Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-03-20

walks around the old building clear
until the great multitude, swelling all
the time like mighty roaring stream,
surged around the door and crowded
the little band OF blue coats awav.
Capt. Lem Davis was on guard at
the main entrance with scant force
OF deputies. They We're swept away
like chaff b, fore the wind, and in an
instant the little anteroom leading
into the prison was jammed with
eager, excited men.
Meanwhile the prisoners were strick-
en- with terror, for they could hear
distinctly the shouts OF the people
without, madly demanding their
blood.
Innocent and guilty alike We're fright
cred out OF their senses, and the pris-
oners who were charged with crimes
other than completely in the murder
OF the chief also shared in the general
demorallzatlon. Some OF the Drawer
OF the representatives OF thessSssiia
wanted to die
FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES,
and they pleaded for weapons with
which to defend themselves, and when
they could not get them sought hiding
places. The deputies thinking to de-
ceive the crowd by ruse, transferred
the prisoners to the female depart.
ment, and there the miserable Sicilians
trembled in terror until the moment
when the doors would yield to the an
cry throng on the outside.
Capt. Davis refused the request to
open the prison and the crowd began
the work OF batterlng i'll the doors.
On the street there was heavy wood
en- door which had been closely barred
IN anticipation OF the coming of the
avenglng mass. This the crowd Sc
lected as their best chance OF getting
in. Neighboring houses readily SUP,
piled axes and battering rams and
willing Hands went to work to forcean
opening. This did not prove q diff
cult task to the trembling but deter
mined throng. Soon there was a crash,
the door gave way, and in an instant
armed citizens were pouring through
thesmall opening, while a mighty shout
went up from ten thousand throats
in glad acclaim. There was more
resistance for the intruders, however,
but 1T was soon overcome with the
huge billet OF wood which u stoutman
carried. Then the turnkey was over
powered and the keys were taken from
him. By that time the excitement
was intense, none the less so when q
patrol wagon drove up with detach-
ment OF policemen, who were driven
away under q fire OF mud and stones.
When the leaders inside the prison got
possession ofthe keys the inside gate
was promptly unlocked, and the de-
puties in that lobby rapidly got out
OF HARMS way.
THE AVENGERS
pressed into the yard OF the white
prisoners. The door OF the first cell
was open and q group OF trembling
prisoners stood inside. They were
not the men who were wanted,
and the crowd very quickly, though
with remarkable GOODNESS, burst into
the yard.
Peering through the bars of the con-
demned cell was q terror stricken face
which some one mistook for Scotfeda.
A volley was fired at the man and he
dropped, but none OF the shots struck
him, and it was subsequently found
that he was not one of the assassins.
The inmates of the Jail were ready to
direct the way to where the
Italians were. "Go to the female
department" some one yelled, and
thither the men with their Winchesters
ran, but the door was locked. In a
moment the key was produced. Then
the leader called for some one who
knew the right men, and q volunteer
responded and the door WAS thrown
open. The gallery was deserted, but
an old woman, speaking as fast she
could, said the men were up stairs.
A party OF seven or eight quickly as.
cended the stair case, and as they
reached the landing the assassins fled
down at the other end. Half a dozen
followed them. Scarcely q word was
spoken. 1t was the time for action.
A DEADLY RAIN OF BULLETS PoURs INTO
THE SCREAMING PRISONERS.
When thepursued and the pursuers
reached the stone court yard the for
mer darted toward the Orleans side of
the gallery and crouched down beside
the cells. Their faces blanched, and,
being unarmed, they were absolutely
defenseless. In fear and trembling
they screamed for mercy. But the
avengers were merciless. Bang, bang,
bang, rang out the reports of the mur-
derous weapons and a deadly rain of
bullets poured into the crouching fig
ures. Gerachi, the closest man, was
struck in the back OF the head and his
body pitched forward and lay immov-
able on the stone pavement.
Romero fell to his knees with his face
in his hands and in that position was
shot to death.
Monastero and James Caruso fell
together under the fire OF half a dozen
guns, the leaden bullets filling their
bodies and heads and the blood gush.
ing from the wounds. The bloody
executioners did their work well, and
beneath the continued fire Cometex
and Trahinia, two of the men who
had not been tried. but who were
charged jointly with the other accused,
fell together. Their bodies were liter
ally riddled with bullets and they
were stone dead almost before the
fusllade was over.
When the group of assassins was
discovered on the gallery, Macheca,
Scoffedi and old man Marchesi separat-
ed from the other six and ran up stairs.
Thither half a dozen men followed
them, and as the terror.stricken &s-
sassins ran they were slain. Joe
Macheca, who was charged with being
the archconspIrator, was summarily
dealt with. He had his back turned
when q bullet struck him behind the
ear and
HIS DEATH WAS INSTANTANEOUS.
There was no bloodfrom the wound,
and when the body was picked up the
ear was swollen so as to hide the
wound. Scoffedi, one of the most vii
famous OF the assassins, dropped like
a log when bullet hit him in the eye.
Old man Marchesi was the only man