The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-25

| bring them TO your notice, aud / feel assured
that they will receive at your hands proper at
tentiOn and the calm careful investigation,
which they challenged.
] AS l have heretofore charged you, the dis
4 trict attorney is your legal ad wiser and you
| will. Of course, consult with him freely touch
/ ing this end all such other matters as may en-
| gage you" attention. Ii is not my purpose now
| to do more than give this matter in charge to
/ you and do so With every confidence that there
| will be no hasty ill-considered action on
/ your part, and that the results OF your investi-
CATION and deliberatiOn will be in accordance
| with your appreciation aud estimate of the
facts as they may CONE to your knowledge.
The sheriff will present, probably during the
| day, an official repOrs of the occurrence of Sat-
| urcay. When that report IS filed 1t will be &C.
| ceptabe TO you. and in reference to that, ss
well as all matters requiring invest CATION by
you, shall give you such further instructions
from time to time as may deem necessary.
Shortly after the Judge had concluded
his charge Maj. Wright Schaumberg, the
mayors private secretary went before the
grand jury. He was followed by w. II.
Priest, secretary of the committee of fifty,
George Denegre and Chief Caster.
H-nnessy and the Maf,.
The late Chief Henuessy was probably
the best informed man in America with
regard TO the Malta society. Besides his
fearlessness, an intimate acquaintance
with many Italians gave him opportunity
to learn much OF the secret workings of
the murderouS league. Several arrests he
made were upon Italian information, and
ii he had succeeded in inspiring Italian
| witnesses with enough courage to come 10
court, he would have secured several con-
victions The Malta knew this. Hen
messy himself said that several Malta as
sassinations were based upon the suspi-
cIon that the victims had given him in
formation. Esposto's capture being
avenged in that way, and finally the wor-
ried victims sought relief in the removal
OF Hennessy. This evening Mr.. George
w. Nandervoot, Hennessys private sec
rotary and confidential friend, made a
statement of the history OF Hennessy's
connection with the Italians, which tells
an interesting story:
Mr.. Vandervoot begins with the Espos-
ito case. A price was set upon the head
OF the famous bandit. and Hennessy
joined in the chase. opposite was cap
tured on the street. Hennessy kept him
concealed until the New YORK ship was
ready TO leave. Struggled him on board,
and then walked off boldly into a crowd
of Italians who were watching on the
wharf. opposite was taken to New York,
and Italians went on to swear that they
had known the man here for twenty years
and he could not, therefore, be the bandit.
Among these witnesses were John Caru,o,
spared by the people last Saturday, and
Rocco Geracci, who was killed in the at
tack on the prison, beside several Ital-
ians still prominent here. The identified
ton OF opposite was complete, and he was
taken to Italy. The Italians we're bent
on saving the great bandit and Malta chief
and offered Hennessy $4,000 to swear Is
pOsito was not the man. This the chief
refused, and was a marked man.
Hennessy did not cOnfound the Malta
and the Vendetta The Vendetta was the
instrument of private vengeance. The
Malta was organized for robbery, black
mai! and murder as well as revenge. He
pursued the Malta. In his opinion, the
heads OF the local Malta were Tony Mat
ranga, Jim Caruso, Frank Romero and
Rocco Geracci. Hennessy also thought
Joe Macheca 4 member. Alscheca was
not the mans real name. His father was
sent to the penitentiary in company with
two others, it is said, and wrote to his
wife that he was virtually dead, and she
should marry again if she got a chance.
She married Macheca and her son adopted
NIacheca's name. Some twenty years aft
erward her husband got free in some way
and called on his wife. The shock Is sup
posed to have shattered health AMI reason,
and the man was silent V removed a few
davs later. The stilettO or poison did the
work.
Hennessy regarded Macheca as a bad
man. He was once the captain of the
Innocents, Siciian political body charged
with many dark crimes. Hennessy traced
up Macheca's past and when theirs came
break between them the chief unwisely
blurted out what he knew and threatened
to land Macheca in the states prison.
That was one OF the motives for Hen
nessy's doom. Hennessy traced cut that
the Malta met in the Italian quarter.
Romero was master-at-arms hung around
the courts, kept track of the "green dagos"
and picked out the man for each assassin.
Gerracci was the bulldozer OF the society,
and HenneSsy attributed two murders to
that blood-thirstv Maian.
Sentence OF death was passed, lots were
drawn in the different branches of the
Malta throughout the CITY and men from
different sections were chosen, there be-
ing less danger OF Identification or de-
lection in that plan. The victim was
generally invited to supper or game OF
cards and slain in the house OF his friends.
Nitrano, witness Tor the Provenzanos,
was removed in that way, his head being
cleft with an ak and the body burnt.
Another Italian was murdered, the re-
mains carried to a canal far in the rear of
the city and dropped therein. In both
cases HenneSsy found woman who saw
the killing, but neither would identity
anv OF tire perpetrators. But Hennessy
was certainly giving them close calls.
The Last Feud-
The Provenza no-M atranga feud was the
last. The chief was friendly TO the Prov
enzanOs, considering them A mericanized
and evidently not in the Malta. The heads
OF the opposing sides were rival stevedores.
Bad blood arose and trouble was immi-
nent There were several rows and per-
sonal alterations and the chief determ-
ined upon peace. He sent for both sides,
told them no Malta would be allowed
while he was chief, that he knew them.
and that they must live in peace or go to
prison, where he would send them. Hen
messy made them shake hands and take
drink and they all left, seemingly on good
terms. Macheca then told Matranga he
bad made mistake that the ProvenZanOs
would break their word and that the chief
was helping the Provenzanos. So the feud