The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-06-20
Famous
Secret
Societies

The assassination OF a famous Amer
lean detective by an agent of the
Black Hand secret society, whose
crimes ne was investigating, draws at
tention TO the large number Of secret
societies which still flourish at the pres
ent day.
Since January /, 1905, the crimes at
tributed 10 the Black Hand com
mitted in the city Of New York
averaged more than one a day. Last
year there were 46S cases of murder and
/ bomb throwing reported, and only -
| convictions secured out OF 2s5 arrests.
! When a new member is admitted to
| the Black Hand = society he first OF
/ all smears small figure of his own
/ favorite saint with his own blood. The
i figure is afterward set on fire, and while
! il Is burning the candidate repeats the
oath of the association as follows:
/ Il swear on my honor to be faithful
to the brotherhood. AS this saint and
drops Of my blood are destroyed, -
viii I shed all my blood for the fra
ternitv: and as these ashes and this
blood can never be restored. so can L
never become free from the brother
hood -
Then the initiate has to draw re
voiver and shoot at crucltiX TO snow
that he would be willing at any time
10 kill his nearest relation or most lntl-
mate friend if commanded to do so.
He is then a full member, and is said
TO be a wearer of the ''red mantle.
His name as a member is not entered IN
anv books, but is duly forwarded to
the Headquarters and then il is com
municated bv word of mouth TO all the
other members of the district where
he lives.
The Commorra of Naples are much
like the Malta. Those who join have
to swear horrible oath of secrecy, and
even so if is not until they have been
J tried and found true that they are ac-
cepted for full membership.
The new member is given two Gag
gers. On the hilt of each IS craven
the mystic sign of the organization.
This sign is. however, changed from
time To time. The Comm0rra have a
strange form of greeting.
When the Comm0rrist believes any
one he meets to be member he grips
him by the throat with his left hand
and with the right draws his knife
from his sheath. The other, II mem
Der, at once gives the passford, anc
shows both his knives, after which TIT
pair empty the contents of their pock
cts in a heap, and share and shar'
alike.
Amongst the most notorious crlmlna
societies of the present day, evldenc
of whose grewsome activity appears. Il
the papers at frequent intervals, are In
Boxers in China, the Hatchet Boys 1
California, the Apaches in PARIS, tn
Hin Sings in San Francisco and LIE
Freres de la Cote all over France.
Most Of the Chinese secret societies
although their objects are as blood
thirsty as any other, have more peace
full passwords and signs, and they al
q generally associated with the nations
y pastime of drinking tea
q Thus the Hip Sings Of San Franclsc
81 when drinking tea in Chinese resta'
= rant. communicate with unknoW
Il members by the way they handle the
j cups, which they place in certal
manner, and by giving peculiar q
rection to the spout Of the teapot.
The Hentschskists. an Armenian
cret society, which has terrorized q
Armenian communities in all the D
cities throughout the world, has u
its headquarters established in Lo
for many years first at Shepherd Bu
and now at Pechham.