the police they
went to procure a decoy note placed there
earlier in the day.
The notes received by Moore & Wood,
who are retail hardware merchants, the
mornings of January and Q, had evil
IDENTIFY been deposited over their doorway
during the night The notes, which were
generously decorated with skulls and
crossbones roughly drawn in ink, read
as follows:
Black Hand Society, January I.
"Mr. Wood & Co.:
IF you do not put 500 in the top of the
tree house in the Agricultural Department
inside of three days your store will be
burned by the Black Hand Society. Re
member! Beware!'
The second note was of the same trend.
but demanded $50, instead of $1OO 1t
read as follows:
The Black Hand,
10Th January, 1908.
Moore & Wood Company:
IF you fail TO put $50 in the top of
the tree house at the Agriculture Park.
your store will pay the penalty. My men
will either burn it down or blow it up
This is the second and last message. You
have until Sunday. Don't try to play me
false. THE SOCIETY,"
TONY BARANDO.'
"Beware.
Decoy Letters Deposited.
The notes were found by Messrs.
Charles w. Wood and l.. Willoughby
Moore, the partners. upon the two occa-
sions indicated when the store was OPEN
ed for the days business. After a short
| consultation Tuesday, the day the first
note was received, 1t was decided to turn
the matter over to the police of the first
precinct. This was done. and the Off
GERS, under the direction of Capt. Will
liams. kept strict lookout upon the store
and the location mentioned in the note,
close to the main building of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, but they met with no
success.
After the arrival of the second note,
however, which was Immediately turned
over to Capt. Williams by Mr.. Moore. it
was decided to use decoy note. Accord
ingly by instruction from the precinct
captain, Mr.. Moore prepared an envelop
filled with blank paper yesterday morn
ing, and accompanied by Policemen john
son and Owens, the note was placed in a
crevice inside the tree house, and the Of
ficers took up the watch.
Evidently the writer's of the BLACK
Hand" notes were not familiar with af-
fairs about the department. as yesterday
was the first time the tree house has been
open to the public for fully month or
more.
The policemen were about to give up
two marines appeared and walked into
the place. They failed to come out with
in reasonable length of time. and the
policemen followed and found the decoy
note in a second crevice opposite the
place it had been originally placed.
The policemen questioned the pair. The
men admitted having looked at the note.
and said they placed 1t back in the tree
Questioned as to their purpose in the
grounds. the two men, according to the
police. failed to give a satisfactory eX-
PLANTATION, and they were taken to the
station house, where they will be held, as
stated. pending further investigation.
Difficult to Prove Charge.
It is the intention of the officers of the
first precinct to obtain specimens of the
accused mems handwriting and compare
1t with that of the notes recently received
by Moore & Wood, and also trace the
possession of a rubber stamp of a pointed
hand, with which the notes were deco
rated
1t is admitted by the police that there
will be difficulty IN connecting the two
| men with the writing. In some quarters
it is believed the notes were sent to Moore
& Wood by practical jokers. The accused
men have been stationed in Washington
slightly over a month, and their enlist
nents are of recent date.
1t was ascertained that Reeves is a
native of Fort Wayne. Ind. where he
enlisted December 4. 1907, and Edgett's
home is in Michigan, he having enlisted
in Chicago November 80, 1907. They
present a good appearance, and have, 50
far as their commanding officers know
enjoyed an excellent reputation
They deny emphaticafly knowing any
thing of the threatening letters sent to
the hardware firm.