Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-03-16
NEW ORLEANS TRAGEDY.
ITALY ENTERS A PROTEST TO
OUR GOvERNs1ENT.

Secretary Blaine writes a Letter
to the Governor Of I.Ouisiana--
New Orleans quiet TO-tlay-A
Juror COnFesRes--COs,am ON
the killing.
NEW ORLEANS, La, March 16.-The
facts in the killing of the men accused of
numbering Chief Of Police Hennessy are
as follows so far as yet ascertained:
When on Friday the jury brought in a
verdict Of not guilty against six Of the
Italians on trial and disagreed as to the
other three, the press unanimously de-
nounced the verdict, and declared that
the Jury had been bought. The grand
jury had already found indictments
against two men charged with tanper-
ing with the jury, and other indictments
were expected. Mr.. Seligman, the fore
man OF the jury, explained that the jury
had found is verdict because it did not
believe the state witnesses, but his ex-
planation was derided. The jury stood
twelve for the acquittal of Macheca, En-
carcada. Matrazo, the two Marchesis,
and Bagnetto, and nine to three for the
conviction of the others.
Nine of the jurors regarded with suspi-
cion the three dissenting jurors, and one
of them expressed the opinion that these
Jurors were bought. The excitement
over the verdict reached fever heat as
the news Of the alleged bribery became
known and great excitement followed:
A call was drawn up by L. H. Farrar, a
lawyer and president of the committe of
law and order, as follows:
"All good citizens are invited to attend
mass meeting on Saturday, March IA,
at O'Clock p. M, at the Clay statue, to
take steps to remedy the failure of justice
in the Hennesy case. Come prepared for
action"
This call was signed bv forty men of
high standing in the community, includ
ing lawyers, merchants and others
Among the signers was Z. T. Liche, com.
missioner of public works of the city.
After the publication of the call for a
mass meeting it was well understood
that there would be violence and plenty
of time was afforded in which to fortify
the Jail, a building easily capable ofbeing
protected. But the mayor did not detail
the police and the sheriff did not swear
in any deputies to protect the building
1t was also well understand that the
police would not fight to save the MUIR
derers, and would welcome their lynch
ing.
AT 10 a. NJ. Saturday the crowd began
to gather in answer to the call drawn
up by f. H. Farrar. The gathering was
addressed by w. S. Parkerson, man of
ability, a leader who declined the office
| of city attorney when he could have had
that or any other office in the gift of the
people, He said in part;
Grimes must meet prompt punish
ment, but whenever and wherever the
courts fail, whenever jurors are recreant
to their oaths, and perjurers and suborn-
crs are present, then is the time for the
people to do what courts and jurors have
failed to do"
Walter Denegre, lawyer and a large
property holder, also addressed the
crowd. He said: 81 charge that the
jury has been tampered with, that it has
been bought" John c. Wickiffe, a law
yer and one of the editors of the Delta
newspaper, also spoke. Hesaid: Shall
the Malta be allowed to bribe Jurors to
let murderers go free? Are you to stand |
BY idly and powerless, or shall you band |
together and drive that infamous band |
Of miscreants from the city," Cries of
1--WE are ready" Come on; lead on to |
the parish prison" Death to the Sicil- |
ian assassins." ""Down with the Mafa."l
The crowd was yelling itself hoarse |
Fury ungovernable was evident through |
out that immense assemblage. Some
one yelled: Shall we get our guns"
And Mr.. Parkcrson answered, yes.
The mob made the distance toward the |
prison, twelve squares, in ten minutes.
There was no noise save the tramping of
feet. There was no noise save the tramp
ing of feet. The men armed with rifles, |
most of whom were young, went smiling
as though they were on picnic At the
the jail but one man offered any resis-
tance, Capt. Lem DAVIS, who refused the
mob the keys. Nevertheless the inside |
was soon reached by tiftv men especially
delegated for the work. They told OIL
six men to do the shooting. They found
the prisoners crouching in the women's
department. Some were shot down like
dogs, one was dubbed to death, two
were hanged. One of the latter, Polizzi.
was dragged out before the crowd on the
streets. He was aghast with terror and
and was evidently mad. He was with
out coat or hat, wore red flannel shirt,
and his black hair was disheyelled. The
crowd called to the armed men to lynch
him, and he was dragged down to the
corner of Marais and St. Anne streets
and strung up in full view of thousands,
After the lynching there was another
mass meeting, at which Parkersen said:
Lynch law, gentlemen, is a terrible
thing, but the Malta must cease in New
Orleans from this moment and forever.
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