The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-09-06
THE BLACK HAND

/ thinks of the organ. zation as some
thug half mythical. something trans
planted from the Middle Ages and
acting as a species OF scarchcad for
| the nerves OF the present. But to the
police of the large cities that have a
/ pomlous Italian element the refer
ence is very real and convincing TO
them the Black Hand is no myth.
though too often as elusive rs "A
phantom when 1t comes 10 arrests.
4 writer in the Broadway Mag
aznc. basing his assertions on cv.
idoucc gathered from detectives and
m uolico courts of New York, dc.
clarcs that during the first quarter
Of this year at least eleven of the
most appalling crimes, with result
ant loss of life. were directly trace
able to the members of that secret
society. which holds In it's throttling
grip the Italians Of that city Among
tho crimes are those of murder ar
son. mountaineering. blackmail and
kidnapping. According to the priter.
, the Black Handlers who came TO this
country from Italy and the Island
Of Sicily are already members of
the organization in the fathorland;
and that like vast trust for crime,
this organization has its head, its
sub.managcrs and It's ncNorable code
Of laws.
As proof of his word he says the
police have only To take cognizancc
Of The great number of idle 'Dagoes'
who have no visible means of sup
port. hut who nevertheless live com
rortably and drink their wine like
lords" In the city dives, and also
to take note Of the further fact that
blackmailing is systematic not hap
hazard. In other words. that no rich
man is blackmaicd by more than
one system or set of men; thus show
ing that there must be one govern.
ing or directing head, or else one
set Of blackmailcrs would overlap
tho work of another
The members Of this fraternity
come from the lowest orders Of SO
cicty in the parent country. They
are bripands and cut-throats whose
calling has been handed down FROM
father TO son until crime has gotten
into the blood class absolutely
distinct i'm traits and principles from
the rest of their countrymcu. TN,
writer In Broadway declares that
these dangerous characters have hon
cycombcd the Italian section of our
, cities. dcfyiug orr police. splitting up
. ON our laws. always safe under tho
q mantle of deadly fear that suffocatcy
, informcrs and silences Witnesses
Il is hard for MS to rc1lize that
such lcprous spot exists under our
constitution with It's promise of free
dom To all men, almost impossible
for ms to believe that band of
assasslus in foreign country has
it's choking hands upon the throats
of Amcricanizcd citizens of New
York and Ncw Orleans II goes
against our humantarianism and our
national pride u admit it. but il
seems that the handwriting on the
wall is not always iuegible nor al.
ways untranslatable.
italy sends us some of our mo-.
valuable immigrants. that she should
Dee allowed 10 pollute our population
witL the vicious scum of dcgrad.
ed and degrading secret society Is a
truth 100 evident 10 need assert
ing As possible preventive the
writer in Broadway suggests the pass
age of law which will make the
Italian government liable I'm money
damage for the injury or murder Of
am \m'ricani2ed citizen by these nm.
naturali2od immigrants. who arc so
quick TO call back 10 Italy for ad
iuStront OF any mcultes that may
arise with a New Orleans mob
or words. IL these men are suu
sufficiently subject to Italy to de-
mand restitution for a wrong they
claim les done them here. then they
are also sufficiently her subjects for