Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-15
THE AVENGERS.
New Orleans Deals the Malta
a Death Blow.
The People Rebuke a Mis-
carriage of Justice.
An Awful Vengeance Wreaked
on the Sicilian Assassins.
Eleven Of Chief Hennessy's
Murderers Dead.
The Citizens Rose as One Man and
An Awful Vengeance Wreaked
on the Sicilian AssassinS.
Eleven Of Chief Hennessy's
Murderers Dead.
The Citizens Rose as One Man and
Did the Terrible Deed.
Tho Jail Taken by Storm in Broad
Daylight and the Prisoners Shot
Down IN Their Cells
Like Dogs.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches
New ORLEANS, March 14.-New Or
leans struck the Malta death blow to.
day. 1t rose in its might, almost at
midday, and wreaked horrible ven
geance upon the Sicilian assassins who
relentlessly slew David G. Hennessy,
and though there are eleven men dead
tonight who were happy yesterday over
their victory in the greatest criminal
trial the city has ever witnessed, the
work of blood was accomplished without
unnecessary disorder, without rioting,
without pillaging, and without the in
fiicting of suffering upon any innocent
man save one, and he was only slightly
hurt. 1t was not an invisible midnight
mob. 1t was simply a sullen, deter
mined body of citizens, who took into
their hands what justice had ignomini-
ously failed to do.
The chief of police was slain on Octo-
Der 18th, and that very night evidence
began to accumulate, showing that his
death had been deliberately planned by
secret tribunal, and carried out boldly
and successfully BY the tools OF con-
spirators. The trial lasted twenty-five
days, and, though the evidence seemed
to be conclusive, the jury, currently
charged with having been tampered
with, failed to convict.
Last night body of cool-headed men,
lawyers, doctors, merchants and politi-
cal leaders-all persons of influence and
socil standing-quietly met and de-
cided that some action must be taken,
and he peoples
JUSTICE, SWIFT AND SURE,
visited upon those whom the jury had
neglected to punish. This morning the
call of mass meeting at Clay square,
on Canal street, appeared in the papers,
which edirorially deprecated violence.
The significant closing sentence of the
call was, "Come prepared for action"
Down in large room on Bienville and
Royal there was an arsenal provided by
a body OF citizens. The call was an
swered by the populace. At 10 O'Clock
there was crowd of several thousand
anxious people congregated around
the statue. They hardly knew what was
going to happen, but they seemed ready
to 60 any length, and while there were,
of course, many of the lower element in
the throng, a large proportion were
leading people of the town. There were
addresses, short and pithy and business
like, and the assemblage was soon
keyed up to high pitch, and demon
strative in it's denunciation of the assas-
sins. Each OF the speakers said there
had been a great mass meeting months
before, which had met quietly and dis
persed peacefully, SO that the law might
take its course.
THE LAW HAD FAILED.
The time to act had come.
w. S. Parkerson, the leader, is law
yer. He is president of the Southern
Athletic club, and the man who led the
reform movement three years ago.
Walker d. Deneger, another of the
speakers, is one Of the leaders of the
New Orleans bar. John G.. Wickliff,
also a prominent attorney, and James
d. Houston, one of the foremost men
of,the state, also spoke.
After denouncing Detective O'Malley,
who is alleged to have tampered
with the jury, the speakers an
IlOuACcU blCy WOulu ACd0 tnC
way to the parish prison. Mr.. Wycliff
concluded with these words 'sShall the
execrable Malta be allowed to flourish in
this city? Shall the Malta be allowed to
cut down our citizens on the public
streets by the foul means of assassina-
tion? Shall the Malta be allowed to
bribe jurors and let murderers 20 free?"
By this time the crowd had swelled to
three thousand or more, and before any
one could realize what had happened,
the great Thong. gaining recruits at
every step, wac tramping down the street
to the neighborhood of the prison. stop
ping only once, and that was at the ar
senal, where
SHOTGUNs, RIFLES AND PISTOLS
were handed out to the responsible and
respectable citizens in the party. The
starting Of the crowd had an electric
effect on the city. Soon the streets
were alive with people, running from all
directions and joining the main body
which moved down the rampant to the
jail, near Congo square. Doors and
windows were thrown open, and men,
women and children crowded the bal
comics to encourage those who were
taking part and to witness the scenes.
When the main crowd from Canal street
reached the prison, there had already
collected there dense crowd, all eager
to take hand in whatever might
happen.
When the vanguard Of armed citizens
squares from Canal street, that grim
old building was surrounded on all
sides. Sheriff Viller, when he heard
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