Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-06-18
HAND GANG
IS ROUNDED UP
Banana Merchant Named Lima
Said to Have Been Head
of Cut Threats.
BLACK HAND LETTER SENT
TO RICH ITALIAN DEALER


"Dear John Amicon: We have
sent you several letters.
I'VE have put dynamite behind
your door and you are come to
death. You ugly wretch, you need
not lament. IL will cost your life.
Our band has you down in the
register of the dead. We have ar
rived at the time, and already two
Of US are under obligations to XII
you, even though you are guarded
by a thousand police.
"Take the street, as your friend
Lieutenant Petrosino did. You
ugly wretch that you are, you con-
tent yourself with trying TO AVOID
the payment of the $4,000, put by
the blood of God we are back OF
you. We have learned your store
and you will be ~accosted when you
do not expect il. Then you viii
sleep forever"
lone thing ! tell you, no one car
belong to our band who has not killed
10 persons. We have killed kings AND
emperors. Consider a fly like you? NO
no, do % think 1t. We know thai
you are rich and you must give VI
some blood. IL you wish to avert your
death, you will search for an honorable
person TO come TO Pittsburg while
he is searching for us he will be found
We advise you that IL you go TO the
police you can count yourself dead
that is, you die first.
Wretch, do your duty without the
police and ii will be well. Either money
or your life. In a short time you will
see that we know how TO do 1t. Soor
you will bear the cross"
Columbus, Ohio. June 11-Governmen,
fnCnartnrC gnNy fhny would haUa hpar
unable TO make much progress In the
Black Hand cases had IL not been for
the assistance given them by +. +
Diamio, an italian secret service man
connected with a detective agency. he
ranked with Petrosino. the New York
detective who was murdered in Italy,
in his knowledge OF Italian criminals
and their ways.
Twenty government inspectors have
been at work on the Ohio case for the
last eight months.
Another Is Arrested.
Columbus, Ohio, June l1.-Charles
Vicciario, of B~ellefontaine, an Italian,
was arrested today In Bellefontaine by
Postoffice Inspector Hosford, and Will
be taken to Toledo by United States
Marshal Chandler, of Cleveland.
He Is charged with being the go-be-
tween in securing money for the Black
Hand gang that has been run down
at Marion and Columbus. Many letters
were found in his room In the house
who're Silvatoria Cira was a~ssassinated
a veal ago. Cira is now supposed To
have been killed by the Black Hand.
A brother of Cira, the alleged leader
CT the band, associated with him In
business here. has disappeared. Three
secret service men are seeking him.
Brother to Italy.
Another brother has been traced TO
Italy, whittier he went a few weeks
ago. Lima was first suspected by the
authorities after John Amicon, O
wealthy Italian fruit dealer. OF Co
lumbus, Ohio, received a letter de-
handing $40, 900 and threatening his
lift unless the money was paid. This
letter, II was discovered, was sent from
Marion through a series OF secret
Italian agencies.
Lima, now in Jail here, was not in
formed of the cause of his incarcera-
ton until today. He was given a news
paper when he arose from his cell cot.
When he read that he was believed to
have instigated the plot 10 blackmail
Amicon, Lima exclaimed, in broker
English: "Amicon is jealous. That s
all. He Is jealous of me because | sell
more bananas in Ohio than he does
Band Secured Thousands.
Lima is known to have sent $500 10
an agent in Italy within the last three
weeks. The money was sent through
the Marion p~ostoffice. His business here
Is a small one and the federal officials
gay it's profits would not net in year
the mount of money hat has passed
through Lima's hands in the last few
months.
Ten thousand dollars has been sent
TO Italy from the blackmailers now be-
ing rounded up, say the federal officers
All this money, IL is declared, was
wrung from wealthy men OF their owr
race. In no case, as far as Is known
has any American beer disturbed.
Find Many Letters.
Marion, Ohio, June IL. - United
States Secret Service Agent j. F. Old
field, who arrested Sam Lima. a Marion
fruit merchant. here yesterday. az a
leader OF an Italian Black Hand so-
ciety, has gone TO Columbus, taking
with him a trunk full of incriminatinp
letters said 10 have been found In
Linla's store.
Some of the letters. all written In
Italian, were decorated with skull and