THE “BLACK HAND.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 52, 11 February 1911, Page 9

THE “BLACK HAND.”

HEAVY SENTENCES ON NEW YORK KIDNAPPERS. New York, Dec. 28. With detectives guarding the court-room to prevent bomb-throw-ing or an attempt at rescue, Maria Kappa and Stanislaus Pattenz.i, the leader of a kidnapping gang, to-day received exemplary sentences for their crimes.

In every part of the court were stationed police officers with their hands on their revolvers, for anonymous agents of the “ Black Hand ” Secret Society had threatened to blow up the judge and jury and to kill the prisoners if they confessed. The woman, a diminutive, driedup creature, with a shawl over her head, looked behind her, her eyes dilated with fright, as she erie-1 i hat she knew nothing of the Black Hand or of the kidnapping. ■’You lie N’t thundered the judge.

■ you not only stole this little boy. but you would have murdered him if the detectives had not resr-ued him. You ought to be sentenced to death !”

Turning to the man the judge observed. ‘You were the brains, the leader, the acknowledged chief, the king of the Black Handers.” Your rendezvous sheltered the worst gang of brigands in this country, who live by dastardly crimes, by kidnapping, bomb-throwing, and blackmail. Your case has proved that the Black Hand is no myth.” Both prisoners were sentenced to hard labour for no less than.

twenty-nine and no more than forty-nine vears.