The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-04-02
NEW ORLEANS TRAGEDY.
VERY INTERESTING ACCOUNT BY
A RESIDENT.
Story of the Malta and Its Ooings, Which
Led to the KilIing-OrderIY Conduct
ofthe Popuace-PatienceC Ceases
to Be a Virtue-ltaIian sin
denation."

GThe following article, or part OF
it at least, it will be observed, was
published last week. But in making
up the form one whole galley full OF
type, more than a column in length,
was lett out right in the middle. As
its incomplete form destroyed the sense
of the whole thing, we put in the part
omitted last week and print it entire.
EDITOR GOLD LEAF.
GRichmoud Tim9s.I
The following is letter just received
by a gentleman Of this city from a
prominent citizen of New Orleans who
has many warm friends in Richmond,
and who is known here as a ConServa-
tive man. He was one of the signers
Of the call for the mass meeting which
resulted in the New Orleans lynching.
The letter is calm and dispassion-
ate review of the whole matter, and
will be read with interest by our
people:
New ORLEANS, March 70, 81.
Ny DEAR ii know that you
will be glad to hear from me on &C
count of what occurred here on Satur-
day, March ID. Five days having
passed, dispasslonatc account can,
believe, now be given. You know
that near midnight on the 18th of Oc-
tober last the Chief of Police Of this
city was shot down in front Of mis-
home. He was not instantly killed,
and when asked who had shot him he
answered, "Dagoes. From this,
from evidence which rapidly began to
come in, and from the following facts,
it was soon understood that he had
fallen a victim to the Malta, an oath
bound society of low Sicilians, formed
for the purpose of secretly numbering
any one who stood in members way.
FACTS OF THE CASE.
The facts which | referred to above
are these: During last summer fac
ton of these Sicilians, known as the
Matrangas, were waylaid and desper-
ately wounded by another faction
known as the ProyenzanOs. When the
Provenzanos were brought up for trial,
the Matrangas, contrary to the ''Dago"
custom, for they have always refused
to testify against one another, came
into court and freely testified against
the Provenzanos. During the course
of the trial Chief of Police
Hennessy becmae convinced that
the Malta society was supplying per-
jured testimony. Mr.. Hcnnessy be-
ing 4 perfectly brave man, the best
chief of police New Orleans ever had,
conceived, believe, that by securing
damning evidence against the perjurers
he could land great number of Malta
members in the penitentiary and so
break up an organization which had
stained our city with 4 catalogue of
unpublished crimes.
ACOMPLETE RECORD.
In pursuance of this plan he is sup
posed to have collected from Italy and
elsewhere very complete record of
the criminal careers of these men.
The Provenzanos, who had been con-
victed, we're granted a new trial, and
it is not impossible that the Chief clio
tied from them much information
about the Malta. At any rate, he
went on weaving his net about the
leaders and members of the society.
POPULAR INDIGNATION AROUSED.
The new trial was set for a date in
October, and shortly before it Mr..
Hennessy was murdered-horribly
shot with small shot and Sings by
many men. Popular indignation was
intense, and our excellent Mayor ap-
pointed a committee of fifty represen-
,ative citizens to aid in seeing justice
done. AT the very outset of their in
veStigation the executive committee of
the citizens found that socalled pri-
vate detective, one DominICk O'Mal
ley, a convicted felon from Cleveland,
o., who had come here some years be-
tore and already gained a most moi
some reputation as blackmailer, sub
orner OF perjury and a jury-hxer, was
diligently plying his trade in favor of
the accused-tor number of Dagoes
had already been arrested for the
crime.
\ DAGO WARNING.
The executive committee at once
wrote to O'Malley, warning him to de-
Slst. and intimated that if he did not
they would drive him from the COM
munity. O'Malley returned a most
smpertlnent answer, asserting that he
would do as he pleased The execu-
tive committee then laid the correspon-
dence before the full committee, which.
after prolonged discussion, decided
that it would do nothing, not even
drive out O'AIalley in contravention of
the law. 1t called mass meeting of
the citizens, made known its policy,
and asked for large subscriptions to
aid in the prosecution of the case.
The policy was ratified, a moderate
amount OF money was obtained and
was expended in securing able counsel
to assist the State; the committee elect
ed new chairman, its first having
been very distasteful to one of our
morning papers, the Times Democrat,
which did not hesitate to attack him,
then threw cold water on the commit
tee and even went SO far as to speak
in defense of O'Malley, and here end
ed the usefulness of the committee and
the first chapter of the celebrated case.
CoRRUPTING THE JURY.
How unfortunate the adoption of