River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-03-19


lie was not killed outright, and in
order to satisfy the people on the out
side, who were crazy to know
what was going on within, he
was dragged down tie stairs and
through the doorway by which the
crowd had entered Half carried. half
dragged, he was talSeli to the corner
a rope was provided and tied around
his neck and the people pulled him up
to the cross-bars. Not satisfied that he
was dead, score of men took aim and
fired volley of shot into his body, and
for several hours his body was left
dangling in the air.
Bagnetto was caught in the first rush
upstairs and the first volley of bullets
pierced his brain. He was pulled out
by number of stalwart men through
the main entrance TO the prison and
from the limb of a tree his body was
suspended, although life was already
gone.
just as soon as the bloody work " 5
done Mr. Patterson addressed the
crowed, and asked them to dispense
This they consented TO do with a
ringing shout, but first they made
rush for Patterson, and, lift
ing him bodily, supported him on
their shoulders while they marched
up the street. The avengers came
back in BODY to the Clay statue, and
then depart d. Immense crowds
rushed from ali directions to the neigh
borhood of the tragedy, while the
streets in front of the newspaper Offices
were blocked with people anxious 10
see the latest bulletin.
There was intense but suppressed ex-
element, and from one end of the city
to the other the action of the citizens
was applauded.
Coroner Lemoniere reached the pris-
on al 1890 o'clock and viewed teh
bodies of the ten men. They were
stretched out in the prison. The YER
diet was that the men had come to their
death at the hands of unknown
parties Sheriff Villere was not
at the prison when the mob reached
there. He was hunting the mayor in
order to have the police ordered out.
Attorney General Rogers also hunted
up the mayor p, did the Italian consul
but they Were una BILE to find him, and
the work vas done before the mayor or
the governor could interfere.
The leaders in the movement repre-
sentiig the best citizens held "a secret
meeulg Saturday night and discussed
the occurrence of the day and the ac-
ton to be taken in the future 1t was
deci led that there should be no more
bloodshed, but that the men who have
not yet been tried for the murder as
well as those who suborned the wit
nesses and the jury shall be vigorously
prosecuted before the courts OF the city
The jurors in the IlenneSsy case are
also reaping a bitter harvest Walter
Livandais, a clerk in the Southern Pa-
cific railway, was discharged, as his
fellow clerks refused TO work with him.
J. NJ. Seligman, the foreman, was part
ner with his brother in the jewelry
business. The brother has dissolved
the partnership. The clubs and ex-
changes of which lac was a member ex-
PEELED him and he sought to leave
town Saturday afternoon A mob cap
tured him on the road TO the depot, but
he was rescued by the police and has
been concealed by his friends.
Governor Nichols said that the Ital-
ian consul had called ON him at his
office Saturday morning, and that he
had asked interference and protection
for Italian subjects in the parish prison
who were threatened with mob vio-
lence. The matter had not been called
officially to the governors atten-
ton. and the call for the military
would have TO come through the mayor
of the city. No such demand had been
made When the consul called on the
governor the crowd had already started
toward the prison. Mayor Shakespeare
says that his aid had not been invoked,
and when it reached the office it was all
over. He had not asked any aid OF the
governor.
The prison officials are somewhat in
censed over the censure at their failure
to make more formidable defense.
They say that they did not give up the
keys, and that when the crowd broke
in all the officers were found at
their posts Had they fired az
the crowd it would have caused the
storming and perhaps destruction of
the prison and the sacrifice of
many innocent lives within and out
side the Jail At all times they refused
to give up the keys until driven into a
corner when they were compelled to.
Even then they did not designate the
location of any of the prisoners The
prisoners in the yard gave this informa-
ton.
THE story OF the murder is one OF the most
sensational chapters Of crime ever recorded in
this country Chief OF Police David G. Hen
messy had long believed that conspiracy ex-
listed among a band Of Italian or Sieilian Grim
inals to take his life. He had run down
several crimes perpetrated by tho
Malta and he believed that organization.
which usually confines its acts Of sanguinary
vengeance to its own cOuutrymen, had re-
solved on his death. He went about armed
and ever on the alert. Yet death came
to him uuprepared. Near midnight on October
Is he was returning to his home on Girod
street on foot He had got near his own house
and was walking on Girod street, between
Rampant and Basin streets, when a yoiley was
suddenly poured on him from the other side of
the street. Locking quickly over, he saw
by the smoke that the assassins were
under the shelter of an old frame build
ing, and he commenced 10 blaze away
take aim and his fire was naturally Ineffective
although there is reason 10 believe that he hit
at least one OF the murderous gang He was
simply riddled with bullets, slugs and buck.
shot. He sought refuge in a ueighboring house
from which he was later taken away in an am
bulance. He had six wounds many of them
big jagged punctures of the abdomen and he
died next morning
New Orleans was in a wild ferment next
morning, and fierce threats Of violence were
uttered against all Italians. Lynching was
openly advocated and arrests were indiscrimi-
nately made Nearly fifty Italians were
placed behind the bars of whom nineteen
were indicted. Owing to the presence Of
stenographer in the grand jury room q
motion by defendants counsel to quash the in
dictment was granted. but later the same
men were indicted again. The city contrib
uted $4,000 for the prosecution and
public feeling continued TO be excited.
Mayor Shakespeare was accused Of losing
his head and acting from panic and the
Italian consul did his best to show that the
whole prosecution was the result Of unlusti-
fable race prejudice. The indictments were
as follows: One for murder and two for
sh 0ting with intent to kill while lying in
wait against Peter Natal, Antonio Scardi
Antonio Bagnetto Manuel Politz, Autolfo
Marchesi Pietro Monsstero, Bastlano Incor-
dona, Salvador Sunzeri, Loretto Comitz
Charles Trachina and Charles Poiiza Access
series before the fact. J. p. Macheca, James
Caruso Charles Matranga, Rocco Geruie
Charles Patorno, Frank Romero, John Caruso
and Asper Marchesi as accessories.
The case against the alleged conspirators
was called for trial February IS, when it was
announced that a severance would be taken
and that only nine OF the nineteen accused
would he arraigned at that time These
nine are: Charles Matranga the reputed
chief OF the Malta in New Orleans Pietro