The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-19
A CASE Of BLACK
HAND" At CANTON
Unknown Party Threatens
Prominent Merchant
$1,000 ORDEATH THE TERMS

Officers Take Charge of the Matter
and Set a Trap for the Guilty
Party. but the Ruse Fails to Work.
The Officers Get Only Chilled by
the Cold Night Notwithstanding
May Locate the Offender.
Especial to News and Observer
Asheville, n. c., Oct. ia daring
attempt to blackmail W. T. Sharp, OF
Canton, one of the wealthiest men Of
the town, and a very prominent mer-
chant, came to light tonight, and
| along with an attempt to blackmail
certain other citizens Of the town Of
ficials Of the Champion Fibre Com
pany, and although a trap was we'll
laid last night to catch the ~perpetra-
tors, no one came to claim the
money. Mailed at the Canton post
office on September q, " T. Sharp
received a letter reading as follows:
"On October Is, before IL p. m. you
place under S. E. corner Of Locust
field church $1,000 in large bills;
failure to do so means certain death
to yourself and perhaps to your fam
lily. Dynamite is cheap. Spies means
same thing"
(Signed) "BLACK-HAND.'
When he received it. Mr.. Sharp at
once become frightened and laid the
matter before certain OF his friends,
and after a consultation it was
agreed to place the letter in the hands
Of pOstotfice inspectors.
1t was arranged that Mr.. Sharp
should deposit the money there last
night and a numbe of officers would
watch the spot to see il anyone ap-
peared. Accordingly certain govern
mont officials left AShaNj11p late NnS-
terday, got off the train two miles
this side of Canton, and by "a cir
cUltous route came TO a house where
a meeting asw held to perfect the
ARRANGEMENTS. In the meantime Mr..
Sharp had drawn from the bank the
$1,000 which he was told by officers
t" place in the safe in his store, and
a dummy package was arranged hav-
ing two dollar bills in it.
Deputy Sheriffs Lyerly and Cabe
and ~Stanbury Smathers, together with
the two government officials, took
their station at the church, complete
~ surrounding it, some being in the
nearby grave yard, where reposes
hundreds OF bodies. Mr. Sharp was
commissioned to deposit the package;
it was a lark and cold night; he be-
gan to lose his courage thoughts of
home and loved ones crowded his
confused brain; again he consulted
friends; he dared not walk half a
mile in darkness by himself; he was
told that he must do it alone, that the
success of the trap was in his going
alone; he refused and finally two
friends consented to him
to within a short distance of the lone
~ church and grave yard. Within a
few hundred feet they dropped back
and Mr.. Sharp, carrying a large bulls
place; he had with him the fake
package, but fearing being held up
and killed, he had also the $1,000
cash, which he was told he must pro-
duce; he, trembling, deposited the
package, gave a fleeing glance; took
a few forced steps, and broke and
ran back to the town.
The officers aited patiently, the
hour approached for the expected
Black Hand but he failed to ap-
pear on time. They waited longer.
and after midnight something crept
a man crawling; it gradually ap-
preached the corner Of the church.,
but just as they We're getting ready to
close upon it its canine form was dis
covered. They waited, and froze till
early morning, but nothing developed.
h inspectors have examined the
handwriting Of a numbe of people
Of the town, and employees of the
Champion Fibre Company and be-
lieve that they have clues that will
ieau 10 the arrest Oh the guilty person
or persons. The writing seems to in
dictate that of a middle aged man.
Officers tonight were of the opinion
that by Mr.. Sharp refusing to go
alone and carrying a light as
We'll as taking SO many into his con-
fjdence has probably led to the scent
ing of the scheme.
Other developments are probable
and the officials are determined to nm
root the Black Hand hat seems es-
tablished at Canton.