The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-12-01
BLACK HAND BOMB
WRECKS 5STOREs
Thousands Of Tenement Dwellers
Are Panic Stricken.
500 WINDOWS ARE SMASHED
siclIlans' Headquarters Is Scene Of
Terrific Blast Set or When
Requests for Money
Are Ignored.

Ess.rs s..a. g. Are ignored,
New York, Nov 30.--The most
densely populated block in New York
city, solid square OF tenements In
Elizabeth street in the heart Of the
east side of Sicilian colony, was the
scene Of a Black Hand bomb explo-
sion which wrecked FIVE stores and
smashed 500 tenement house windows.
The KIDNAPPING case originating FIVE
years ago, in which Lieutenant Petro-
sine. who was murdered in Italy.
played the part Of investigator, is be-
lieSed to have led Indirectly to the
bomb explosion.
a Believes kIdnapers seek Revenge.
francesca LIE Barbera, owner OF the
saloon where the bomb was exploded,
gave the police his theory Of the ami
mus behind the outrage. About five
years ago, he said, his son Peitro, 8
years old, was kidnapped and he has
never heard from him. Lieutenant
Petrosino worked on that case. lie
Barbera received many letters threat
ening his life II large sum of money
was not paid for the return of the boy,
but paid no attention to them.
II is believed by lie Barbera that
the kidnapers are seeking revenge.
Although many thousand terrified
foreigners we're routed from their beds
by the explosion. the police could not
find that any one had suffered serious
bodily harm.
The greatest excitement was in
"The Barracks" one of the largest
tenement houses, and In a cheap lodg
ing house adjoining. Both buildings
are on Elizabeth street, between
Prince and Houston streets, in dis
trlct familiar to all settlement work
ers and readers of tales of east side
life. a..-.-. .- \
Explodes In sieiIian Quarters.
The bomb exploded in the doorwaE
Of the bella Trina Eria. a salooh
at 2S5 Elizabeth street. where the
leaders Of the Sicillan colony meet
nightly to discuss matters of import
ance over their chianti and black
cigars. Every bottle and glass in
the saloon was broken and the front
was smashed In. Bricks, mortar, plas-
ter and splintered wood were heaped
breast-high on the shattered floor.
Across the street the store of Nuc-
clio Bros. was almost as badly dam
aged. and three other stores suffered
severely.
The explosion was heard for blocks
All the policemen on the neighbor-
ing beats were quickly on hand. The
acting head of the police department,
Deputy Commissioner Driscoll, was on
his way up the Bowery. block away
but was on the scene almost as soon
as the policemen.
In the Mulberry street station the
captain felt the CULVER of the explo-
sion and rushed over with the re-
serves.
Get No Clew to Authors.
Twelve policemen were detailed to
search for the author Of the outrage,
but their efforts were without sue
cess.
From all directions jewellers in the
surrounding tenements tumbled panic
stricken into the street Only one per-
son within a block Of the saloon slept
through 1t all. and that was Barba
Carmella, the bartender. who was
snoring soundly in the rear of the sa.
loon when a patrolman climbed over
the wreckage to awaken him.
After an hours hard work by the
police the frightened tenement dwell.
ers recovered thier composure and be-
gan to return to their homes. Then
a new danger was found in the gas
escaping from countless ruptured con-
nections. An emergency repair gang
came in response to police call and
turned off all the gas in the block.
The proprietor of the Bella Trina
Cria" had left his saloon only twenty
minutes before the bomb was explod.
ed, AS one of the leaders in the ST.
Gillian colony he is said to have been
target for Black Hand letters.