The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-14
WEAVE STRONG CASE
AROUND BLACK
HAND SUSPECT
POLICE BELIEVE THEY CAN con-
Meet SAM LAFATA WITH SER
les OF LOCAL oUTRAGEs-WAR-
RANT CHARGES ROBBERY.

The BLACK Hand squad" composed
OF Patrolman Harry Kinney. Louis
Oldani and Alex. Tremonte, has made
good. After several weeks OF untir'
ing effort on the part OF these men, In
a persistent campaign against Black
Hand desperadoes VINO terrorized the
local Italian colony, a warrant was Is
sued by Justice Jeffries. "Wednesday
morning, for Sam Lafata, one or the
numerous suspects rounded up by the
trio. charging him with robbery. Capt.
Paker. OF the central precinct, be-
heyes he has strong case against the
man and, If convicted, he is liable TO
"a maximum penalty OF 15 years i'm
prisonment Lafata, In the opinion
OF the officers, was one OF the most
active participants In the attempted
Black Hand outrages OF few months
| ago. and the authorship OF the only
two Black Hand letters received in
this city since these officers started
their investigations is charged up TO
him.
Lafatas alleged victim. in this in
stance, was Frank Barone, an indus
trious Italian bricklayer. who, the po-
lice say. was literally scared out OF
town by Lafata. who pursued him
to Grand Rapids, where the family is
now living. Barone is now detained in
police headquarters as witness
against Lafata. The specific charge
against the latter. is the robbery Of
$25. secured by means OF threats. it is
alleged.
Lafata, the police assert. began his
operations against Barone by going to
his home as a boarder. and in this way
learned of his Industrious habits. He
remained but n short time. Soon af-
ter he left Barone received Black
Hand letter demanding $500 and La
fata called to collect the money. II Is
not believed that Lafata wrote this
letter but simply acted as agent for
a gang of blackmailers. Barone then
lived on Hastings-st. Lafata however,
hunted him out and Barone was foorc-
ed to move again. This performance
was repeated several times, Barone
finally moving to No. l42 Macomb-st.
But Lafata was not to be lost. Pres
emily he bobbed up again and this
time. the police declare, Barone. now
thoroughly frightened. gave up $25.
Then he moved to Grand Rapids, but
almost before he could get settled La
fata, like a Nemesis, once more APP
peared on the scene, demanding more
money, II is alleged Lafata was ar
rested soon afterwards.
Special officer Kinney ran across
Lafata in Coldwater, Mich, while
looking for another man, Frank Bru-
no. I.afata had gone there In the in
terest OF some friends who were in
trouble with the local authorities and
when Kinney surprised him In his
room was writing a letter on the letter
head Of the sheriff OF the county,
which he had taken from the sheriff 8
office. The writing has since been
compared with that OF the two Black
Hand letters received In Detroit re-
Gently and corresponds exactly. These
letters were addressed to Melo Lafata.
grocer at No. 2l9 Champlains St,
who, by the way, is no relation to the
prisoner. and G.. Cossora, Nos. 71-73
st. Antoine-st They were mailed
from Batavia. Mich, town not far
from Coldwater, and in them the wri-
ter states that while no more demands
will be ready for money the recipi-
ents and their families are marked for
destruction.
I.afata Is futher connected with the
authorship of these letters by mem
orandum book found in his posses
sion. One page shows gun, another
a dagger, and In still another part OF
the book are the Nos. "219" and I'll
49," evidently referring To the ad-
dresses OF NJ. I.afata and G.. Cossora.
The writing is the same as in the let
tiers.
Kinney left Lafata In the Jail In
Coldwater for half an hour while he
got his dinner and during that half
hour. IL developed later, Lafata stole
a pair of socks belonging to one OF the
Jail officials. The socks were subse-
quently found in Lafata's pocket.
IF he'd stayed there long enough he