The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-07
F|END|sH FIRE
SPREADS TERROR
Thousands in New York Live in
Fear Since Spring-st. Tenement
Was Fired and Nine Lives Lost.
BY w. c. SHEPHERD.

NEW YORK May 6.-How would
you like 10 go TO bed every night
with a cyclone cloud whirling above
your home and loved ones. likely 20
drop down at any minute and bring
death and destruction TO you all?
Or 10 be locked in a powder maya
zine with fuse lighted and slowly
burning toward the black death-dea!-
ing powder?
This is the feeling in New York
Italian colony since the massacre at
No. 81 Spr!lg-st.. when Black Hand
agents poured gallons OF kerosene oa
the stairs, then threw on torch. and
three tiny babies. a girl ~ seven, a
girl OF four. boy OF seven, a young
man, young woman. aud man OF
middle age-nine people in all-were
burned 10 death like rats in trap.
The Black Hand-a good many
American police officials laugh at it,
and ridiculc IL. In many cases per.
laps they are right
Al the funeral OF the victims of the
Spring-st. holocaust, there were no
crowds OF curious. The Italians who
had TO pass the ruins Of The house
turned their heads away, pretended
not 10 notice.
are SO frightened that they
do not dare TO let IL BE known that
they know such thing mas happened
One word. One look. one shud-
der What would the Black Hand do
for you ana yours?
When | saw the funeral OF Petro-
SIM, the great Italian detective. VINO
was struck down in Sicily, | wondered
that his people cared SO much. They
lined the streets for miles, a quarter
million OF them.
This was six weeks ago. Now
know why.
in the note sent to A. Pruck, the
owner OF the Spring-st. house. &c
Cured these gruesome words. which
Italians in New York are now repeat
| ing in awed whispers:
"Petrosini is dead But the Black
Hand still lives.
New York Italians can't but connect
the two events-the Staying OF their
great protector. who was the Black
Hands most relentless enemy, and the
Spring-st. horror.
II was a terrible lesson-the most
hendish and calculating In America
criminal history.
Their demand ignored ~ Bruck. the
Perpetrators OF the deed bided theiI
time. One night they entered the
/ hallway OF the building.
on the stairway, which was the
only means OF exit from the four
floors. they deliberately emptied sey
eral five.gallon cans of kerosene oil.
They didn't try TO burn Bruck's
store. That was next door, and was
almost unframed, except for smoke.
They wanted TO kill.
"Petrosini was dead" They want
ed 10 give American Italians lesson
that they would not forget.
In the lamentations that are going
I'D In Spring-st low.yoicel and fright
ened but intense and heart-breaking
| IL only half sorrow. The other much
of anger. Anger at the American po
lice.
The police knew for three weeks
that the building was threatened
Bruck turned the note over TO them as
soon as he received IL. The patrolmau
whose beat lay past the doors OF the
doomed house where the sleeping fam
lilies lay. knew.
But no one warned any OF tbs
jewellers In that house.
Not a word was said 20 any OF the
families which would enable them u
keep watch.
What was the use?" said Deputy
Commissioner Arthur Woods. we
can't notify people every time a Black
Hand note Is sent. Wee have the
town in continual state Of terror II
! We did. hundreds of such threats ara
made
Besides If the people knew anil
Kept watch. the Black Hand agents
would simply wait till the watch was
given up. II might be weeks. maybe
months. they would wait their time
TO strike
And so 10 warning was given. II