Evening star., 1922-03-30


automobiles will be here, and will
take the food up to her-sparing no
expense or trouble. She Is heart
broken. 1t will kill her, Prof. Kennedy
II anything happens to our little Ade-
lima.
'Ah. sir. I am not poor myself. A
months salarly at the opera house
that is what they ask of me. Gladly
would l give it, ten thousand dol
lars-all. If they asked it. of my con-
tract with Herr Schleppencour, the
aFect95 s Blu But the 6s ns
What good will it do me If they
catch them and my little Adelina is
returned to me dead? 1t is all very
well for the Anglo-Saxon to talk oi
justice and the law. but ! am-what
you call it?--an emotional Latin.
want my little daughter-and at any
cost. Catch the villains afterward-.
yes. I will pay double then to catch
them SO that they cannot blackmail
me again; Only first 1 want my
And your father-in-law?"
MY father-in-law. he has been
among you long enough to be one OF
you. He has fought them. He has
put up a sign in his banking house.
No money paid on threats But
say it is foolish. do not know
America as well as he. but 1 know
this: The police never succeed-the
ransom is paid without their knowl-
edge, and they very often take the
credit. l say, pay first, then l will
swear righteous vendetta will
bring the dogs to justice with the
money yet on them. Only show me
how, show me how"
First of ALL" replied Kennedy. Il
want You to answer one question
truthfully, without reservation, as to
friend. I am your friend, believe
me. Is there any person. relative
or acquaintance of yourself or your
you even have reason to suspuect OF
being capable of extorting money
from you in this way? l needn't
say that that is the experience OF
the district attorneys office in the
Large Large majority , Of cases OF this So
No" replied the tenor without
thought about it. No, 1 can think
Of no one. I know you Americans
often speak of the Black Hand as a
myth coined originally by q news
papes Wrsr u IS BSt mxtn PrGf %na Kenped the
real Black Hand is any gang OF
criminals who choose to use that con-
venient name to extort money. Is 1t
the less real? My daughter is gomez
Exactly" agreed Kennedy. TT is
not theory tndt COn1TOntS you.
is hard. cold fact. I understand
that perfectly. What is the address
of this Albano's?"
Luigi mentioned a number on Null
berry street and Kennedy made a
note of it.
, 1T 1T is a gambling saloon" explained
Camorrista, one Of my countrymen
of whom 1 am thoroughly ashamed,
Prof. Kennedy"
DO you think this Albano had
anything to dc with the letter.
Luigi shrugged his shoulders.
Just then a big limousine was
huge hammer that was placed in a
corner of the room and, followed
closely by Signor Gennaro, hurried
down to it. AS the tenor left us he
grasped our hands in each of his.
Il have an idea in my mind" said
Craig simply. Il will try to think it
out in detail tonight. Where can 1
find you tomorrow"
Come to me at the opera house in
the afternoon. or If you want me
sooner, at Mr., Cesare's residence.
to you. Prof. Kennedy. and to you
solutely because Luigi trusts you"
We sat in the little dining room
until we heard the door of the limou-
sine DaHS smut ana the car SnOOt OIL
with the rattle of the changing gears.
"One more question, Luigi" said
Craig as the door opened again. II
have never been on that block In
Mulberry street where this Albano's
is. Do you happen to know any of
the shopkeepers on it or near it?"
Il have a cousin who shas a drug
store on the corner below Albano's.
on the same side Of the street"
Good! Do you think he would let
me use his store for a few minutes
Saturday nighl-of course, without any
risk to himseH?'
Il think I could arrange it."
Every we'll. Then. tomorrow, say
at 9 in the morning. I will stop
here, and we will all go over to see
him. Goodnight. Luigi. and many
thanks for thinking of me in con-
nection with this case: I've enjoyed
enough at the opera to want to rem
der him this service. and I'm only
too glad to be able to be Of service
to all honest Italians: that is. il I
succeed in carrying out plan I
have in mind"
A little before nine the following day
Kennedy and 1 dropped into Luigi's
again. Kennedy was carving a suit
case which he had taken over from his
laboratory to our rooms the night be-
fore. Luigi was waiting for US, and
WITHOUT lOSlIS d 1I1llulS "o Sdllleu lOTlu
BY means of the tortuous twists of
streets in old Greenwich village we
came out at last on Becker street and
began walking east amid the burly-bur-
ly of races Of lower New York. We
had not quite reached Mulberry street
when our attention was attracted by a
large crowd on ore Of the busy corners
were endeavoring to keep the people
moving with that burly good nature
which the six-footed Irish policeman
displays toward the f1ve-foot burden
bearers Of southern and eastern Eu-
rope who throng New York.
Apparently, we saw, as We edged up
into the front Of the crowd, bhere was
a building whose whole front had liter
ally been torn off and wrecked. The
thick plate-glass Of the windows was
smashed to a mass Of greenish splint-
ers on the sidewalk, while the win
houses down the black in either street
were likewise broken. Some thick
iron bars which had formerly protected
the window were now bent and twisted.
A huge hole yawned in the floor inside
the doorway. and peering in we could
see the desks and chairs a tangled mass
Of kindling.
whats the matter" I inquired of
an officer near me. displaying my re-
porters fire-line badge, more for its
moral effect taan In the hope Of getting
any real information in these days of
enforced silence toward the press.
Black Hand bomb" was the laconic
reply.
'~whew!" I whistled. "Any one hurt?''
"They don't usually kill any one, do
they?" asked the officer by way Of reply
to test my acquaintance with such
things
No. I admitted. 'They destroy
more property than lives But did they
get any one this time? This must have
been a thoroughly overloaded bomb, I
should judge by the look Of things"