The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-04-04

and it's members were wcll-to- do,
while the Camorra was a compact
whole, made UP of the very poor. Were
these societies in existence today the
Malta man would not and the Calnorra
could not, it is plain, cmigrate to
America. But, say King and O'Kay,
the Malta is now only a social condi-
ton rather than an organization, and
! "the Camorra lasted till that yesterday
which saw the reunion of dismembered
Italy. when that gang has been finally
broken up
Some Noted kidnapping Cases.
Let him who is without sin cast the
first stone.' This is not of other nat
ions or peoples, because none of them.
any more than the Italian people,
should be held up to blame or scorn
for the misdeeds of a few Of their num-
bcr, yet since almost every race makes
up the great American nation, which
must weigh out justice or injustice to
the Italian on this BLACK Hand" black
mail, kidnapping score, a. few notorious
facts appertaining to the matter may
be, pointed out with profit to all con-
cerned:
The most celebrated kidnapping case
III the history Of America was that of
Charlie Ross. The BLACK Hand fam
tasy had not been unveiled at that
time.
Tho conspiracy to kidnap President
Lincoln was put UP by native born
Americans and came very near to sue
ceeding.
Tho confessed kidnaper of the son
OF the millionaire packer Cudahy, was
one Pat Grove.
The man who blew himself to bit,,
by letting fall satcl1cl full of dyna-
mite in Russell Sage's Office in New
York city some years ago was named
refused for his demand of s1,0O0,ooo
under threat to blow up the Office.
The miscreant who, trying to sue
ceed by the same trick in which Nor
cross failed, recently killed himself
and the cashier Of the Fourth National
Bank of Philadelphia. was a Westerner
named ]. Rolla Steele.
The kidnaper Of the son of Banker
M, of the upper East Side, last year
who was arrested in Philadelphia, was
a Jew.
In Other Countries.
Take up any book or magazine arti-
Gle dealing with blackmail and learn
that it had not it's origin in Italy.
Whatever of it the Italian has prac-
ticed was but an imitation of it's work.
ing among other races and peoples. 1t
is prudent, therefore, for the descend
ants Of those to examine we'll into the
family cscutcheons for stains of the
lcrimc before assailing the Italian nat
ional character with accusations ancnt
that light and airy myth, the BLACK
Hand"
Worcester's Dictionary defines black
mail as "a certain rate formerly levied
by border chiefs, who allied with rob-
bers on the peaceable inhabitants OF
other districts in the Scottish High
lands and near the confines Of England
and Scotland as recompense for pro-
tecting their cattle and goods against
depredations."
The "Denegeld," or sword of gold,
with which England so often bought of
for a time the marauding Northmerl
was the same in principle, With the
shameful ransoms which Gaul and
Goth wrung from Rome. For certain
bribes Rob Roy and his caterans con-
sented to spare the cattle Of the neigh
boring lowlanders, and up to this day
the traveller in Arab countries has to
bargain with some Sheilz for protection
IN his tourist progress.
ireland and her rapparees and all
along the Rhine in the Middle Ages
sharp eyes were ever on the lookout
in every baronial castled crag, for the
journeying merchant, whose travelling
day in that place and time has been
likened to the passage Of a sheep
, through a field of briars-leaving 4
bit Of wool on every thorn.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries France was hotbed OF
blackmail, say the historians, but why
go on? Gentle reader, there is black
mail all around you today, running the
gamut from the political campaign
contribution down through wedding
and birthday and holiday presents to
the walters and bootblack's tip. They
average daily levy is vast in its aggre-
gate in the city of New York alone; il
has become so favored an institution
that we have made a gentler name fo1
1t than the ugly, old-fashioned one OF
''blacknail," We dub it graft"