The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-09
THE BLACK HAND
LEADER CAUGHT
IN LAWS NET
Gigantic Unearthing of Cut
Throat Band by Secret
Service Men

ABUNDANCE Of EVIDENCE
FOUND IN LEADERS SAFE
Officers Have Been at Work on the
Case for Six Months and Believe
They Have Located the Society's
Headquarters.
Marion. Ohio. June 9.-United
States secret service agent j. F. Old.
field. who arrested Sam Lima. q Mari
or fruit merchant, here yesterday as a
leader of an Italian black hand So
clety. has gone TO Columbus, taking
with him trrnk full of discriminating
letters found in Lima's store. Some
Of the letters. all written in Italian,
were directed with tho skull and
cross bones. Others We're prepared
with neatly drawn bleeding: hearts
pierced by daggers, More OF the let
ters contained different designs of the
threatening insignia o. the black
hand mystery, all intended to terrify
/ the prospective victims OF the band ct
eXtortionists, whose censor and COM
manderin-chie in the state OF Ohio,
the federal officers assert, is Lima.
With Lima there were arrested here
six other Italians. Four were later
released, but Samuel Rizzi and
Sebastian Batazlio are held by the
sheriff. Both are section hands EN-.
ployed by tho Pennsylvania railroad.
They were associates OF Lima and in
their trunks the secret service agents
found letters OF the same character as
! tho collection taken from the safe in
Lima's store.
While tho authorities here are
awaiting the arrival OF United States
Marsha! Chandler from Cleveland,
who will take Rizzi and Batazlio to
Toledo, the secret service operatives
arc searching for Italians in the
neighboring cities who are suspected
OF implication in ar extortionist plot
that has netted tho band thousands OF
dollars in blood money within the pass
| few months. Some of tho suspects
are being sought in Belle Fontaine.
The arrests were made simultane-
ously yesterday evening in the three
towns after search OF six months
for the men who sent threatening let
! ters to John Amican. 2 fruit dealer OF
Columbus. Ohio. demanding $4,000
Tho hand writing in the letters to
/ Amican is identical with that in the
letters received by Antonio Rizzio. a
! fruit dealer of Cincinnati, who died
| suddenly several weeks ago after re-
fusing to obey the demand OF black
hand" letter to give UP $1,000 or for.
felt his life. Rizzio died soon after
eating 2 banana given him by q
stranger.
The postoffice inspectors claim that
they have discovered evidence Show
ing that Marion is the headquarters OF
all OF the black hand societies of the
country. According to the inspectors.
they found that hundreds OF business
men have been paying tribute to the
gang.
1t was on January first last that
Amicons wife found at the door Of
their home in Columbus. Ohio. q box
containing dynamite and fuses. and
tackled on theoutside OF it "black
hand" note demanding $4,000 and
threatening death if money payment
was not made. The money was to be
paid at the "black hand" rendezvous
in Pittsburg. The case was turned
over to the government secret service
and later given to the postoffice in
spectors. Tho Amicor's received al
most weekly demands for money.
Acting in harmony with the govern
ment officers. the Pittsburg. Pa, po-
lico recently raided the black hand"
headquarters there and made twenty
ono arrests.
The men arrested yesterday are
charged under the federal statutes
with attempting to extort. The "black
hand" gang recently ordered Fred
Cianciolo. e Cincinnati fruit dealer to
give up $4,000 on penalty OF death
for himself and family if he refused.
Lima's father. who is wanted. is said
to be at Upper Sandusky and the
police there have been asked to appre-
hend him. A brother of the alleged
leader of the band, associated with
him in business here, has disappeared.
Another brother, also sought, has
been traced to Italy whittier he de-
parted a few weeks ago.
Another Caught
Toledo. Ohio. June 9-Charles vi
carria. the alleged ring leader of the
band of black hand operators. was
captured at Belle Fontaine. Ohio. at
3 O'Clock this morning by the United
States postal inspectors and the po-
lice. 1t is intimated by Postal In
spector Oldfield that Vicarri may be
able to give some information re-
garding the death of Petrosino.. the
Ne wYork detective who was assas-
sinated in Italy.
Chicago Plot.
Chicago. June 9----An alleged plot to
assassinate Detective Gabriel Longo-
bardi of the black hand squad of the
Chicago police forc,. was revealed
here today by Longobardi The plot
is said to have involved Jail deliv-
cry. Some months ago Longobardi
arrested Giuseppe Burtucci, who was
charged with the murder of another
Italian. John Umbrella. Later the
same Office took into custody Vincenzo
Ceracci, charged with attempting to
eXtort $4,000 from Dr. Peter Gutter
era by black hand threats. Two week.