Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-04-09
BLACK HAND CASE ON TRIAL
Authorship of Letter Sent to
Mortified Man Involved.
Respondents Attorney Believes HIS
client wrote u hut Is Not re-
sponsibie Because of Mental I'm
soundncsl--SInck Denies.

In United States court yesterday the
black hand case of the United States vs.
Fred G. Slack of Mortified was taken
up. the trial occupying the whole day
When the court took recess until this
morning at ten O'Clock tho arguments on
both sides were in and the case stood
ready for the judges charge.
This case presented the rather unusual
aspect of a radical difference of opinion
between the respondent and his attorney
as to the facts Of the case.
The story. as given by witnesses, was
in substance this Last December j..
Frank Severance of Mortified received
a letter directing him to place two hum
bred dollars In certain shed under the
seat of wagon or suffer death. The
letter was printed and signed with the
black hand. 1t went on to say that i've"
the black hand. were taking up colleC-
ton in this state from those able to
pay and would pay it back with interest
within two years. 1t said I'VE never
break our word We must have two hun
dred dollars from you" 1t advised him:
Don't be n fool" a similar letter came
later
Mr.. Severance consulted the local au-
thorities and the Wood Morgan Detective
agency was put TO work on the case.
If was decided to set n trap for the
sender of the letter. Mr.. Severance. act
ing at the direction of the detectives,
placed two one hundred dollar bills in an
envelope and took it as directed to the
shed designated, which it happened be-
longed to SlacS & Phillips, meat dealers
and in which Mr. Stacks meat-wagon
was kept. He put the packet under the
seat in the wagon precisely as he had
been ordered to do by the letter, and
retired. From that time on the detectives
watched the wagon.
How the trap was sprung was told on
the stand by James Il. Wood of the
Wood Morgan Detective agency. Mr.
Wood said they watched all night and
next morning, which was Sunday. they
saw the respondent. Slack, come to the
place enter the shed and take the letter
from the place, where it had been put
They ran down from their hiding-place
and caught him about 20 feet from the
door of the shed
Mr.. Wood testified that he said
"Well, old man, YOU got it, didn't YOU
lie said that to this the respondent re-
piled: Yes. but | don't know what's ii
it. | received letter which told me
to come here and get it and that | would
receiv" a further letter telling me what
to do with it,"
Mr. Slack still hangs by the origina
story that he went to the shed il
obedience to a black hand letter and thai
ba &c n. lott Ia IL
hand plot.
Mr.. Slacks attorney, John II. Sentel
of Montpelier, is positive that Slack him
self wrote the letter and does not hesitat,
to say as much. He went on the stanC
and stated his belief that the lette
originated with Slack and that he haC
| urged Mr.. Slack to plead guilty.
Both agreed that Mr. Slack ought no
| to be convicted of the crime charged. Bu
| Mr. Scnter bases his contention on tn,
| belief that Mr.. Slack was not responsible,
for the acts because of mental unsound
ness.
Mr.. Slack consistently opposes tn,
! charge of insanity and maintains that h,
never wrote the letter.
y number of other Mortified pcopl
testified to having received similar blacl
! hand letters.
| William +. Kingston. hand -writint
expert from Boston, was put on the stant
| and qualified also as one acquainted will
| the letters sent out by the black hant
in this country. He stated that the lette
received by Mr.. Severance was not
real black hand product. He said tn
work of amateurs was always printed
| 10 c1iA ha
| evidently a crude attempt OF a beginner
| Then from other writings of Slack h
| pointed out resemblances In spelling an,
| other respects which tended to make hin
believe that all the cxtortion letters wer
written by Slack.
The governments Witnesses were: j. NJ
Donohue, c. d. EdEerton, j. Fran
Severance, f. \. Phillips, Asa c
Andrews, A. |. Reed, John A. Hutchin
son, Sumner Kmball. John h. Houston
| Il. l.. Kerr. Mrs. Fred G. Slack, wife O
the respondent, and Mrs Grace Slac
Sargent, his sister All of these wer
Mortified people. Z. c. Brown of tn
Wood Morgan bureau, as well as Nj
| Wood, testified
For the defense. George Sanborr
| Charles Duke and Dwight Howe testified
The respondents attorney also made sew
| eral of the governments witnesses hi
own for the purposes of further question
| relating to their impression of tn
| mental status of the respondent at tn
time and admitted much that the gov
eminent offered to prove
The jury Is composed of +. f.. Bigwoot
+. \. Brodie. +. II. Horton, c. f. Jack
son, L. II. Lewis Leslie Pike. II. c
Gates. S. e. Noonan, Ralph Putnam
Frank Talcott, L. Z. Tracy and G.. I
| Whitcomb