The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-05-14

Italian origin, using their power for
the basest purposes, be it said to their
eternal disgrace. The larger number
of the societu is composed of Italians
and Stella S, who left their native
land, in most instances, under assumed
names to avoid conviction and punish
ment for crimes there committed and
others were escaped convicts and
bandits, outlaws in their own land
seeking the city of New Orleans for
the congenial companionship OF their
own class. These men knew the swift
retribution of the law in Italy, for
hundreds have been shot down at sight
by the military in the mountains of
Sicily without a second thought.
To-day there is recorded in the Of
flee of the Italian Consul in this city
the names of some 100 Italians and
Siciliaus landed here during several
years past showing the official records
of their criminality in Italy and Sicily.
Hundreds of them are among us
to-day. We doubt not the Italian
government would rather be rid Of
them than be charged with their Gus
tody and punishment Such is the
we'll known character of part of the
Italian colony, as it is called who are
domiciled in this city and its vicinity.
1t cannot be questioned that secret Or
CARNATIONS whose teachings are hostile
to the fundamental principles of the
Government of the United States,
must be a continual menace to the
good order of society and the material
welfare of the people.
Whether the name of the Malta,
Socialist, Nationalist, or whatever it
may be, whether located in New Or
leans, Chicago or New York, the
meetings of their members create and
disseminate seditious opinions with
manifest tendency toward overt acts,
whose commission partakes of the
rankest treason. We may say that the
many societies created and chartered
for the laudable purpose of exercising
influence in the various departments of
body polite, enjoy hearty approba-
ton and are productive ofgood results.
But IN marked contrast to all those in
the Mafia, whose every thought and
act is in opposition to law and order,
as contemplated by every nation of
the civilized world, and in open de-
fance of the statutes of this State and
nation and the cherished traditions of
our people.
The law is truly regarded as the
emblem of the wisdom of all ages, and
its just execution the safeguard of So
ciety by the punishment of the trans
gressor ; its just execution expresses the
will of the people in the condemnation
of crime, but where this lofty principle
is condemned by the practice Of assas-
sination for revenge or spite and con-
cealment under the most binding
oaths renders powerless the efforts of
the law to reach the chief actors and
to secure witnesses, it becomes the
duty of the people in the exercise OF
their sovereign rights to issue their
decree of condemnation. That YER
dict has been rendered-the power o1
the Malta is broken-it must be de-
stroyed as an element OF danger, a
creation of leprous growth in this COM
munity.
Taking into account the mass OF
evidence presented, which is only par
TALLY summarized in the foregoing, it
becomes our painful duty to make a
declaration most severe in its reflection
upon the action of some of the jury
men. We are SO deeply impressed
with the facts of the case that the
moral conviction is forced upon Us
that some of the jurors empanelled to
try the accused on the charge of the
assassination of the late chief of police
were subject to money influence to
control their decision.
Some of the jurors themselves have
testified in most emphatic terms that
if it had not been for the persistent
and we'll directed efforts of three o.
the jurymen, most conspicuous from
the time that body was empanelled
the verdict would have been material,
different from that rendered. This i:
sad and terrible commentary from
their associates on the jury, as agains
those whose every action was intended
to make them the controlling power.
A thousand words are devoted tt
discussing the immigration question
and then the report deals with the
lynching affair as follows:
In the presentation of the mair
features given to us as evidence, con
densed as far as possible by the selec-
ton of the most important portions O
the inquiry, we have referred mainly
to the evidence bearing upon the tria
of nine accused in section "B" of thi:
honorable court, but directly connected
with all thosc circumstances are ths
terrible events transpiring on the 14th
day Of March last, events which ii
themselves may be charged as directl,
traceable to the miscarriage of justice
as developed in the verdict rendered
on March 18th.
We are deeply impressed with thu
serious charge delivered by your homo
to this body on the subject, and at nj
time since have we lost sight OF th'
necessity for thorough investigation
of all the conditions antecedem to it
We have engaged ourselves most as
siduously with the examination of
large number of witnesses, embracin,
those who were present at the meetin
on Canal street, in the vicinity of tn
Parish prison, as several hundred G
our fellow citizens taken from ever
rank and class of society.
IT iS Shour1 in the eyi1 ep~o fhof fh