Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-27

the killing of Rufo but being in the
conspiracy against Chief Hennessy and
one of the leaders of the murder society.
In the quarrel between the Provenza-
nos and the Matrangos, which broke out
In May OF this year, the police saw a
chance of getting at the bottom of these
assassinations, This case, by-the-by,
was the only one in which the assassins
failed to kill their men. They were
waylaid and fired on, just as Hennessy
was, on dark night, by band of six
men armed with the same folding guns.
The Matrangas happened to be in cart
at the time, and this saved their lives.
They were badly wounded, literally rid
died with bullets, but they escaped
alive, Tony Matrango and Vincente
Caruso being left crippled for life, the
former losing leg in the affair.
The police, by unusual efforts, were
able to get some evidence in this case to
make some arrests. Before the trial
came up, however, another assassina-
tion followed, the victim being Camille
Victoria, one of the witnesses in the
case. 1t was remarkably bold crime,
but the police had not the slightest clew
as to who committed it. Victoria was
playing cards with some friends in an
Italian restaurant and clubhouse. There
were five men at the table with him and
several women and children around.
The room was in the rear of the house
and private alleyway ran back of it.
Suddenly, the short barrel of folding
gun was thrust in the window, near
which Victoria sat, and the muzzle
placed close to the back of his head.
There was report, and the next mo-
ment Vlctoria's brains were scattered
over the table and cards and even over
his friends. They sprang up.
There was no one in the alleyway but
woman and child; she had seen no
man pass. The police arrested every
body iii Oh about the house, for it
seemed impossible for the crime to have
been committed without their collusion,
but not a scintilla of evidence was ever
produced, and the murder of Victoria
must be classed with the many other
unexplained assassinations of New Or
leans. No one will3 ever know whether
Victoria was killed to prevent him
testifying or because the Stopagherra
suspected him of treachery. He was
the last member of his family, his
father and brother having been both as
sassinated in the same way.
1t would be useless to 20 over all the
other assassinations, the story is 30
similar in all respects. The victim was
either waylaid, as Hennessy was, or shot
from behind like Victoria. The MUIR
derers never gave him the slightest
chance to defend himself. They fire
from ambush; if possible they shoot or
stab from behind Nearly all the wounds
inflicted by them are in the back of the
head. In this way Antonio Ferrara,
Antonio Bonardo, Paulo Vitrano, An
tonic Labruso, Andrea Bonneto, Pietro
Vitrano, Colone Nicola, Pietro Grogeo,
Diego Couleso, Juliano Casano, Agostino
Fellero, were all killed in the last few
years. Their deaths were unavenged
unless their relatives took up the cause
and declared vendetta.
The Stopagherra has wisely confined
it's operations to Italians, for whenever
it tried assassination on Americans it
has always aroused great popular ex-
citement against "the dagoes." Only
three natives are known to have been
killed by the Italian assassins, and
each case has aroused the most intense
excitement, IN which the Italians have
suffered greatly. The assassination of
Norbert Trepagner, q creole and clerk
OF court, resulted in an anti-dago riot in
which number of Italians lost their
lives. Again the assassination of Gus
tave Laferranderie, also q creole and q
police officer, produced riot in which
dozen Italians were killed, or, Jump
ing in the river to escape their assail-
ants, were drowned. So the murder of
Chief of Police Hennessy has so in
famed the population that the authori-
ties have had much difficulty in pre-
venting hostile demonstration against
''the dagoes."
1t is popularly supposed that Hen
messy would have broken up the Malta
had he lived, for he had undertaken
this great task and he seldom failed.
Whether his successor will be able to
do SO remains to be seen. Firm, vigor-
GUS action is demanded by the people,
and the city authorities, the police, the
citizens committee of safety are CO.
operating to get at the membership of
this murder society, to break up the or
ganization, to find and hang the muir
derers of Hennessy, to drive from New
Orleans the brigands, assassins and
hired "bravos," who have carried on
their business here for so many years,
and who have killed anyone who dared
get in their way The Pinkertons have
agreed to assist and fund of $4,000
is being raised by the citizens commit
tee to assist in this good work of break
ing up the murder society.
1t is now war to the knife between
the Malta and American law, order and
civilization. Unless the society is
crushed the life OF no man in New
Orleans who has joined the movement
against it is safe.
Whar, ra1rch 10 inn toan o,. 40 Hoon do