Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-06-17

Salvatore Ventola, Columbus.
Cincinnati On several arrests
made at Marion and Dennison, o.,
postoffice inspectors and detectives
who worked in conjunction with them
in the case believe they have unearthed
the biggest and best organized branch
of the Black Hand in America. Ma
rion, O.. is said< to be the headquar
ters of the organization.
Chief Postoffice Inspector Charles
Holmes of Cincinnati, who is in
charge of the work, says that evidence
has been procured showing that the
gang operating from Marion, with
lines reaching into number of cities,
has robbed several persons in Ohio
and other states of thousands of dol
lars in the last few months by the
application of Black Hand methods.
Gang Composed of italians.
Inspector Holmes says that the
gang which conducted its operations
from Marion was composed of Italians
and worked exclusively on their coun-
trymen. He has obtained evidence
that as late as two weeks ago they
sent from the Marion, o., postoffice
money orders aggregating $1,000 to
confederates in Italy, this being the
division of blackmail funds in one
case. Many such bits of evidence, it
is said, are in possession of the in
spectors.
Inspector Holmes says: THE proof
we have found against the Marion gang
convinced us that they have worked
their game successfully on many Ital-
ians, principally well-to-do Sicilians.
We have not found where they threat
ened any American. They meant busi
| ness when they made demands for
money. If their demands were ignored
they resorted to the bomb to bring
their victim to time"
Money Demands and Assassnations.
Columbus, O.-Evidence secured in
Black Hand raids at Marion and Den
spOndence proving payments by many
Italians of property. Several books
We're captured which are expected to
| show the distribution of money and
the source of it's receipt Two full
| mail sacks were brought to the Co.
! lumbus postoftice from Marion and
Dennison. Among those who refused
| demands for money were John and
| Charles Amicon, Columbus commission
| merchants. The sum of $4,000 was
sought from each. In January Mrs
John Amicon found, in the rear of the
! house, a dynamite bomb and fuse
ITrr,.. ,,,I
manding payment from her husband
| Several Columbus Italians are be-
lieved to have paid 81 900 each. The
| Malta also is charged with assassina-
| tions in Bellefontaine and Dennison.
! Proof that they were the work of the
Black Hand may be found in the un-
! interpreted italian letters now in the
! hands of the federal authorities. AZ
! ter demands for money had been ig-
nored, an attempt had been made. in
| April, sos, to blow up the home of
! Agostino Gennarino Columbus. Dy-
| mantle was placed under the stairs of
! the one-story brick dwelling and every
| window broken by an explosion at 3
a. IN. Gennarino and his brother fled
| to Italy and did not return until a
| month ago. Most Of the letters re-
| ceiyed in Columbus and other Ohio
| cities were mailed in Pittsburg, where
| the money was to be paid
Revelations Unearthed.
Cincinnati, O.-Reveations in the
eZtortion, plotting and murder by
| the Black Hand. as uncovered by the
postoffice inspectors from the Cincin-
natl postofice, show conclusively that
| the gang in Columbus, Marion, Deni-
! son and Bellefontaine and other Ohio
towns was organized along the same
! lines as the old Malta but with a bet
ter system for concealing their move
| ments
1t is now known that the Ohio Black
| Hand. or the Society OF the Baana, as
| its members style themselves, had
! branch in Pittsburg and one in Chi
| cago, and line that extended to South
| Dakota. Regular meetings we're held
and the money obtained by extortion
was distributed to various divisions
| in this country and sent to relatives
| in Italy for safe keeping