The Iola register., 1891-04-10
tn. o-iren or th. ,Iat,a

| Prof. Girard Barricelli, in speaking
to a Republic reporter yesterday in re-
gard to fhe letter of the Italian Consul,
2. Corte, which was addressed to the
Italian papers in New York and other
cities of the country on March 16, relat-
ing to the New Orleans massacre,
said: "Mr. Corte, the Italian Consul,
was right when he said that the blame
for this trouble ought to fall on the head
OF Mayor Shakespeare. 1t is evident
that there was party against the Ital-
ian prisoners who wanted to have them
| found guilty at any cost either for pecu-
ni9ry interests or because they wanted
to justify the charges which Mayor
Shakespeare had made in his proclama-
tion against the Italians before the trial.
The threatening letters which were sent
to Mr.. Corte, forbidding him to go to
the trial, showed that such party ex-
listed. | think that in the name of hui
manity, and TO show to coming genera
tions that in this century there is pro.
gress and civilization and justice in
both hemispheres, this dreadful page OF
history should be whitewashed, as it
were, by sending Nicols and Shake
speare, Parkinson, Wickliffe and Dene-
gre. and all the rest Of the mob, togeth.
er with all the French, Italian, Turk.
ish, Chinese, Arabian and other outlaws
who are swarming in New York. to the
| Samoan Islands or some other wild spot
until they learn that blood is not peces-
sary expect in self-defence.
As for the Malta, now that society is
not what it once was: it has degenerat-
ed from its noble origin, so that at pres
ent it is no different from Molly Ma
guires, Ku-Klux, White Caps or Bald
Knobbers, which are all united for sell
alone. will tell you the origin of the
word Malta and then hope the press
will stop using the word and call the
society by the proper name, outlaws.
The word Malta is made up of an
acrostic, each letter of which is the
initial of a sentence which was used first
at the time of the Sicilian Vespers, or
the revolt of Palermo, in the year 1882.
These words are Nlarte ALA Francia
Italia Amelia and the translation is
Death to the French or Death to
France Italy Desires 1t was the war
cry of the Sicilians during the revolt of
Palermo. The revolt and cry arose in
Tuesday that multitude of the inhabi-
tants of Palermo and the neighborhood
thronged to a church about half a mile
out of the town, dedicated to the Holy
Ghost. The religious services were
over and the merriment had begun; the
tables were spread and amusements of
all sorts, dancing and games, were 90
ing on under the trees. Everything
was going gaily on when the harmony
was suddenly interrupted and the joy
BUSINESS chilled by the appearance of a
body of French soldiery, under the pre-
text of keeping the peace.
The French mingled familliarly with
the people and paid court, not in the
most respectful manner to the women.
The young men made sullen remon-
strances and told them to go their way.
The Frenchmen began to draw together
saying. "These rebelliOus PaUerlns must
have arms or they would not venture on
such inSolence.' They then began to
search some of them for arms. The two
parties were already glaring at each
other angrily when the beautiful daugh-
ter of MaStrangelO, q maiden of exquis-
ite beauty and mOdesty. approached the
church with her bridegroom. A
Frenchman named Dronet, either in
wantomness or insult, came up to her
and under the pretence of searching for
arms. thrust his hand into her bosom.
The girl tainted in her bridegrooms arms
and in his agony he uttered the fatal
cry death to the French.' A youth
rushed forward and STABBED Dronet to
the heart with his sword, and was him
self struck down. The cry then ran
through the crowd and spread to the
city. Mastrangelo took the lead, and
every house was stormed, every corner
searched. The dress, the speach and
the manners Of the French denounced
them. Two thousand of them were
slain and piled in great pit,
and neither age, sex nor infancy was
spared by the insurgents. When a
Frenchman was seen the one who dis
covered him would shout, 'Mafa.' In
stead of using the long sentence, 'Morte
ALA Francia Italia Amelia which was
too long, they would simply shout the
one word 'Mafia,' which is composed OF
the initial letter of each word in the
sentence, and those who heard the cry
would turn on the Frenchman. When
person was suspected a being
Frenchman the Sicillians had queer
test by which they used to decide the
matter. A Frenchman cannot pro-
pounce properly the Italian word, 'ceci,
which means a sort of chickpease, or
brown pea with a little nose on the end.
The italian pronunciation is like
'chechi, but a Frenchman would have
to pronounce it like 'sesi,' using the soft
sound. When the suspect was caught,
if no other method could be found he
was made to pronounce cecil and if he
gave it the soft sound he was stabbed at
once.
This is the origin of the word Malta,
and it eventually designated the society
which used its means to defend the poor
and innocent against the agressions of
the rich when they could not obtain
justice. From this meaning, however,
the Malta has, as l have said. sadly
degenerated until now the society is no
better than outlows.
Population and Humidity.
The census Office has issued bulletin
upon the subject of the distribution of