BLACKMAILERS WHO TERRORISE THE WORLD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 119, 18 May 1909, Page 6

BLACKMAILERS WHO TERRORISE THE WORLD.

' The recent assassination at Palermo of the American detective, Joseph Petrosino, once more calls attention to the dreaded secret society known-as the "Black Hand." We in this country do not hear quite so much about it as they do in America, but it is a well, known fact that Scotland Yard have 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 400 years. Founded in, Sicily as a league of patriots to avenge th© in-justice-of foreign rulers, the "Mafia" rapidly degenerated. For many years past it has literally devastated the country south of Naples. 5000 BLACKMAILERS. ! .The "Black Hand" is merely the "Mafia" duplicated in New York. But in America, where there are fifty men' of wealth for every one in Southern Italy, the cupidity of this confederation of ' rascality lias a much wider and more alluring field of operations. As a matter of fact;, there are esti- ■ mated to be 5000 Italian blackmailers in Now York. Blackmail has always been ihe favourite practice of the "Mafia,", but the "Black Hand" has carried it to a pitch without parallel in history. ■•. ■ . ; It is said that: their takings average nearly £40,000 a year. >, as usually their victims are too terrorised to rer sist.their claims for. money, which are made under threat of murder. s And I it, is no use the victim who is marked do^n' for blackmail fleeingftfe country to escape the ."Black Hand." The j society has emissaries > all over, the .world, who track their victims down with 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 ■ New,. York. They received a series of 'threatening letters signed by the "Black Hand," which culminated in October last in a raid on the 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 tho

"Mafia." The postulant smears an image of his favourite saint with blood from his own body,.'sets the image on fires, and takes thjs oath ■:: — I swear on my honour to be faithful, to the brotherhood. -; : . As this saint and the drops of my blood are destroyed, so will I 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. . : Then, drawing a revolver, he shoots at a crucifix and is initiated. jTHE "WHITE HAND." Scores of persons, theI' police'allege, have become insane because of the threats of which they have been the recipients from the "Black Hand." Some havei committed suicide, while in one,- case a victim slew an innocent person in the belief that he,was bein~ 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)_ ltalian merchants and clerks, arid their work. is done just as secretly as that of the men they are after. Their object is to fraternize with their compatriots who belong to the "Black Hand," learn their secrets, and secure their apprehension. In Chicago, alone: the Italian societies of that city* have already organised a; force of 500 for th,is purpose,' and their efforts have 'so far been crowned with success.

1 "HIGHBINDERS.". ) v i 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. / 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 lines to ■; members of the "Mafia," and I'Blaek Hand," and obtain, many thousands of pounds from frightened victims. •EN INDIA AND RUSSIA.

Every ,effort is being made at the present time to suppress certain secret societies which have been formed 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 popular fallacy that the members of Russian secret societies are working chiefly' for the emancipa-, tion of the' peasant. This may be so in some cases, but revelations have come to light of late years which prove that many of the secret societies of Russia are simply formed o*n the lines of the "Black Hand," and levy blackmail on a gigantic scale, not in order to right the wrongs of the country, but simply to feather the nests of unscrupulous scoundrels.', In fact, one Russian secret society actually obtained thousands of pounds from threatened victims, and afterwards submitted balance-sheets showing who had paid money and. who had not, and who had suffered injury and murder. No one knows the ways of these' secret societies better than the chiefs of police, and that is why such stern measures are taken to suppress them on every,hand. '; '