The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-16

~2SSaSF'"' Geracci, Ja%ss
DAVID c. nENNEssr. itez, Petro Monns-
terio, Louis Trahina. Frank Romero,
Manuel Polizzi, Antonio Bagnetto.
At tho Prison.
Capt. Lem Davis was on guard at the
main entrance with scant force of
deputies. They were swept away like
chaff before the wind. and in an instant
the little ante room leading into the
prison was jammed with eager, excited
men.
Meanwhile the prisoners were stricken
with terror, for they could hear dis
tinctly the shouts of people without,
0adly demanding their blool. limo
cent and guilty alike We're frightened
1ut OF their senses, and those who were
charged with crimes other than conf
plicitly in the murder of the chief also
shared in the general Generalization.
The deputies, thinking to deceive the
crowd by "a ruse, transferred ths nine
teen men to the female departmental AMI
there the miserable Sicilians trembled
in terror, until the moment when the
doors would yield to the angry throng
on the outside,
Capt. Davis refused the request to
open the doors of the prison. and the
crowd began the work Of battering in
the doors. Around on Orleans street
there was u heavy wooden door, which
had been closely barred in anticipation
OF the coming of the avenging inass
This the crowd selected as their best
chance of getting in. Neighboring
houses readily supplied axes and batter
ing rams. and willing hands went tn
work TO force an opening. This did not
prove difficult task to the determined
throng. Soon there was crash. the
door gave way, and in an instant armed
citizens were pouring through the small
opening, while mighty shout went up
from ten thousand throats. There was
more resistance for the intruders, how
ever, but it too was soon overcome with
the huge billet of wood which stout
man carried. Then the turnkey was
oyerpowered and the keys were taken
from him.
Killed In Cold Blood.
.sGo to the female department, some
one yelled, and thither the men, with
their Winchesters, ran, But the door
was locked. In moment the key was
produced. Then the leader called for
some one who knew the right men, aud
volunteer responded and the door was
thrown open, A party OF seven or eight
quickly assembled the staircase, and as
they reached the landing the assassins
fled down Mt the other end. Half a
dozen followed them.
Scarcely word was spoken. 1t was
the time for action. When the pursued
and their pursuers reached the stone
court yard the former darted toward
the Orleans side OF the gallery and
crouched down beside the cells. Baing
unarined they were absolutely defense
In nd
screamed for mercy. But the avengers
were nlerciless. and a deadly rain of
bullets poured into the crouching
figures.
Gerachi, the closest man, was struck
In the back of the head, and his body
pitched forward and lay immovable on
the stone basement.
10 his knees, with his face
~ $40 hands, and in that position was
Bhot to death.
Monastero and James Caruso fell to-
gether under the fire of half dozen
guns. the leaden pellets entering their
bodies and heads, and the blood gushing
from the wounds.
Riddled with Bullets
The executioners did their work we'll,
and beneath the co ntinuing fire Come
tox and Trahinia, two of the men who
had not been tried, but who were
charged jointly with the other accused,
fell together Their bodies were liter
ally riddled with buckshot, and they
were dead almost before the fusillade
WIS over.
When the group of assassins was dis
covered on the gallery, Macheca, Scot
fedi and old man Marchesi separated
from the other six and ran up stairs.
Thither half dozen men followed
them, and as the terror stricken assas-
sins ran into cells tn ey were slain. Joe
Macheca, who was charged with being
the arch conspirRt or, was a short,
fat man. and was summarily dealt
with. He had his back turned when
o shot struck him Immediately
behind the ear, and his death was
instantaneous. There was no blood
from the wound, and when the body
was found the ear was swollen SO as to
Z hide the wound, which the coroner had
great difficulty IN locating.
Scoffedi, one of the most yillainous Of
the assassins, dropped like a log when q
bullet hit him in the eye. Old man
Marchesi was the only one who was not
killed outright. He was struck in the
top Of the head while he stood beside
Macheca. and though he was mortally
wounded lie fingered all the evening be-
---- asi-a
H