New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-14
Said TO Have Sent Black Hand
Letters in MausoIeum Case.
ALLEGED DEMAND. $4,000
Pittsburg Detectives Taken in
indianapolis Attribute Plight
to Business Hostility.

Indiana polls. April l3-Gilbert p Per
kins. Of Pittsburg head ~ private de-
tective agency. and his son Walter Per
kins in charge OF the agency's Indian
apolis branch. were arrested here to-day
b. federal officers, charged with having
used the mails to defraud. They are ac-
cused Of sending Black Hand letter
to Charles n Strong. a capitalist, OF
Erie. PENN threatening TO blow ND his
family mausoeum or his home unless ne
deposited S5O.OOO for them in certain
mace. The alleged purpose In writing
strong a commission to arrest the
writer.
The men were released under S1WD
bonds each. The elder Perkins said the
arrests were due only To the hostility OF
a rival detective agency.
Erie. Penn. April 13.-Gilbert 2 Per
kins. with sc"eral of his sons and a
corps Of operatives. was employed To ~
vestigate the desecrators Of the mauso-
father OF Mrs Charles n. Strong, early
in Februarv At the time the city
swarmed with private detectives from
all over the country. and almost daily
Gilbert Perkins. who appeared 10 he In
the confidence Of the Strong family. is
sued formal statements announcing the
progress I'm the case and promising ar
rests and the return of the body re-
ported To have been stolen.
Postoffice inspectors were called into
the case early i'm the search for the
ghouls. and the letter demanding SJO.OoO
and purporting 10 he a Black Hand
letter was given TO them. No informa-
ton could be obtained regarding this
letter at the time. but II was learned
here tonight that the Postoffice inspec-
tors had been working on the case ever
since it was called to their attention.
Charles n. Strong is son-in-law OF
the late Congressman Scott and the pro-
prietor OF morning newspaper here.
Through his managing editor, he an
rounced that he knew nothing of the ar
rest OF Perkins more than was contained
in the dispatches from Indianapolis.
The letter which was sent to Mr..
Strong was mailed in Erie on February
13. 1911 and reads
Mr. Strong. leave $4,000 at 3lst street and
! Pennsylvanla avenue on the night or Feb
ruary p at u o'clock p. m. or you viii have
! your mausoeum blown up. And II you
| bring any policemen on February q my
men will shoot them.
'''''' BLACK HANDS
p S-Or your house will be blown up.
The discovery OF the desecratior of
the mausoleum was made on February s.
/ one OF the heavy bronze doors had been
pried from it's hinges, and the interior
Of the vault was disturbed.
For some DAYS following IL was re-
uorted that one of the bodies resting In
the vault had been stolen. An investiga-
! tion made by Charles II. Strong and his
daughter. Mrs. Thora Strong Ronalds,
Wife of Reginald Ronalds. OF New York.
failed TO disclose the body Of Mrs. Anna
| MccuIum of Philadelphia, a sister-in-
| law OF Congressman Scott Later II was
announced that the body had been found
in crypt other than the one in which
Il had been originally placed.
Pittsburg, April 13.-Harry III. Per-
| kIns. whose father and brother were ar
rested by the United States authorities
AT indianapolis to-day, declared tonight
/ that an investigation would prove them
| Innocent He said the charges were ol
malicious origin.
The elder Perkins is well known as
| the head OF private detective agency
The headquarters of the concern are
here and branches are maintained II
various parts of the country