The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-06-10
Believed to be Rulers Of the
BLACK Hand
HEADQUARTERS FOUND 7
Important Captures Alleged to Have
Been Made in Columbus and Mar
ion, DISCRIMINATING Letters
Said to Be Found.

Cincinnati, June 10. - Operations
in nearly every large city in the United
States and the ramifeations Of the Sc
cret service in Italy win be laid bare,
It is expected, when The @black hand"
gang, which was rounded up Tuesday
in Columbus and Marion, 0. by post
Office inspectors Of Cincinnati, is brought
TO trial.
Inspector in charge Holmes said yes
terday the evidence gathered BY his in
speetors and BY detectives and the po-
lice OF several cities, working in con-
junction with the postofice authorities,
was Youminous, and there could be no
doubt that the crimes Of blaekmail, eX-
tortion and attempted murder would be
fastened upon the guilty men.
In addition to the arrest Of four ST.
cilians in Marion. Columbus and Dennl-
son Tuesday, Joe Botella and Sam Rizzo
were taken into custody in Marion Tues
day night. Those arrested earlier In the
day were Sam Lima, said to be the
ringleader Of the gang in the United
States and Joe Rizzo in Marion, Antonio
Marsisi In Denison and Tony Pickeri0
in Columbus These arrests were made
on letters sent to John Amicon.
wealthy fruit dealer Of Columbus, o.
The inspectors state they have evil
dence showing that a room in the rear
Of a little fruit store in Marion, con
Quoted by the Rizzos, was the head.
quarters Of the society ii this country,
and they found in a safe there letters
which throw light on many successful
attempts to extort money from wealthy
Italians Id Ohio, New York, Pennsyl.
yania and other states
The letters conhscated GIL two large
mail pouches They show, the officers
assert, that hundreds Of Italian bust.
ness men have been paying tribute to
the Black Hand to secure immunity
from death or torture al the hands Of
members Of the society. Books showing
the receipt OF money and its division
among members Of the gang also were
secured BY the officers.
The names 81 many active members
OF the Black Hand, together with the
names Of hundreds Of their victims, are
in possession Of the officers.
H IS AAANAaA NAhAAtAAdAAVAs
The officers found that the society Is
an ironbound organization. membership
IN which is invested with blood -curdling
oaths, grips, passwords and signs.
The New York police officials who are
carrying on the detective work started
BY Joseph pctrosino, who was killed in
Sicily. have been working on the theory
that there il no extensive Black Hand
lorganizst ton, but that the operations
have been conducted BY individuals in
different cities who have no connection
with each other.
But the work Of the Cincinnati officers
tends 10 show that not only has the
Black Hand a national organization in
! the United States but that It Is direct
/ " allied with a similar organia ton
/ in Sicily and Is working connection with
the Malta, Or eOrder Of the Banana" as
il has recently been known in this coun-
| try.
The coup sprung hy the government
officers WAS engineered BY Inspector
I Oldfeld. under The direction Of Inspector
I in Charge a. r. Holmes of the Cincin.
natl Office. 0lddeld was assisted IA
trailing the suspects and efTeeting their
arrest ny lHeNSttNia eftuiHt AAaAts t.s =.
Hutchins, r, NJ @. Hosford and w. J..
Owen
Valuable assistance also was given
by F. r. Dimaio, superintendent Of a
detective agency in Pittsburg.
4 So thorough was the organization of
the band that it Yves not troubled BY
distance or time in carrying out its
plans. + Gennarino of Columbus fet to
4 Italy, after his house had been dyna-
mited, following Black Hand threats.
1 shortly after his arrival there he re-
ceived another letter which had been
mailed in italy. This letter bore water
marks similar to those on the letters be
had received in Columbus and similar
marks were on the letters received by
John Amison Of Columbus.