The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-25

fitting them, would result only in something
worse One OF them, however. Ben Ono
ratio, wealthy Itfnan resident of New Or
leans, complained TO Mayor Shakespeare,
de said that he had been plundered Of
thousands of dollars by these criminals, and
that his life had been made miserable by
their threats. He was promised all the aid
OF the police TO protect him, but at the last
moment he became alarmed and refused
TO furnish the authorizes with the papers
which might have helped 10 track the black
mailers
This mode of brigandage is attributed to
Esposlto, who, during his long residence in
New Orleans, reOrganiZed his old band on
this new basis, which was found so much
more satisfactory than the Sicilisn plan Of
carrying of the victim and demanding
ransom.
If this brigandage or Matchmaking is
more or less concealed it is impossible for
the Stopagherra to conceal its murders, for
there are the bodies to show for them.
These number thirty in all in the past
sixteen years. Nearly all the crimes were
committed in the same way and under the
same circumstances, showing that if any
evidence to that effect was needed that they
were committed by the same gang Of men.
The gang chosen for a murder generally
numbered five or six "greenhorns,n that is,
newly arrived immigrants, who, it is re-
ported, are paid from S25 to 500 cash for
their work. The men are perfect strangers
to the victim. He is pointed out
to them. and they are told that they must
Kill him. There is no hurry OF impotence.
The work is done carefully and deliberately,
with every precautiOn taken to prevent de-
lection, and the assassins may wait a month
for favorable 1portunity. They want a
dark, rainy night, just such night as
Hennessy was killed on. They completely
surround their victim. men being stationed
at every corner, so that there will be no
chance for him to escape or for assis lance
to come to him.
THEIR FOLDING GUNS.
The Italian assassin of New Orleans has
long since abandoned the stiletto. Occa-
sionelly the banana knife, a more effective
weapon, is used; but the blunderbuss or
sawed-off musket is the favorite. 1t is OBJ
jectionable In this, that it makes noise and
alarms the police, but it has the merit that
it never fails. In the long list of men thus
attacked there is only one instance of the
victim escaping alive, and in the Matranga
case both Matranga and Caruso were rid
died with balls, and, under ordinary cir
cumstances, would have lost their lives, but
instead only lost their legs
The sawed-off or folding musket is an old
double-barreled shotgun, the barrel of which
inches. The stock is also removed and an
other fitted to it with hinge. The weapon,
therefore, is like a clasp-knife, three feet
or more in length, but when closed only
fifteen inches. The Italian using it can
easily conceal the gun in his coat or pants,
effectually hiding it, When it is ready for
use he opens it and be has double-barreled
musket which will shoot further and better
than a revolver. This is loaded to the
11uz11a with rough sluors which ttar in
firing, and which tear the victim badly.
Nearly all of the men killed by the Stopa-
gherra have been found with from six to
ten fatal wounds.
The capture of the brigand opposite by
Hennessy in 1881, aud his surrender to the
Italian government resulted in several kill
ings. The Stopagherra determined to
avenge the betrayal of their comrade.
Within few days of tho capture of the
brigand Antonio Labruso, the man who had
pointed him out, was waylaid and assassi-
mated on Exchange alley. The murder was
identical with that of Hennessy. Labruso
was killed about midnight on a dark night,
and the weapons used were the same folding
muskets employed in dispatcbing "the
chief" one of them being found in the gutter.
Three men assisted in dispatching Labruso.
HELD IN GREAT DREAD.
stThe great dread in which men who are
supposed to belong to the Stopagherra are
held by the Italian population Of New
Orleans was we'll shown in the case of Vim
cente Buffo who was killed here four years
ago. Buffo was asssssinated on st. Philip
street about midnight. That thoroughfare,
however, is densely populated by Italians,
and it 30 happened that more than a dozen
saw the crime committed. Yet when the
public began to investigate the case all the
witnesses became suddenly stricken dumb
and blind.
THE BLOODY LIST.
1t would be useless to go over all the
assassinations, the story is 50 similar in all
respects. The victim was either waYlald,
as Hennessy was, or shot from behind. The
| murderers 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,
Colone Nicola, Pietro Grogeo, Diego
| Couleso, Juliano CASINO, Agostino Fellero,
were all killed in the last few years. Their
deaths were unavenged unless thelr rela-
tives took up their cause and declared a
| vendetta.
The Stopagherra has wisely confined its
| operations to Italians, for whenever it tried
assassination on Americans it has always
aroused great popular excitement 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 Ital-
ians have suffered greatly. The attempted
assassination of Norbert Trepagnier, Gre
ole and clerk of court, resulted in an anti
| Dago riot, in which number of Italians
lost lives. Again, the assassination of Gus
tave Laferranderie, also Creole and po-
| lice officer, produced a rio5 in which dozen
Italians were killed, or, jumping into the
river to escape their assailants, were
| drowned.