The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-05
rHE DREADED MAr1A aANe.

IN 4 bhEADED maria MANU-
Mr.. F. /. Patteson, native of North.
port, was policeman many years at
New Orleans, and has furnished the
Boothbay Register with the following
particulars Of his painful experience with
the dreaded Malta society of that city.
Mr.. Patteson now lives at BoOthbay. He
says: Reading in the Boston Globe about
the lynching of the Italians in New Or
leans brought to my mind the winter of
1871 and 1872, and what know about
the Malta society from personal expert
ence that winter.
| was n patrOlman on the Metropolitan
Police Force in the city of New Orleans
and learned something of stiletto rule,
for | carry six scars on my body as gem
tie reminders.
About the 10Th of December, 1871, /
was on duty from Cont street to Esplan-
ade street, which takes in about all of
the second district, where the Italians
and Sicilians live; also PiCayune pier,
which is the fruit wharf where all fruit
is landed. At that time j. p. Macheca
was about the only large fruit dealer in
New Orleans. There was an old negro
custom house officer who was stationed
on the wharf, and he had some trouble
with the Italians and was the means of
two of them being arrested and sent to
| Parish prison for sixty and ninety days
respectively. In about a week after a
| fruit vessel arrived and the same officer
was to beard her. He came down the
wharf with me and sat down to rest, for
it tired him to walk as he was very
large man and weighed about 200 pounds.
started down my beat toward Esplanade
street aud had got about block away
when heard the discharge of fire arms
and loud shouting. l turned and ran
back, made call for assistance and
started for the crowd that had gathered
in very few moments. | saw seven
Italians, each with shot gun, coming
off the wharf. They were all arrested
but one, who got clear. | then went
back to the wharf, found the officer lying
on his face, with the blood running out
of his nose and mouth, with one bullet
through his body, one through his arm
and one through his left leg We took
him to the Station House and he lived
about one hour The man that escaped
that day was not known to any of the
officers but me. | had been on that
wharf so long that knew all the men
that worked on fruit, and knew him well.
On or about the first of January, 1872,
word reached our station that the man
that escaped was hiding at the corner of
TchonpitOnlus and st. Ann streets. The
information was given with closed doors
and it was supposed that none knew it
but the officers of that station; but some
one gave it away as you will see later on.
was put on the night force with in
structions to watch said corner, stationed
at the French Market. | went on duty
at @ O'Clock and everything went on
smoothly week or two, and on the 10Th
of January, 1872, | went on duty at 9
o'clock as usual. 1t was nasty, rainy
night and about $3.50 p. m. / saw a man
coming through the market. When he
got abreast of me he stopped and gave
me note. put it in my pocket and
thought | would read it at my leisure.
thought no more of 1t at that time. At
10 p. m, the Sergeant came on my beat,
stopped few moments, and when he
started to go / saw something across the
street that looked suspicious and called
his attention to it. A window was up
on the corner and we heard some one
talking in Italian. The Sergeant told me
to go down the street block and he
would stop there, and for me to cross
over and get in the shadow of the block
and come up to the street to the corner
and not to make any noise. halted apd
stood in the doorway. | waited about
ten minutes when | heard door open
and shut. Soon man came in sight and
as he passed under the gas lamp l saw
that it was the man that had orders to
arrest. My heart jumped to my throat,
for l knew what kind of man had to
deal with; but with my superior watch
ing me dare not but to do my duty. |
soon saw that he was keeping close in
the shadow and would pass close to me.
drew my revolver and as he drew near
me l put it in his face and told him he
was my prisoner. He was somewhat
surprised and before he could recover
himself the Sergeant was there, and had
the nippers on him and off to the station
and locked him up.
While in the station | thought of my
note. took it and read it, and what |
read made my hair stand on end. l tell
you if had read that note before | ar
rested that man would have gone long
distance to keep out of sight of
him. But it was too late then. | made
up my mind that as soon as the month
was out | would resign and leave the
Crescent City far behind | showed the
warning to my captain and he told me
not to pay any attention to it, and could
go on day duty If | was afraid. But !
would not let him know that | was
troubled about it and stayed on the night.
One week from that night went on duty
as usual. shall never forget it as long
as live. was walking down through
the street, slowly, thinking of home and
| trying not to think of the warning had
received. | heard the clock in Jackson
Square strike the half hour and looked
at my watch and saw it pointed to half
past nine. ! put up my watch, looked
at my revolver, saw that it was all right.
| heard slight noise in one of the meat
stalls, turned round to see what it was
and | saw two men and dagger in the
air. | remembered no more until Tues
day afternoon, when came to my senses
in the hospital. They told me that /
was stabbed with dirk knife, six times,
and once clear through my body. The
knife entered the side of my backbone,
came out in front, besides four other bad
cuts in my back. The doctor said he
never knew of a case where man lived
with wounds where | received those. |
laid in the hospital three and One-half
months and was discharged as well as
ever, so the doctor told me; but can
feel those wounds as | get older, tell
you. Those men were tried by Justice
Macarthur in the police court, remanded
to Parish Prison without bail, tried in
the Third District Court by jury, found
not guilty, and discharged. l did not
stay in New Orleans long after got well
tell you, but started for the North
right smart, as they say down South.