BLACKMAILERS WHO TERRORISE THE WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 98, 22 May 1909, Page 3

BLACKMAILERS WHO TERRORISE THE WORLD.

J Tlif recent assassination at Palermo | of tlie American detective, Joseph Pctrosino, onee mure calls attention to the tlrvaiU'il secret society known as the "Black Hand." We ij this country i<> not hear quite so much about it as they do in America, but it is a well-known fact tliait Scotland Yard lliavo traced several mysterious murders of the last decade to the "Black Hand" society. This organisation is directly associated with the infamous ".Mafia." which has been in existence nearly four hundred years. Founded in .Sicily as a league of patriots to avenge the injustice of foreign ruler*, the "Mafia" rapidly degenerated. For many years past it has literally devastated the country south of Naples. '

FIVE THOCSAXD BLACKMAILERS. The "Black Hand" is merely the "Mafia" duplicated in New York. But ra America, where there are fifty men of wealth for every one in Southern Italy, the cupidity of this eonfod/;utio.n of rascality has a much wider and more allur' mg field of operations. As a matter of fact, there arc estimated to be five tlio i»and Italian blackmailers in Xew York. Blackmail has Wen the favorite practice of the "Mafia," tut the "Black Hand 1 ' has earned it to a pitch without parallel m history.

It is said that their takings average nearly £40,000 a year, as usually their victims are too terrorised to resist their claims for money, which are made under threat of murder. And it is no use the victim who is marked down for blackmail fleeing the country to escape the "Black Hand." The society has' emissaries all over the world, who track their J victims down ,wi,th unerring precision. SIGNING AND 'SWEARING. Sometimes, however, they meet more than their match, as, for instance, in the case of Signor Patti and his son-in-law, who controlled the great Italian bank of Pasquale, Patti, and Sons, in Xew York. They received a series of threatening letters signed liv the "Black Hand," which culminated in' October last in a raid on their premises. But the two bankers are excellent marksmen, and the ringleader of the gang was shot dead, his companions taking to their heels.

_ An impressive ceremony marks the. initiation of a new member' of the 'Mafia." The postulant smears an image of his favorite saint with blood "from his own body, sets the image on fire, an,l takes this oath:

. I swear on my honor to be faithful to- the brotherhood. As' this saint and the drops of my blood are destroyed so Willi shed all my blood for the brotherhood; and as these ashes and this blood can never be restored, so can I never become free from this brotherhood." j Then, drawing a revolver, he shoots at a crucifix and is initiated. THE "WHITE lIAXD." Scores of persons, the police allege, have become insane because of the threats of which they have been the recipients' from the "Black Hand." Some have committed suicide, while in one case ,a victim slew an innocent person'in the belief that he was 'being dogged by a member of the 'band. So bad did the operation,! of the "Black Hand" become in 1907 that American citizens of several places formed what is .called the "White Hand" .to aid the police in running down suspects. The "White Hand" consists very largely of the better class of Italian merchants and clerks, and their work is done just as secretly as that of the men they are after. Their object is to fraterms') with their compatriots who belong to the "Black Hand,"'learo their secrets, and secure their apprehension. In Chicago alone the Italian societies of that city have a&eady organised a force of five hundred for this purpose, and their efforts have so far been crowned with success.

The Neapolitan "Camorra" is another blackmailing secret society, whose wealth is' reported to be enormous. It is well known to the Italian .police that it numbers amongst its members many persons of fashionable society, whose' incomes are greatly augmented by money obtained, under threat of death,"from wealthy victims. Like the "Black Hand" the "Neapolitan Camorra" is of ancient origin, and dates back to the days of the Borgias. "HIGHBINDERS."

The "Highbinders" is the curious name of a Chinese secret society which extended its' operations to America in general, and San Francisco in particular, some time ago. They work on similar lincf to meniU'TA of the "Mafia" and "Black Hand." and obtain many thousands of pounds from frightened victims. IX INDIA AND RUSSIA. Every effort is being made at the present time to suppress certain secret societies which have been funned in India for the purpose of "bleeding"' wealthy natives. -Young Indian students in this' country have complained of being threatened with harm unless they contribute to or become members of one of these secret societies.

It is a papular fallacy that the members of Russian secret societies are working chiefly for the emancipation of the peasant. This may be so in some ca-A's. but revelations have tome to light of late years which prove, that many of the secret societies of Russia are simply formed on the lines of the "Black Hand," and levy blackmail on a gigantic scale, not in order to right the wrongs of the country, lint simply to feather the nests of unscrupulous scoundrels.

In fact, one Russia*-! secret society actually obtained thousands of pounds from threatened victims, and afterwards submitted balance-sheets showing -who had paid money ami who had not, and who had suffered injury and murder. Xo one knows the ways of these secret societies, better than the chiefs of police, and that is why such stem measures are taken to suppress' them on every hand.— Home paper.