The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-10
BLACK HAND
INVESTIGATION
IS WIDENING
Clues Secured in Original Raid
Are Leading to Other
Cities
THIRTEEN have ALREADY
Been Arrested ON CHARGE
Believed That a Perusal of the Cor.
respOndence in tile Possession OF
the Government Will Identity Many
of tile Other Agents.

Columbus, June 10-With the ac-
tivity in the roundup by the federal
authorities of the Italian extortion-
ISIS III Ohio extending to all parts of
the state, Springfield. Ohio, early to-
day was drawn into the investigation
After all all night conference between
Postal Inspector ]. F. Oldfield, Post
master krum and the secret service
agents who made careful examination
OF the mysterious letters taken from
the trunks of Sam Lima at Marion,
it was determined to send inspectors
to Springfield. Inspectors Pate and
Horsford took an early morning train
with instructions to run down two
Italians whose names were learned
by a perusal of the alleged black
hand correspondence taken in the
Marion raid. Word is expected from
Springfield by Inspector Oldfield that
more men have been bagged in the
wholesale raid upon Italian agents of
the blood money society styled in
secret meetings as THE Society of
the Banana"
With the arrest of two Italians in
Cleveland as the result of the inter-
preting the correspondence procured
at the headquarters of band in
Marion and the prospective arrest of
others at Springfield. it is believed
that further perusal of stacks of
mail from Marion will reveal the
identity of the other agents who thus
far are unknown to the authorities,
Already thirteen have been arrested,
but four of these have been released.
Five have been served with federal
warrants, Lima. Rizzo and Bataglia
Of Marion, and Ventola of Columbus,
arrested here last night. All are
charged with fraudulently attempting
to extort money from John Amicon OF
Columbus.
There is no doubt but that the
black hand. with it's headquarters in
Marion, has its branches in Chicago,
Pittsburg and other cities and also
in Italy," said Chief Postof1ice Inspec-
tor Holmes.
I'VE have absolute evidence that a
division meeting of the black hand
was held at Bellefontaine, Ohio. a
few weeks ago and Immediately there
after the members of the gang who
had voted on the division of the spoils
sent $4,000 in postal money orders to
Italy from the postof1'"e at Marion.
I'VE have proof that black hand
branch exists in Chicago. Some time
ago Cincinnati fruit merchant. Sal
vatOre Rizzo, received a letter from
Marion, Ohio, telling him the black
hand wanted $4,000 or he would be
killed. He was instructed to take the
money to Pittsburg and deliver 1t at
a certain place. A second letter came
from the black hand in Chicago. tell
ing Rizzo to take heed and send the
money. A few days later Rizzo re-
ceived third letter from little town
in South Dakota warning him to obey
the commands of the black hand. This
third letter demanded $500 and told
him to take it himself to Pittsburg,
Pa, and on certain midnight he was
to walk on the bridge over the Allie
gheny river, carrying live chicken
in one hand and package containing
the money in the other. A man would
meet him and take the money pack
age but would leave him in possession
of the chicken. Rizzo placed these
letters in our hands but before we
could run the gang down Rizzo died
suddenly of throat trouble. The
doctors said he died natural death.
While his death was probably COIN
cidence at the time of the black hand
demands, yet taken in conjunction
with the bomb thrown at the house Of
Fred Cianciola, another fruit man
here. who refused to give up $4,000.
the Italian element became greatly
excited in this city and many believe
Rizzo was poisoned.
Il know positively that many
wealthy Italians in this country have
paid tribute to the black hand but
they refuse to allow their names to
be used for fear of harm by the en-
tortionists.
1t developed today that the Marion
headquarters of the Italian extor-
tionists. who have been bleeding many
of their fellow countrymen. have been
watched by the federal authorities for
months. Government special agents
have had their eyes on all the men
now under arrest and others in neigh
boring cities who may not he appre-
hended for many weeks. Sam Lima.
regarded as the censor of the liter
ary bureau and cashier of the mys-
terious black hand organization. has
long been under surveillance. Plans
of his store and living quarters have
been in possession of the government
agents since March. These. it is de-
clared. were procured through a
former friend of Lima, an Italian.
Two months ago the band would have
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