Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-03
.HOPELAWN man HELD
IN $4,000 BAIL;
LETTERS ARE PRObED
Dominick SyeIIa Held in Heavy
Bail for Action of the
Grand Jury

NEW BRUINS WIZ, Aug. S-Int
blackhand letter case that has occu'
pied the attention of the county au-
thorities for the past week took ar
unexpected turn this morning wher
County Detective Ferd A. David un.
covered a new angle of the affair
and charged Dominick Syella. Of
Hopelawn. with being a principa
in the case instead of a material
witness, as was first indicated.
Syella was arraigned before JUS
tice of the Peace Charles w. Sedan
this morning and held III bail OF
$4,000 for grand jury action. Bail
of $4,000 had been previously fixed
by Recorder Martin G. Ashley OF
Woodbridge, and in default of its
production Syella was in the county
Jail with Peter Baritone, and Matted
Nassaro, both of whom are Perth
Amboy men. At the first hearing
Baritone was the only one accused of
actual participation in the attempt
to extort $4,000 from Dominick Ce-
rula, a Perth Amboy grocer.
Syella's implication in the writing
of the letters came, according to
Detective David, as the result of .
comparison of letters sent to Cerulo
and Michael De Santos, of Port
Reading, with letters sent by Syella
to Miss Antoinette Silvano, of 447
New Brunswick avenue, Perth Am
boy. Both specimens reveal the
writer to be ignorant of grammar
,and spelling and similar mistakes
IN the threatening and personal
epistles leave the county authorities
confidently stating that they are
sure of another prisoner.
The particular slip in spelling that
threatens to be the undoing of Syella
Is found in, the addresses on the
blackhand letter and on the commu-
nications sent to Miss Silvano. In
spelling Perth, Syella makes it
Pertck. Amboy is spelled correctly
but in each letter the word Perth is
spelled in the same manner wher-
ever it appears.
Since the police were brought into
the case by information from Cerula
the Perth Amboy victim. Detective
David and other officials of the pros
ecutor's office have been at work
unearthing new evidence. How they
secured the letters from Miss Sill
vano is best known to themselves
but they became convinced of Syel-
las guilt this morning and David
Immediately swore out a complaint
before the justice of the peace.
The blackhand letter that is said
to be Syella's handiwork was re-
ceived by Michael De Santos. a
storekeeper at the Port Reading
labor camp on July 18. according to
the authorities. At the top of the
sheet are pictured heart pierced
by a dagger, skull and cross bones,
and other symbols signifying violent
49, I.
dagger" and Cemetery also ap-
ter is translated as follows:
'.Now that you have come to know
the signs and you know the name of
blackhand, by the day. the thirtieth
OF this month, we advise you to
bring the sum of $4,000 and if you
do not bring the said sum you will
be destroyed and if you want your
health you must bring money, the
sum here designated"
If you have not got it before the
fifth day. If you do not correspond
by this Saturday, your life. your
body, will be made into ashes and
dust. but we hope that by inform
ing you by this Saturday the wit
Ing has been designated. and we ad-
vise you not to let the American po-
ice know anything.
4'If so, your life will be destroyed
Just the same and IL you do not heed
what we advise you and fail to make
the appointment. Bring the money
near the new factory, under the rail-
road bridge. and put large stone
on it at sunset. and you will have
TO bring the money and tell no one
about it. Do you understand? And
think and be quick about it.
"(Signed ALL OF
THE BLACKHAND"
Another letter received by Donni-
nick Cerula, of 276 Washington
STR eet. Perth Amboy, On July 1s is
in the possession of the county de-
tectives but Detective David has not
had it translated as yet.