Stories of Paraná - Black Hand and the bookies

Stories of Paraná - Black Hand and the bookies

Black Hand and the bookies
Rodrigo Pereira Gomes

Earlier this century, for a little over two months of the second half of 1909
the papers of more than quiet then occupied Curitiba is a strange character, who nicknamed him "The Black Hand". The man, according to the "Daily Afternoon", had "the ugly habit of surrendering to write anonymous letters." Were, according to the newspaper, "threatening letters" addressed "the various merchants of this square."
What were these threats? What were the traders threatened? Curious, those questions were answered at any time by "Daily" or any other newspaper of provincial Curitiba.
The names of already threatened ran from mouth to mouth among the population, the city does not talk about anything else.
Newspapers still rather prefer spending catilinárias role in almost daily against the "Roue of anonymous letters that comes startling several traders." Nothing but to reveal their names.
Why?
The answer is suggested in some other news about the exploits of the "Black Hand". In late October of that year, one of the infamous character letters fell into the hands of the police chief. The letter, according to the newspaper, denounced the existence of many bankers in the city of the numbers game, already practiced in defiance of the law, without quoting them names. (Are not they the same curitibanos respectable citizens who were being threatened?)
The newspapers of that time we also realize that "Black Hand", in another letter weeks before Dr. Costa Carvalho, well-known figure in the city, warned that a Swede named Rytling without family in town, would commit suicide by because of the numbers game. What, highlighted the "Diário da Tarde", "really ended by confirming with the horrible self-elimination of the Swedish Rytling Osório Square".
But surprisingly, even, is that the newspaper has not suspicious
- Or would not suspect - that the Swedish instead of committing suicide, has been "committed suicide". After all how can anyone know in advance that a particular subject is going to commit suicide weeks later? The police chief suspects, though suspected, but preferred to pretend that the quarrel was not with him.
This whole story just so mysterious as it began.
From one day to the other, the newspapers simply stopped talking
the "Black Hand" and their threatening letters. And it ended up forgotten in a short time.
It is most likely that the "respectable merchants of the Plaza de Curitiba" that were being threatened actually mixed up in the gambling banned, how could resisted the attempts of the mysterious ailment "Black Hand". This hard until they receive the message of the "suicide" in Swedish.
Then, frightened, paid the achacador, and the story of the "Black Hand" just for that reason.
If it did not, which ultimately would have passed these little over two months in 1909 (almost) quiet town of Curitiba?

Rodrigo Pereira Gomes, of St. Joseph of the Pines, retired government employee.


Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.