The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-03-19
THE TERRIBLE MAFIA.
THE STORY OF THE MURDER OF HEN.
MESSY AS TOLD BY A CITIZEN.
The Murderers OF the Chief pIentifully
Supplied With Money for the Pnr.
poses Of Defense and Brlbery-The
City Ont $4,000.

ivy oht cooiVVV.
TO De Editor Of the Stn;
Sin; Many newspapers throughout the
country have expressed disapproval Of
the action OF the citizens of New Orleans
ON Saturday in executing eleven Sicilian
assassins. Let me lay the entire matter
before them through the SIN and ask i'm
partial judgment whether the citizens
were not right In their action. There are
some 10000 Italians in New Orleans, of
whom a quarter are Scilians. OF these
the great majority are pcaceable, orderly
and industrious. There are, perhaps, 200
or less bad ones, mainly refugees from
J ally, several Of them ex.convicts, or
former bandits. robbers, thieves and
bravafos, who can he hired to commit
murder.
Among these men the famous bandit
Esposito found q pleasant refuge, and
here he lived for several years aud piled
hrs trade OF briRandage rs he had done In
Italy. He and the other men OF his class
carried on system Of Matchmaking, call
ing Tor large sums OF money and threaten
ing the lives OF those who did not pay.
They confined these robbcries 10 men of
their own nationality, and the wealthiest
Italian resident of New Orleans was
robbed Of thousands Of dollars In this way.
His mind finally gave. way under the
threats. He complained to the Mayor,
but afterward became so frightened at
the Malta that he begged the Mayor not to
investigate the matter.
Nor was robbery the only crime COM
mitted by these men. Thirty odd assas-
sinations, not murders simply, Is the
bloody record since 1895, aud for not one
az these crimes Is single man suffering
punishment to-day. In majority OF
these cases the victims were shot down
without witness. More than one was
killed In broad daylight with hundreds Of
Italians looking on, but the latter, when
brought to court, swore In every instance
that they saw nothing or did not rcc,og-
witnesses this evidence was Offset by aiibis
proved by Sicilians, hired 10 testify the
same as they were hired 10 kill. II was
accepted as q fact beyond dispute that no
Italian, however bloody his record, could
be found guilty Of murder. The police
seldom interfered in these killings. They
terry of which they could not unrave.
Mr.. Hennessey, as Chief OF Police, took
different view OF the matter. He was
skilled detective. He 1t was who had run
down and tracked the bandit Esposto in
New Orleans and turned him over to the
Italian Government and he believed that
IL was possible to get at the truth of these
Italian assassinations. When, therefore,
vendetta broke out between the two
leading Italian factions here the Proven
zanos and Matrangos, he determined to
investigate 1t and began to make inquiries
through our consul abroad as to the
character Of some of the Sicillians in this
city whom he believed to have crimna
records abroad
The Provenzanp- case was fixed for
October IS, and Hennessy was called rs a
witness in it. Three days before the trial
be was shot dewn. at midnight by five
Italians, within few steps of his house:
They fired three volleys at him, and
filed him with slugs and buckshot to
make sure of his death. The crime was
SO heinous-for he was shot by criminals
who feared he would expose their career
and bring them to justice-that the whole
community was aroused. BY prompt ac-
ton the police caught the murderers be-
fore they were able to get away from
D convict them.
~ The evidence was overwhelming. The
n passins had been less careful than usual,
I'D D half dozen persons saw them as they
.sotdown Hennessy. When the authors
ties announced their intention OF punish
ing the murderers an attempt was made
to frighten them from this work by anony-
nous threats of assassination. The popu.
lar indignation was intense, and the Mayor
appointed committee of citizens, EN-
bracing people Of all nationalities, bankers,
merchants, lawyers, and all classes, to
watch the case, so many persons felt con-
WINGED that there was no chance of con-
viCting Sicilian murderer.
There was great deal OF talk about
lynch law. The newspapers, however,
protested so loudly that everything should
be done in an orderly and legal way, that
the idea of lynch law was abandoned,
and II was resolved to prosecute the as
c.x.o hAfAr AtxA - al -
the same time notice was given that IL
I. there was any tampering with justice
there would be an appeal to the people
direct.
( The defense had all the money it
wanted. 1t was able to employ any num-
her Of lawyers, one receiving 10000 for a
(, fee. Il collected $4,000 in New Orleans
by threatening Italians with the i'll will
OF the Malta unless they contributed to
the defense fund. II had money for
Jurors and witnesses. When the case was
( well under way it was discovered that the
jury had been tempered with. Half a
n dozen members Of the panel had been
M approached, and brides had been offered
TO them. The grand jury issued three in
diCtments for jury bribery.
When the case came to trial the testi-
4 mOny OF the State was far stronger than
was expected. The murderers had been
seen and identified in the very act OF
murder and the entire conspiracy was
laid bare. The defense was ready with
the usual Sicilian evidence, proving alibis
4 forall the murderers, but the identifica-
ton was too strong for this. and what
l then was the surprise Of the people when,
after being out . short time, the jury re-
turned with a Verdict acquithng six OF the
1 nine assassins and a mistrial as 10 the
SsSr ss5ss sya vote Of to IN favor Of
The city had spent s56,0oO In this case
only 10 turn the murderers loose. NAgain
\ had il been demonstrated that tits i'm
possible to convict an Italian of crime IN
New Orleans, and that he can commit
murder with safety. The indignation
4 was SO intense that II was feared that d
u wild mob would arise, in which innocent
Italians would be the victims. In this
condition of public mind some gentlemen
who have the best interests OF New
4 Orleans at heart, became convinced that
the only safety for the future lay In
executing the assassins. The Citizens
Committee had decided TO abide by tn,
law; but the law had failed them. IL
A very fountain head had been polluted
ana the open bribery OF jurors aud thu
hiring of witnesses had made justice 1
mockery and given murderers license Il
kill.
In order to prevent any mad outbursto
the populace II was resolved that the vim
dication Of the law should be placed II
the hands of men Of moderation, courage
and GOODNESS. Under their leadership, ,
party of citizens, the most peaceable II
the city, large property holders, men op
rosed to violence, marched to the parish
prison and executed the eleven assassins
No one doubts the guilt OF the men the,
executed. No one doubts that they Is
capped justice by bribery and perjury. NJ
n one doubts that il they had escaped alto
1 gether unpublished, as they would hay,
done but for the socalled mob, il woul,
have meant murders and assassinations
and not only that, hut that other crimi
nails, learning how verdicts could be oh
| tanned by bribery and perjury, woul,
have resorted TO the same means.
After suffering from this for thirt,
years, after seing that our entire crimina
judiciary system was likely TO be mock
II Il Il. A ~ NJ. hs