Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-01
BLACKHAND'S
WARNZNGENDS
IN MURDER
TRACKED FOR YEARS, BARBER
is SLAIN
Quarrel of John Benteregna and Help
ing Hand Society in Palermo
Ends with Fatal
Pistol Shot

John Benteregna, a Sicilian, member
OF the Brotherhood of Protection Of Italy
and the United States, died last night
victim of the Black Hand, which for
more than five years he had been trying
to avoid.
He was shot down in his barber shop
at 22O5 East Ninth street, while he was
engaged in honing a razor, but not be-
fore he had received a warning that the
death-dealing missile was coning.
Benteregna was shot threggh the kid
snsys.. the bullet strtkfng him IN the left
.slds below the seyeath<ffb and lodging
! in sthe muscles of the eight side. 4
Wifhin few min1tes after he was
shdl lShsl n Jas removed to the receiving nos,
pita where heN way Operated bS
Drs Garrett, WHEY, Tsnnef and >Bo-
nynAe. Hs died onltHe opersths table
before the- sutgsons hsd fOur6 the bullet
which Nteels hts lise. ~ ~
Rhaastory ofsthe murder of Jnhn, Zen
lteregnaN Nas-1Is story Of ths Black Hand
Istn .Ansricas $s9AlI MI
The taxing of his lifs Was sscreed
! Tha was more Chan i've Sears ago. N
In thssiatter part of aaot, he got into
trosple lin Palermo with the Officers az
the 1atatian Helping Hand Society. Just
wHat hat trouble was IS notskppwn noWl
HeAhad to leave Italy In ccbseAi ilence and
came to the United States ~ escape The
vengeance of the memhers of that
society. WsHffgP
Life Unsafe
Here he found he was not SAFE. Sev-l
eral times he was warned thatF he would
be killed, and he tried to make terms of
peace with the agents Of the Black Hand
To q number of them heH paid large
sums of money to secure hirrA protection.
They betrayed him. Finally "a man came
10 him who demanded $1,000 or his life as
a forfeit He fought this Fman and
worsted him in a contest with hnives.
The next morning he got wordAto leave
New York, that his life was not north
penny. He took the advice and came
west. He stopped in Chicago, StNLouis,
Denver, Salt Lake and San Francisco
In each town he received warming that
the Malta was on his track. He finally
came to Los Angeles.
Here he lived in peace for several
months. Finally he received another.
warning. From New York came letter.
written in Italian that his life was pot
worth anything and to prepare for death.
1t was early in April of 1907 that he got
this, and he went to the city officials and
got a permit to carry a revolver He
was at the time living with his friend,
Nicola Gardino of ZOOS Enterprise street.
Gardlno was several times warned TO
cease harboring Benteregna. He paid no
attention to the warning, and October S
there was an attempt to blow up the
Gardino home with dynamite.
The explosion tore away the porch Ia
| front Of the house. shattered all of the
windows and tore off a portion of theP
roof
Leaves Home
After this explosion Benteregna left the
Gardina home and went to live on Mateof
street. One night shortly after, while
going home from a dance at Turner hall
he was attacked and five shots were fired
at him. He escaped the bullets, but fol4
lowing them came in few days letter.
| from New York which told him that his
days were numbered and he would have
| to leave or be killed.
| September 16 last Benteregna received
communication from New York which
told him that he lad best prepare for
death as his days were numbered and he
had but a short time to arrange his
worldly affairs.
| His only notice Of this was to apply for
police protection. For a time the police
on the beat were instructed to watch out
for him. but as nothing happened this
watch was relaxed.
Three days ago there was showed be-
meath the door Of the little barber shop
at 2205 East Ninth street, in which he
worked, a crudely printed message which
said: Leave. Your last chance" This
lRas signed with a dagger. &Eskull and,
I lcfoss bones and the black hand
/ He paid no attention ts y except to In
fak Of f6o No o~r1tv1
! last night BentereBnn was engaged in
I hpning a razor at Ass chair In the bar
| Der shop, which was the second from the
I ffont Of the establfsi1ment and directly
/ opposite a side windoW.
4 Three studied Taps
/ Amato, the proprietor of the place, was
! shaving a custom9A when there Cana
/ three studied taps on tneaside windoM
/ Benteregna looked sup ana ssW slofins
/ Al him through the sid& WindoW the face
los an Italian. Further than thst BE eould
4 not say.
AS he looked the man raised a revolver
| and pointing 1t directly at him fired
The ball shattered the glass In the win
dow, struck the barber in the side and
ploughed its way through his stomach.
! lodging against the ribs on the right side.
AS the shot was fired the face OF the
| italian disappeared from the window,
and when few minutes later q swarm of
policemen surrounaeu the place there was
no trace of him to be found.
The wounded man was hurried to the
receiving hospitai. The Efforts Of the sur
| geons were unavaiing. however The
| mark Of the ASSASSIN had been drawn
| too close and no human skill could help
The police have but meager descrip-
| tion of the man who fired the fatal shot.
They have copies of the warning letters
| and notices which were sent the dead
man but none OF them reveal the identity
| Of the murderer.
Today Ii Is probable that the law-obey-
] ting Italians of the community Will gather
form plans TO aid the p1 eattafs