The Washington times., 1923-04-26
|SEVEN KILLINGS
| LAID To BLACK
| HAND
Eight Prominent Citizens in
West Virginia Marked
For Death. -
The Black Hand Organization,

in West Virginia, 1UGs brought to
the bar of justice by one of ats O1OTt
number, IUhO turned States evt-
demce. In second article on THIS
bands Ia1U-bTeGking career Inter
| national Ne1vs Service today re-
Veals the nature OF evidence O6-
tanned against the CGatOTTtsts by
Federal, State and local officials.
BY international News Service.
| CLARKSBURG, w. Va, April
2S.-An infamous trail Of violence
and murder was sprayed across
three States by the terrorist forces
Of the Black Hand organization,
| formed In West Virginia, but with
| national qualifications, according
to the ''inside story" which Inter.
national News Service can reveal
| today.
Sensational evidence Of the bapd's
depredRtions, which ranged from
blackmail to daylight murder, was
given authorities here by Rocco
| FIorello, former secretary or the
organisation, who turned 5tate's
evidence. It was on F1oreu0s tes-
timony that the State chiefly ue-
pended In obtaining first degree
murder convictions against three
members of the band, and he win
be used in bringing seven other
| alleged members to justice.
Confession Fully Verified.
The remarkable confession of
| FioreIIo, however, was checked up
i by an army Of State and Federal
| agents before the murder trials
/ were started. In every respect the
| state was able to corroborate the
| testimony Of Its star witness.
| .Fiorello not only linked the muir
der band to seven killings IN THIS
county, but gave authorities evil
dence which showed the Black
| Handlers were involved in the STAY
| ing of @ dozen other persons In
| Pennsylvania and Maryland. He
also revealed death list of eight
| prominent citizens Of this county,
| Including a minister Of the gospel.
who were marked for slaughter by
the band. The men "named for
death" were Rev. T. e. Gamer,
United Brethren pastor; Frank Ca
1 yalfe. merchant: Antonio Audia,
merchant; John Folip. store clerk;
Joe Costa, merchant; James Bur-
CESS. former constable; Rocco Fan
nfno, merchant; Angelo Grantano,
merchant; and L. D. Sntder. chler
OF police Of Fairmont.
Evidence OF revolving murders
was also given by Fiorello. he tolo
lin particular Of a man murdered
for $35 in cash, His statement salo
sin mart: "One day they tell me
they kill a man near Grafton. Iney
took me past q coal mine and they
told me: Here is where that fellow
was killed. We took $50 from him
and his watch and then we buried
him in the coal mine, but first we
mt carbide and water on the body
and lit and burned it inside the
mine. First they said they shot
him and then they burned him.
| Threaten To Clip ChiId's Ears.
On another occasion the band
threatened to kidnap child ana
cut off its ears in order to obtain
blackmail from the father. This
plot was leveled at Angelo Gran
tano, one of the men named Tor
death. The States informant con-
fessed under oath that the band
had decided to go to Grantano's
store and shoot him down. but
first to take one Of his children. "
."Then we will tell Grantano that
If he don't send a certain amount
/ of money ($5,OO0l we are going to
kill his child, but first we are
i going to send him his child's ears
and then we are going to kill him
/ IL he don't send the money" were
| the instructions given the Canon
rists by their Black Hand leader,
| the informant stated.
/ The Black Handlers subsequently
| dynamited Grantano's store, prac-
| tically wrecking the structure and
endangering the lives of his wife
and children. who were sleeping on
| the second floor of the building.
They probably will never be brought
to trial on this charge. as most Of
them face conviction on murder
| charges with the death penalty as
| punishment.
The authorities also learned de-
tails of the death plot against
Police Chief Snider, of Fairmont. A
gallon of nitroglycerine was stolen
| by the Black Handlers from a mine
| to be used in making a bomb which
| it was planned should be thrown
at the police officers home. Re-
fore the bomb was made, however.
the police net gathered up most of
| the plotCerS.
Thwarts Ugly Plot.
Another plot to slay children was
also revealed to authorities, but in
this instance one of the band show
ed a spark of tenderness and the
plot failed. 1t was directed against
| Frank Belseto, a wealthy Italian
merchant, who was directed to pay
the band $1,000 on penalty of
death. Balseto refused and left his
home on vacation. In his alb
! sence the band sought to kill his
| children in vengeance.
Two men were given a bomb to
plant under Belseto's house. They
carried the bomb there, but damp
ened the fuse so that when it was
iginited it did not explode. When
the bands leaders investigated later
they believed a sudden downpour
of rain had extinguished the sput
tertng fuse. Later, however, one
of the two men who carried the
bomb was slain by his companions
and the motive was advanced that
he was being punished for his
| 70 6nvS &@ TO~1~