The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-03-30
Black Hand
Gang Before
Squire eAn1os IS
All Day Hearing Il
Attracts Large
Crou,.ls

The nineteen men who were arrest
Il last Saturday night In house No
Q below the brick yard wers given
hearing today before justice 2. 5
lnaos. Justice Amos's office was tc'
mall to accommodate the aIdit"rs
he hearing was neld In the county
ourt room. The defendants are reprcs
hted by attorneys Howard N. Ogden
md NJ. NJ. Neeley. A stenogr1phic re-
port OF the evidence Is being taken
All the standing room In the court
chamber Is taken. A great deal Of Ia.
crest Is being manifested In the case.
rhe men threatened the life Of he
Prosecuting witness while he was testl.
'ying today something tnat has never
seen done In the courts here before.
,Antonio Cuzzola's, the repute'l leader,
eyes flash about the room ind he talks
In signs to his confeierntes.
George Amos was the first witness
sworn. His attention was called 10 this
matter about ten days ago. He then
told how the young man had s1ne to
the house where the Initiation was
being held. The young man was 10
come out Of the house and WAS to
give a signal II they got the money.
They found q razors. stlleLto3. 4
dirks, and five revolvers. He .old Of
the arrest.
The young man who was luIIi l'cd
into the Black Hand society last Sat
urlay night by nine Of the dei,llants
was the next witness called. He spol:e
through an interpreter. He told the
story Of how Antonio Cuz:o!a and
Francisco Plsconlrl had asked hin 10
join the society. The fee Is so. They
talked with him on several occasions.
On Saturday March 20tll. they asals
asked him to join. The young man was
afraid and promised to get them fye
dollars on the next day. On Sunday.
March q he went to mouse 80 gave
the five dollars to Frank Pisc'lir:. He
got n receipt from Giuseppe Cl,zzola
who is said to be second man in The
local organization. He got the time
extended for the remaining SIS of the
initiation fee. This money ne obtained
frolu Prosecuting Attorney Morris
who gave the young man 1v, five
dollar silver certificates the numbe..
OF the notes were taken dowa and a
record Of numbers kept. He then told
OF the initiation. He entered the room
and was directed to stand with his
arms folded and ask permission o spit
on the floor. They then stood up In a
circle and took him In. The twenty
five dollars was handed to eacn mnn
In the circle until Il passed bacq to
Antonio Cuzzola the chief whe:. It
started. Antonio afer countias he mon
ey went out Of lhe house with Frank
Plsconeri. All this was done with re-
volvers. razors and knives lying ready
on a nelghboring table. The members
kissed him and called him brother.
The young man then proceeded to
point out the men that took him into
the society. He did not know the nam
es Of all Of them but the men that he
picked were the right ones Il signs
can be taken to mean anything. One
OF the men that he pointed out threat.
ened to kill him in open cour:, An
other said by the blood Of Christ |
sec there he was stopped, another
said BY the blood Of Mary l'll-thIs
man was stopped. Here the lnterpre.
ter got scared and asked that he DO
excused because he was arlld Of his
life. He consented to act II the court
would place a deputy sheriff and the
ohlef OF police by his side tpr pro.