The Washington times., 1908-01-13
NEW CLUES FOUND
TO BLACK HAND"
POLICE DETERMINED
Marines Explain Presence
at Tree House and
Are Released.

More determined than ever to ferret
out the mystery of the Black Hand
letters sent the Moore < Wood Com
pany last week, the detectives at work
on the case today redoubled their eff
forts when Assistant District Attorney
Ralph Given ordered the release of the
two marines held for investigation
Saturday.
Last night the Moore & Wood store
at sos Tenth street was guarded, and
this practice will be followed tonight
Detectives Owens and Johnston alter
mating in watching the threatened prem
Uses. The Black Hand letters informed
The proorietors the building would be
destroyed If $50 was not forthcoming
by Sunday.
Tell Of Opening Letter.
The marines, Walter Reeves and Nell
c. Edgett. admitted today that they
opened the decoy letter placed in the
tree house on the Agricultural building
grounds, but told a straightforward
story as to their reasons for doing so,
which convinced Mr.. Given and the
detectives that they were entirely limo
cent Of any wrongdOing. Mr.. Given
Immediately ordered their release.
The men, as published in The Times
Yesterday. treated their arrest some
what as a joke. They were strangers
here, they said, and passing by the
tree house Saturday they entered it.
They found a bulky envelope sticking
IN a crack in the tree ana opened II.
Finding il contained nothing but paper
they stuck It in another crack Of the
house Just about the time Detective
Owens. who had been watching them,
arrived and asked for an explanation
Both men have been connected with
the Marine Corps here but short time,
and explained that their presence IN the
tree house was accounted for from the
fact that they were upon sightseeing
tour of the city at the time. Ihelr
explanation was accepted, and the pO-
lice have begun work upon other clues.
Working on Other Clues.
Captain Williams, Of the First pre-
cinct, said this morning that the police
had a number Of very valuable clues
upon which they were working. He be
lieves the detectives viii clear up the
Black Hand mystery in less than a
week. The police are working upon two
theories, one being that there Is a Black
Hand society attempting to blackmall
the firm, and the other that some one IS
attempting 10 pei pei &c a E-e-------'
Joke Upon the latter theory the police
have under surveillance several boys
who will be watched until the AFFAIR IS
cleared up one way or the other.
The members Of the threatened urn
have turned over both letters 10 the
police department. despite the fact thar
they were warned not to do so by the
alleged Black Hand. The first letter
received Tuesday last demanded 500, the
second received Thursday, stipulated
that $50 must be placed in the tree
house by Sunday If the firm desired L
prevent it's property being burned OF
blown W.
The decoy letter, which accidentally
fell into the hands Of the exploring
marines, was placed according TO d.
rectiOns in the tree hose, but proved
OF no avail in apprehending the reaI
authors of the letters.
Captain Williams, while declining tc
disclose the nature Of the clues upon
which the police are working, said that
some very important facts had come
TO light. and that results might be ex-
peCted within a few days.