Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-06
BLACK HAND FIAT
Give Up $3.50 or Take the
Consequences.
THREATOF DYNAMITE BOMB
Letter of 0minous Import Received
by Each of Two Washington
Residents.

variety were received by two persons IN
business in the southwest section of the
city ten days ago. They have caused con-
| siderable uneasiness to those who received
| them and are the occasion OF worry to
the police.
| Michael ]. Whelan. who is in the gro
Gerry business at the northwest corner of
Sd and c streets. and Mrs. Catherine
Walsh, widow, who conducts a restaurant
| On the opposite corner, received the let
tiers, and the police were appealed to with
out delay. Mr.. Whelan called to see the
chief OF detectives and turned over to him
| the letter he received. Mrs. Walsh de-
livered her letter to the police OF the
fourth precinct after her neighbor had his
interview with Inspector Boardnan
| The letters are believed to have been
written by the same individual. the de-
mand in each being for $50. 1t was
| stated in each of the letters that the
| money was to be neatly wrapped and
placed in a particular side window of the
cellar at the house of a neighbor. who
! was designated by name.
A package containing marked pieces of
paper was prepared and put in the place
| designated, but the writer of the letters
| failed to materialize.
Hour and Date Designated.
4 ~ iiuol OC put INC "iiidoW AOl idltf
than o'clock pm. March A. was stated
! In the letter, the writer giving the fur
ther information that failure to have the
| money there would mean the blowing up
| of the houses with dynamite and death
| to their occupants.
1t happened that the letter received
at the house Of Mr.. Whelan was handed
to his wife by the postman. Mrs. Whe.
Ian opened it. There were six big
black spots on the back Of the letter
and the word Danger" written near
them aroused Mrs. Whelan's suspicious.
A glance at its contents increa sed her
fears, and she remained at the door OF
the store until her husband returned
from market.
AS soon as Mr. whelan stopped his
team in front of his place of business
he noticed that his wife was very
! nervous.
Come quick" Mrs. whelan fairly
dicating fright. Mr.. Whelan read the
letter.
Says He Was Not Scared.
II was not scared" he said to a star
reporter last night, but didn't fee
very easy. A thing of that kind is no,
| calculated to make man feel easy. II
will be the means of keeping me at home
more. L am in the habit OF taking walks
Sunday afternoons, but no more walks al
present.
Mr.. Whelan gave his letter to Inspector
Boardman and asked that a careful in
the statement that the writer knew he
had the money and that he could easily
give up the $3.50.
"Give us the $3.50" the sender of the
| letter wrote. land you will not be both
cred any more for money"
| In the letter Mrs Walsh received the
! writer told of her recent purchase of a
piano. and expressed the view that ii
to give up $3.50. Mrs. Walsh was re-
quested to put the money in the cellar
window at the house of the neighbor re-
| ferred to.
prefer and we'll acquainted with the
manner Of dealing with Black Hand
men. was detailed to assist in the in
vestigation. while policemen from the
fourth precinct were instructed to keep
a watch about the two houses AS mauy
about Mr. Whelan's corner at a time
Some Of them did not know why they
were told to watch the houses, it is
stated.
Decoy Package Deposited.
Friday night about o'clock, one
hour before the expiration of the time
limit for the money to be placed in the
cellar window. Policeman Oriani took
his position beneath a porch near the
window designated in the letter, while
the grocer kept in the shadows as well
as he could when he went to the
window and deposited the decoy pack
age. Fifteen marked pieces Of paper
| the size of one-dollar bill We're in The
package.
Having performed his part Of the COM
| pact, Grocer Whelan returned home to
| await developments. The policeman re-
| manned in his unpleasant position fully
| three hours, and left there only when he
| was satisfied there was no chance for
the writer's of the Black Hand letter or
their confederateS to appear.
1t is stated that the letters gave the
impression that the dynamite was to be
used last night, and Policeman Oriani was
there was opportunity. Other policemen
were not far away from the scene OF
threatened crime, and Mr.. Whelan did not
fail to keep his eyes open.
| Believes Danger Is Over
L believe the danger is over" said Mr..
Whelan to a Star reporter about II
O'Clock last night Il am satisfied the
letters were written in earnest, but 1 am
quite as certain the occupant Of the house
| designated had nothing to do with them.
| If the writer's of the letters had any
notion of appearing to secure the cash, 1t
was remarked last night, the presence of
30 many policemen in the vicinity of the
store was enough to convince them they
| were watched. But the failure of the al
| legged bomb throwers to attempt to exc
| cute their threat will not be followed by
withdrawal OF the police from the vicin-
| ity Of Sd and c streets. Inspector Board
man will see that Mr.. Whelan and Mrs
Walsh are given ample protection. and