Cañon City record., 1909-07-29
CRIPPLE CREEK SHERIFF
RECEIVES WARNING FROM
FAMOUS "BLACK HAND"

Cripple Creek, July 27.-As a result
It is believed, of his recent activity In
ordering number of Italian work
men from the district. Sheriff Henry
Won Phul has been rewarded by the
receipt of a black hand" letter. Be-
sides threatening the life of the Tell
er county sheriff, 1t also warns him
that the cowardly senders OF the mis-
sive will also do his family harm.
AS far as is known. this is the first
time that letter from the far famed,
and in some instances, much dreaded,
Black Hand society has been received
by any omcial of Teller county or for
that matter, anyone in the district. II
1t was meant as a scare, 1t fell tar
short of its purpose, for the letter
failed to even ruffle the excitement Of
the strenuous sheriff.
1t was Sunday afternoon that Sher-
III Won Phul received the letter. Going
to the post ONCE as Is his custom. he
opened his hox, and found within an
Innocent appearing missive post
marked Newark. N. J." knowing NO
one there he was at loss to account
for receiving a letter from that place.
but opening 1t up. one glance at the
signature, in the form of skull and
. stilstto. soon convinced him that he
had been active enough to incur the
enmity of the Society of Death y.
This is the letter, as the sheriff re-
ceived, it, and shows that either It was
written by a very illiterate person, or
else purposely poorly written and
worded or the purpose of disguise. 1t
reads:
Newark. New Jersey,
July %, 1909.
Henry Won Phul, in regard to your
dirty work against the Italians. mr..
Phul you are one of the lowst and the
rotten class. but you are in danger,
not before long. you and your family"
This communication, for a signat-
ure, bears a rudely drawn skull and
in the center of the paper, stiletto.
and underneath is signed the words
BLACK Hand"
Naturally the first question put to
the sheriff was what he intended do
ing in the matter, and his answer
came somewhat as a surprise when he
answered nothing"
By that answer, Won Phul does not
mean that he shall not take a little
more care of himself in the future,
but it applies to having the matter
taken up by the federal authorities,
who, If he would he could have made
an effort to trace the sender of the
letter, through the postal authorities
According to the sherff's idea, a
man has little chance In getting fair
show when he fights against the
workings OF such an organization as
the black hand and the only thing he
can do it to watch closely the action
of every stranger he meets.
There is some conjecture as to
whether the letter was written in New
Jersey or in some place near to Grip
pie Creek. This conjecture is caused
by the fact that the two dates given
in the letter vary. On the envelope is
the postmark with the date "July 21"
while on the heading of the letter the
date July 23" is written. Because of
this it is thought possible that the
letter may have been written by some
member Of the organization, close to
this city. and then forwarded to the
society in the east to be remailed
from there and thus throw the officers
of the track OF the real sender.
The sheriff would not venture an
opinion yesterday as to who he
thought had sent the letter, nor would
he come out and say that he thought
1t probable that 1t was one Of the men
who were ordered from the district
earlier in the month. when 1t was
found that number OF Italians were
working at lower wages than thai
usually paid to workmen in the dis.
trict.