The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-05-14
THE GRAND JURY.
THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR RE
RORT ON THE IYNCHING
In New Orleans Recently of Number
of Italians Who Were Alleged to
Have Been Members of the Malta.

of Italians Who Were Alleged to
Have Been Members of the Malta.
The Grand Jury, of New Orleans.
in concluding their report on the re-
cent lynching in that city of a num-
Der of Italians alleged to have heen
members of the Malta and directly
responsible for the assassination of
Chief of Police Hennesy says:
Directly connectd with all these
circumstances are the terrible events
transpiriDg on the 18th day of March
last, events which in themselves may
be charged as directly traceable to
the miscarriage of justice as develop
ed in the verdict rendered on March
13. We are deeply impressed with
the serious charge delivered by your
Honor to this body on the subject,
and at no time since have We lost
sight of the necessity for q thorough
investigation Of all the conditions
antecedent to it. We have engaged
ourselves most assiduously with the
examina tion of a large number of
witnesses, embracing those who were
present at the meeting on Canal
street in the vicinity of the parish
prison, as we'll as several hunred of
our fellow-citiZens taken from every
rank and class of society. 1t is
shown in the evidence that the gatn-
ering on Saturday morning, March
IA, embraced several thousands of
the first, best and even the most law
abiding of the citizens of this city,
assembled, as is the right of Ameri-
can citizens, to discuss in public meet
ing questions Of grave import. We
find a general sentiment among those
witnesses and also in our intercourse
with the people that the verdict rs
rendered by the jury was contrary to
the law and the evidence, and secured
mainly through the designing and
INSCRIPTIONS agents employed for
the special purpose of defeating the
ends OF justice. At that meeting the
determination was shown that the
people would not submit to the sur
render of their rights into the hands
of midnight assassins and their pow
erful allies.
1.-The assassination of the late
chief of police shows the culmina
ton of a conspiracy. His death was
deemed necessary to prevent the ex-
posure and punishment of criminals
whose guilt was being fast estab>
lished by his diligent pursuit.
THE LAW WAS PowERLEss.
"The condition of affairs in this
community as to certain class of
violaters of the law had reached
such state that the law itself was
we'll nigh powerless to deal with
them, SO far-reacLing was their pow
er and influence in the trial of Grim
inal cases. Good citizens were pro-
foundly impressed by the repeated
and signal failures of justice. The
arts of the perjurer and briber seem
ed to dominate in the courts, paral>
yzing and rendering powerless the
ends of justice. Certainly this was
a desperate situation. In the public
meeting above referred to, general
and spontaneous in characterize
truly Indicating an uprising of the
masses-we doubt il any power al
the command of the authorities
would have been sufficient to over
come its intentions. Evidence is be
fore US from official sources thai
eleven persons were killed in the at
tack on the parish prison in the care
full examination as to citizenship o.
those men we find that eight o.
, them were beyond question Ameri
can citizens, and another had de
| clared his intention in this court
| which act carries with it the renun
clation Of allegiance to his native
| country.
NO INDIVIDUALS TO BLAME.
'It is a noteworthy fact in con
nection with the uprising that no in
jury whatever was done to eithe
person or property beyond the on
act hich seemed to have been tn
object of the assemblage at the par
ish prison. We have referred to tn
large number of citizens participat
| ing in this demonstration, estimate,
by judges at from 5000 to 5000, re
garded as spontaneous uprising O
the people. The magnitude of thi
| affair makes it difficult task to fl
the guilt upon any number of tn
participants-in fact, the act SCENE
to involve the entire people of tn
parish and city of New Orleans, S
profuse is their sympathy and o.
= tended their connection with the al
fair.
s'In view of these consideration
the thorough examination OF til
subject has failed to disclose th
necessary facts to justify this gran
jury in presenting Indictments"