The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-06
A YANKEES
PLUCK
BY RYLAND BELL
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

If that class of Italians who perpe.
trate Black Hand crimes in America
bse the same methods In Italy to ex.
tort money we don't know it. Indeed,
we hear very little of crime. and what
we do hear is of the bandit, who open
~ robs and holds eaptives for ransom.
The Black Hand methods are more
easily used in America, where brigand-
age would not pay, but where under
our trial methods 1t is very difficult to
convict Black Hand criminals.
Some years ago Edward White, a
young American gentleman. intending
TO so in carriage from Naples to
Sorrento, was warned against gang
of bandits who had shown themselves
on that route. Instead OF needing the
warning he told his banker thnt If he
should send him an order for ransom
to scrutinize the message for hidden
instructions and especially to heat the
paper on which it was written. There
are plenty of lemons In Italy. and a
Ah6bbdEG NAiAtCn lu AChAOh jhANO 10 NV
visible till heated, when it comes out
q dark brown.
True enough, White was taken in by
the bandits and carried up into the
highlands overlooking the bay Of Ma
pies. Several days after his capture
his banker one morning found on his
desk letter from the captive ordering
him to send $4,000 francs to certain
point, the location being carefully de-
scribed in the letter The banker heat
ed the paper, and message appeared
of an entirely different purport. 1t di-
rected that force Of soldiers go to
certain spot on the coast on certain
date and with telescope look up into
the mountains. At point between
the rocks Of peculiar shape the bandits
were encamped The troops. knowing
exactly where their enemies were,
could advance at night and surround
them.
The banker disliked to propose the
plan to the government officials, fear
ing that If 1t failed White would be
murdered. Nevertheless he obeyed the
order. The troops were sent by water
to a point off place called Castle
amore They were kept concealed be-
low, and a police officer In plain
clothes, armed with a telescope, went
ashore. This precaution was taken
that any confederates the bandits
might have in that vicinity should not
be able to notify them of the pres
ence of the troops.
The police officer. choosing spot
where he would not be observed,
brought his glass to bear on the noun
tains and located the position OF the
bandit camp. Being familiar with the
locality-he was chosen for the work
on this account-he knew very well
the roads by which the soldiers might
surround the camp, Returning to the
boat, he informed the captain Of his
observations, drew rough map Of the
roads running near the point Of attack
and agreed TO personally conduct one
part of the force up a steep path that
would lead directly to the small pla-
teau on which the bandits were wait
ing. All was arranged, so far as pos
sible, that there should be no warning.
AS soon as 1t was quite dark the
boat changed position 10 point on the
bay that was comparatively free from
houses, and the troops were disem-
barked They assembled the hills by
two different routes, one party to at
tack in front, the other in the rear.
No one passed them from below, and
whomsoever they met they forced to
go with them that no one might carry
information Of their approach,
Meanwhile the bandits, oblivious to
the fact that their captive had given
such information as might lead TO their
ruin and having seen and read his let
ter ordering his banker to send the