# The Day Book (Chicago), 20 September 1912, page 3: 'More Black Hand' in Peoria

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/clippings/clip-day-book-1912-09-20-p3/

A Day Book wire item of 20 September 1912 from Peoria reports that a State's Attorney preparing indictments was receiving anonymous threatening letters, one signed 'Black Hand' and written in shorthand.

Page 3 of the Day Book, Friday, 20 September 1912. A wire item from Peoria, Illinois, says the "Black Hand letter habit" had reached Peoria: the State's Attorney, who was preparing indictments against a former school superintendent, was receiving anonymous threatening letters, one of them signed "Black Hand" and written in shorthand.

The item shows the phrase "Black Hand" used for an anonymous threat that had nothing to do with extortion among Italian immigrants. The 1916 Post Office album records a similar use of "black-hand letters" in federal mail cases outside Italian communities ([album, volume 1](/items/podept-1916-album-vol1/)).

No scan of this page is stored: the Library of Congress image service was unavailable when the page was filed.

## Sources

- Library of Congress, Chronicling America: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045487/1912-09-20/ed-1/?sp=3