Q. What was the substance of the letter? A. The substance of the letter was that unless a certain amount of money was paid they would kill me. Naturally, my folks did not tell me anything at all about it for fear that I would get excited, neglect my studies, and so fail in my examinations. The folks kept the thing quiet for a few days. The "Black-Handers" also said that if anything were told to the police authorities, _the murder would take place anyway_--money or no money. You see, my father was not here. I was a young man, my brother was a small boy, and my family did not know what to do at the time. My grandmother, though, knew this man Morello to be mixed up with people of questionable character, and so she went to him or he happened to meet her (I don't know which); anyway, she confided the thing to Morello. He said, "All right, don't get excited; they don't kill people off all at once. Wait until you get another letter. Then we will see if we can find out the party who writes those letters." Finally, another letter was written. Then a third, and a fourth letter came. _Morello always took the letters under the pretext of studying the handwriting and to find out the origin of the letter._ Eventually, he found out the origin of the letter, he said and-- Q. What was the origin? A. Never found out. He just said that he had found out that they were willing to settle for $1,000, but that he would pay $100 and that he would make sure they returned the money to him after they found out who he was; he said that we need not worry any more. Q. Did you pay the $100? A. No. Morello offered to pay the $100 himself and expected to get it back. He said: "I will pay and see that they return it to me." Q. Who would return it? A. Those people would return the money again to him. Q. He said that he would pay the money and that he would get it back from the Black-Handers? A. Yes. Then the whole thing quieted down and naturally my people thought they were under obligations to this man Morello. And then when the danger was over my folks told me about it and remarked about what a terrible thing we had escaped. About three or four months later, Morello came around and said to my mother: Q. Did you hear him? A. No. She told me. (Continuing) "I have a notion to get married. I'm in with a woman who has a baby as the result of our relations. Now that I want to get married, I want to break off this relation, and if it is not inconvenient to you I would like to bring this baby, this little girl, to your house until everything is arranged." Q. That is the illegitimate child? A. She could walk; was over one year old. Q. Who was the woman? A. I do not know. Q. At that time he lived on Chrystie Street? A. No. I understand he had a restaurant. Of course, my folks said that it was no trouble for them. There were three or four women in the household, and it would be no trouble for them to take care of the little child.