Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-07
BLACK HAND GANG,
R, BADLY SHAKEN UP
BY INVESTIGATION
Youthful Thieves Rounded up
by Police Tuesday Afternoon
and Questioned by Judge Lam
. caster-"Capt." Quincy and
One of His Henchmen.
Noonan, Locked up-Hearing
This Morning

IL il doubtful IL many of Augusta
citizens are aware that the city mas
for some time past been at the mercy
. of a gang of desperadoes, the MEM
berg Of which although they have not
as yet threatened the life and liberty
OF anyone, have been doing an amount
: of thieving which could not ny any
means be considered small The mem
: befs Of the gang are not large but
one does not necessarily have TO De
z large TO be desperate. The inev-
( table has happened, however, and the
2 Journal can say this morning with full
!. confidence that the gang has been bad
: ly disrupted. that the ringieader ana
= others have been captured and that
. there will be no further depredations
"a, least until the gang may possibly
be reorganized.
II will be remembered that rev
weeks ago the police rounded up three
BOYS who styled themselves the black
hand gang" who put up job or
robbery one evening and as result
are now In kennebec Jail awaiting the
April term of the superior court. 1t
was thought at the time that the treat
rnent of the Youngsters would have a
wholesome effect upon such others as
might lie harboring similar aspirations
but In view Of the performances of
!. other boys which have just been
brought TO light it appears that the
youngsters composing the latter gang
did not profit by the experience of
their predecessors in crime.
II has been known for a short time
past that thieving was going on. prin-
cipally on Water street and that the
thieves were concentrating their at
tention to no small extent to the Unit
cd States postoftice, from the corridor
of which number of articles have
been taken. Another place which seems
20 have come to the notice of the
young thieves was the Opera House,
and the Journal was told yesterday
afternoon Of an instance where within
few days lady had about s25 taken
from her handbag
Regarding the thieving at the post
Office Postmaster Plaisted was made
acquainted with what was going on
and placed Night officer Corbett in
possession Of the information. since
which time the officer has been quietly
keeping an eye on the office and the
boys who appeared to be frequentine
the building and that vicinity.
Truant Officer Brunette was also no.
tined, and the two working along the
same lines gradually brought the mat :
ter 10 a point where the time seemed
ripe 10 introduce the boys to Judge
Lancaster, that he might ascertain
how they were passing their time and
II they were devoting their energies in
the right direction.
The roundup came Tuesday after
noon in the Judges Office. and when
the searchlight Of investigation was
turned on the boys assembled il came
to pass that by their own admission
they were n gang Of youthful thieves
. and remarkably proficient in the light :
fingered art for boys uf THEN years. It
was also learned that they were or
ganlZed for the purpose and had also
taken for their name The Black Hand
Gang. Jr." The names of the gang as
- given 20 the Judge were as follows.
none Of whom were over II years of
ag' and tho majority of them under:
Alfred Quincy. captain: George Lu-
picn. George Noonan. John Coulombe
Albert Bolduc and Albert NORM There
Is one other boy enrolled in tho gang,
but he was not taken in Tuesday at
ternoop. They were cool lot OF
youngsters and were not Jared one
iota by the close questioning given 10y
Judge Lancaster.
Quincy admitted that nc was the
captain, and also admitted taking diff
fcrrnt articles from stores along the
street including something like SIS
from one store, and Noonan also adj
United taking different articles. and
long examination appeared to bring
out tn" facts that the two boys men
toned were the Wo-st in the bunch.
The court has not ,.ecided just what
60 do with tho gang as a whole but
~ tho conclusion OF the examination
the hoNs with the exception of Quincy
and Noonau were allowed to go home
They however were taken out into the
police station and locked up for the
night. and will be given a hearing this
Il morning before the municipal court. IT
l. the determination of the court to
break up the gang. and to curb the
spirit of petty thieving in the city
which appears to have reached the cpl
Sta