The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-24
ITALIAN ASSASSINS.
Intense Excitement Over tho Asssssliia-
ton OF Chief of Police Hennessy and
the Threats Against the Life of
Mayor Shakespeare.
OVER FIFTY ARRESTS.
OVER FIFTY ARRESTS.

OVER FIFTY ARRESTS.
New ORLEANS, Oct. 23.-The excitement
over the murder of Chief of Police Hen
messy has not abatcd. The chief left the
police station at II o'clock p. m. and
started home, accompanied by one of his
suhordnntes For some time past he had
expected an attack from band of Ital-
ians, whose murders and other outrages
ne had been uneurthing. For this reason
he has usually had one or two of the force
with him wherever he went But on this
occasion he told his subordinate to pro-
coed on his rounds as he was within Il
square of his house and was going home.
He had reached his front door and was
taking the latch key from his pocket when
two assassins fired at him from frame
building on the opposite side of the street,
with double barrel shotguns, loaded with
buckshot He sank on his doorstep and
his wife rushed out to find him dying.
When the police arrived he was barely
alive, but drew one close to him and in
reply to the question who shot him, he
replied "Dagos." He died the next morn
ing at clock.
Investigation has pretty conclusively
shown that the murder was the work Of a
band of Italian assassins who are organ
lied into secret society. They have
been hitherto numbering each other, but
the efforts of Hennessy to break up the
organization and bring the assassins to
Justice, excited their hostility with the
above result.
Mayor Shakespeare sent message to the
council describing the organization and
the murder, and in conclusion announced
that he had received Il letter from one OF
the assassins saying he would be the next
victim.
A public meeting was also called and Il
committee of fifty appointed to raise the
necessary amount of money and to aid the
authorities in indicating the law. About
81 900 were raised in few minutes and
the fund has been increased since.
The ladies owning the shanty where the
assassins are supposed to have plotted and
gathered, identified Macheca as the man
who rented the place from them and paid
months rent in advance. Several par
ties also say they followed Macheca on the
night of the murder He and the Matran
gas, also supposed to be leaders in the
affair, were eating supper while the shoot
ing was going on. They remained together
until ! o'clock in the morning having a
good time, and when they parted Macheca
said: Boys, I've done good thing; I'm
only sorry he was not killed at the first
fire."
AN AyENGER.
While the body of the late Chief-of-
Police David C. Hcnncsy lay in state at
the CITY Hall, Antonio Scafda, identified
as one Of the assassins of Chief Hennessy,
was Shot and MORALLY wounded in the
parish prison by Thomas c. Duffy, a
brother of the cx-prize-ighter of that
name. Duffy informed Deputy Sheriff
Andry that he had called for the purpose
of seeing one OF the "Dagos" arrested for
the assassination of Chief Hcnnessy, as
he believed that he was able to identify
him. Scaliida came down, accompanied
within few inches of the gate to rccog-
nize who it was that wanted to see him.
Duffy. who was standing about foot from
the gate, with lightning-like motion
drew revolver from his hip-pocket and
putting it within few inches of Scaaida's
face pulled the trigger, and the Italian
with groan fell back in the corridor, the
blood squirting from IL wound in the left
side of the neck Duffy was disarmed.
While in the station Duffy said that if
the Italian died he was willing to hang.
He said: II only wish there were about
scvcnty-fve more men like me-" Duffy
was locked up.
When the wounded man reached the
Charity Hospital Judge Bringicr was sent
for, and, with his assistant, Judge Hollan-
der. arrived in few minutes. Scafida
was asked if he had anything to say be-
fore he died and replied in the affirmative.
About fifty arrests have been made and
there is every reason to believe the guilty
parties will he discovered.
One Italian has made confession which
duplicates several members of the society.
The ship Eliosca is coming up next week
with Italian INN grants on board. The
MAYOR has interviewed the custom house
authorities and as result they will so
down and meet the ship. Unless the i'm
migrants can satisfy the officers they are
desirable, financially and morally, they
will not be allowed to land.
Joe Macheca, who was arrested to-day,
has heretofore been considered promi-
nent Italian, above the murderOus plots OF
his more ignorant fellow cOuntrymcn.
Since his arrest some damaging evidence
has developed.
AN EXTENSIVE SOCIETY.
As vet the police have made little prog
rcss toward getting III the bottom facts
concerning the Malta. The question is,
who are its leaders? This honor is as
signed By some to Macheca, and by others
to one of the Matrangos. Giovanni Pro-
venzano, Pictro Provenzano, Nicolo, Gil
ulio, Antonio Pclagrini, Antonio Gianfor-
CARO- and Gaspardo Lombirdo have been
in the parish prison since last May, charged
with wounding, while lying in wait, Saliva
dor Sunzeri, Vincent Caruso and Tony
Matrango, all three of whom have been
arrested in connection with the assassina-
ton of Chief Hennessy. They talk quite
freely of the Hennessv murder and the