Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/428



During this month a man named Michael Carrazola, a wealthy Italian, was murdered and, the crime being attributed to a “Black Hand” anarchistic organization in Washington County, the police made search and found a lot of correspondence showing a plot to remove a number of prominent people over the country, including myself. One of the New York magazines published an article upon the subject. One of the annoyances to which men in conspicuous station are subjected, especially when newspapers are interested in creating antagonisms, is the great number of cranks of one kind or other who continually pursue them. James Auter, the colored barber who had long been doorkeeper in the executive department, was always on the watch for these people. Through my term there was scarcely a week in which threatening letters were not received. Every once in a while came a suspicious package which James dumped into a bucket of water and then took apart. Among them were many curious devices. 410