Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-04-08
The Italian Malta Question.

The Italian Malta Question.
Lynching parties are not uncom'
mon in this country. Lawless desper.
ADDE'S occasionally block the wheels
Of justice, and the people have been
at times compelled to take the law
in their own hands for the good Of
society. Such affairs cause consider.
able comment for few days, and
then all further interest is lost. The
recent lynching of assassins at New
Orleans has been brought more
prominently before the public, on ac-
count of the action taken by foreign
country. which has taken the side of
the murderers, through ignorance of
the real facts of the case.
Years ago, when Italy was disunit-
ed and under subsection of foreign
rulers, and her people terribly op.
pressed, secret patriotic societies were
organized for the protection of her
citizens. One of these societies was
termed the Malta, and the way it
punished those who had incurred its
vengeance, was by assassination.
The victim was warned first Of his
doom by a letter signed Malta. Since
Italy recovered her freedom the Malta
as a patriotic society. ended, and it
became but band of murderers and
black mailers. Many of the murder
ers were forced to flee from Italy, and
of course they immigrated to this
country. A large number of other
Italians also came to this country.
The murderous Malta was organized
here, and used principally as means
to compel respectable Italians to pay
tribute to the gang. A large colony
settled in New Orleans. and in course
of time the society had become SO
powerful as to control several branch
es of labor. and it became terror to
the citizens by its lawless acts.
At last the officials undertook to
root out this obnoxious foreign weed,
and the result was that the Malta ns-
sassinated prominent official. A
number of the murderers were arrest
ed, but when brought to trial, the
Malta society, by reason of threats or
bribery. captured the jury, and the
accused was found not guilty. This
outrage on law aroused the people of
New Orleans, and large party of
the best citizens was organized, who
went to the Jail where the assassins
were and executed them.
The Italians all over the country
held public meetings and denounced
the actions of the citizens of New
Orleans. Italy also took the part of
the murderers, claiming them as her
citizens, and demanded reparation,
and few days ago withdrew her rep
resentative at Washington. There
has been some wild talk of war be-
tween this country and Italy, but
that is an event not very likely to oc-
cur, as the European nations have
their hands full in watching other
countries near them, and are not fool.
ish enough to waste their strength in
an encounter with this country.
The foreign complications caused
the past history of the alleged assass-
ins to be investigated, and a dispatch
from New Orleans, April I'd, says:
"a close examination of the record
of the eleven alledged assassins, dis
closes the fact that all but four Of the
eleven slain were registered voters,
either by birth or naturalization.
The four others, whom Consul Corte
claims as entitled to the protection Of
the Italian government, are Trahina,
Bagnetto, Monasterio. and Comitez. |
The first named is found to haye been
voter in the parish of st. Charles. |
Bagnetto is proved to have been a
fugitive murderer from Palermo and |
a member Of the Esposito band of
highwaymen. Monasterio was
veteran Of Garibaldi's army, but he
fled from Palermo while charged with
numbering a female. Trahina was
also robber in Sicily. OF Comitez
nobody seems TO know anything"
Seven of the lynched were Ameri.
can citizens, and Italy has nothing TO
do with them. Of the other four, two
are shown to be murderers, one a rob-
Der, and ones record has not yet been
brought to light. These are the men
that Italy and her citizens in this
country are making such a fuss
about, and we are inclined to the be-
lief that it will be long time before
this country pays any indemnify for
the killing Of such men.
We regret that snch lawless ac-