The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-09-07
M0ULE VICTIM OF.
B[ACKHAND THREATS
FOR MANY MONTHS
Detectives Watch a Long
Night Conference of
Italians
ORIGINAL ENEMY
HAS GONE TO ITALY
Trouble Began When Moule Declined
to Go on Mans Bond and His
Republic Store Was Then
Dynamited

Is the Black Hand in Birmingham?
dread order reached this city? This is
the question that today is puzzling the
Ientire police and detective departments
of Birmingham, and it Is to solve this
problem that Chief of Police Bodeker
has detailed special men, high up In
local detective circles
During the past history of the local
department two cases bearing tile
marks of the Black Hand have been
brought to the notice of the detectives,
but although every reasonable clue was
followed diligently, nothing developed.
The case that has Weakened this suppo-
sition at the present time, and that Is
taxing the energies of every member
of the detective department Of this city,
is the dynamiting of Jake Moule's
store at 1901 Third avenue, north,
Wednesday morning al o'clock
AS the result of energetic work on the
part of the specially detailed officers,
much evidence has come to light since
| the wrecking of the store Wednesday
morning. evidence that has startled and
1
tectives.
Covers Period of IS Months
To understand thoroughly the case
and the evidence, it is necessary that
the history of Moule and his family
during the time of trouble, with the
| opposed Blanck Hand. IS months, be re-
lated. Eighteen months ago Jake Moule
1 vuifh fo 81 five
wife were living in Republic, Ala
Moule was then the proprietor of a
general supply store Like all Italians.
he had worked hard since his first COM
ing to this country some years ago,
and had accumulated tidy bank ac-
count, yet pitiably small in comparison
with the size of his family
While at Republic Moule incurred the
anger of brother Italian when he
withdrew his bond for him. Since that
| time the Italian has Deen bounded by
anonymous letters postmarked in and
around Birmingham, demanding at the
price of his life and that of the members
| of his family, large sums of money.
Moule was terrified, but he was unable
| to meet the demands, and as a result
his store in Republic was destroyed by
dynamite, and only by a miracle did
Moule and his family escape personal
! injury.
! Drawing around him about so Ital-
ians upon whom he could depend. Moule
tried to protect himself and to defy
the alleged Black Hand. Yet with
faithful friends on nightly watch, and
every possible form of protection, he
was again the victim of this dread
unrelenting enemy. His store, which
had been rebuilt, was burned to the
ground. and everything destroyed.
| Deputy sherffs attempted in vain 10 get
| at the bottom of the case and to effect
the arrest of the man who was undoubt-
edly the head of all the trouble. the man
who had been refused bond by Moulc.
When almost In their clutches friends
spirited him away at night, and he fed to
Italy.
Others Take Up the Cause
But he left another to hound and vic
timize AIoule and his family and friends,
an Italian who had acted as his lieuten-
ant. Moule, with friends, moved to Bir-
mngham. They bought stores In the
same neighborhood. and formed a society
of protection to themselves. There were
over 80 members, all determined to save
themselves from the one thing that an
Italian has always learned 90 dread, the
Black Hand.
Six months ago the letters started again.
demanding nlBner sums of money, to be
left at a given place. Moale was help
less for he had no money. The last
letter received threatened in no uncertain
terms to ruin and destroy his family IL
the money was not forthcoming Tie
dynamiting last Wednesday is an express
sion of their threat. but owing to the in
experience of the man or men who set
the charge it was not wholly destruc-
tive.
The condition that the police has now to
grapple with is one which offers almost
no opening or clue. Blinded ny fear Moule
and his friends refuse to tell those whom
| they suspect, or to help the officers: and
| those on the other side, armed with
knives and reviewers, continually hound
them throughout the CITY, orowl around
| their houses at night and threaten them
| in the day time with fearful letters.
Detectives state that during the hours of
darkness the neighborhood around the
store of Jake Moule is thick with prow-
| ing Italians with the butts of reviewers
protruding from their hip pockets, yet
so great Is their number ard SO conf
plete their plan OF protection. that not
one has been caught. And Chief Bode-
ker is handicapped because of the fact
that he is unable to place enough off
GERS on the case on account of the ex-
IRENE smallness of the local force.
Flagman Sees Suspicious Men
Robert Lloyd, a flagman employed by
~