▁or ▁even ▁arrested ▁and ▁inter rog ated ▁its ▁oper atives ▁after ▁the ▁kill ings . ▁ ▁M embers ▁were ▁often ▁young ▁and ▁p ious ▁men ▁from ▁a ▁rural ▁background ▁who ▁likely ▁joined ▁the ▁group ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁local ▁religious ▁authorities . ▁M embers ▁were ▁often ▁also ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Sloven e ▁Home ▁Guard , ▁Ch et nik s , ▁and ▁cler ical ▁groups . ▁Black ▁Hand ▁just ified ▁its ▁actions ▁as ▁a ▁defense ▁of ▁religion / fa ith . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁many ▁former ▁Black ▁Hand ▁members ▁ev aded ▁justice ▁and ▁escaped , ▁though ▁some ▁were ▁conv icted ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death . ▁ ▁Kill ings ▁Black ▁Hand ▁oper atives ▁usually ▁carried ▁out ▁assass in ations ▁by ▁breaking ▁into ▁vict ims ' ▁houses ▁at ▁night , ▁sometimes ▁executing ▁the ▁targets ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁their ▁families . ▁Vict ims ▁were ▁often ▁killed ▁in ▁their ▁b eds , ▁or ▁were ▁first ▁led ▁away ▁under ▁the ▁pre ten se ▁of ▁being ▁taken ▁to ▁an ▁inter rog ation . ▁The ▁corps es ▁were ▁then ▁often ▁m util ated ▁beyond ▁recognition ▁and ▁thrown ▁into ▁L jub l jan ica ▁or ▁S ava ▁rivers . ▁According ▁to ▁some ▁accounts , ▁the ▁assass ins ▁used ▁police ▁cars ▁during ▁their ▁activities . ▁The ▁assass ins ▁were ▁often ▁cl ad ▁in ▁black ▁clothes , ▁or , ▁sometimes , ▁Part isan ▁uniform s , ▁and ▁often ▁conce aled ▁their ▁faces . ▁The ▁assass ins ▁often ▁left ▁behind ▁leaf lets ▁with ▁a ▁print ▁of ▁a ▁black ▁hand , ▁or