Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-16
They are UnfOlded by Confessor
in all Their Blood Curdling Il
Reality.
Murderers Chosen by Lot to Perform
the Assassination of Chief
HrnneSSy.
Minute Details of the Manner o
Executing the Atrocity-A
Terrible Tale.

NEW ORLEANS. La, April 13. Tho
full confession Of Manuel Poitez, one
OF the Italians lynched in the parish
prison, made to Judge Baker and coun-
sci representing both sides during the
Hennessy murder trial, is made pub
lie Tor the first time by one of ne
counsel present on that occasion. The
counsel tells the story as follows:
After some discussion between Judge
Baker and counsel, Politez insisting
upon making confession, it was de-
cided to hear what he had to say.
Politez then declared that he was en-
tirely innocent of completely in the
murder of Hennessy, but that he knew
who the real murderers were: knew
who instigated the murder and where
the murderers got the money they re-
ceived for the crime; that it was all
new money.
He had been asked by Charles Ma
tranga. Joseph Macheca and s. Oteri, a
large fruit importer, to go into the
scheme, but he had refused to do so.
The three men then threatened him
and said they would deprive him of en-
ployment, but he persisted in his re-
fusal. He could, however, give the
names OF the men present at the muir
der and could tell where they hid after
committing the crime.
Politez did not at this time go into
full details of the assassination, but
said it was arranged in room in the
vicinity of the French market. 1t was
in this vicinity that he was approached
by Matranga. Macheca and Oteri.
From the sheri!f's office Politez was
then taken into the district ATTORNEYS
OttiPa whnpa N tho - ~
counsel for the State the district at
torney told the prisoner that he could
not offer him any inducemeut to make
a full confession, but if he would tell
the whole truth concerning his connec-
ton with the murder tie district attor-
ney would see what could be done for
him.
To Pay for Killing Hennessy.
Politez replied that he intended to
tell the whole truth and repeated what
he bad already said in Judge Bakers
room. He added that it was Matranga,
Macheca and Oterl who had gone to the
mint and got the new money with
which the murderers were paid and
they told him it was to pay for the
killing Of Hennessv. A few days after
that he saw number of Italians con-
gregated around a building near the
French market. Polltez said that
lie was there for the purpose of get
ting his lunch. In an upper room were
the three men, Matranga, Macheca and
Oteri. They gave numbered tickets TO
the men downstairs, and then as the
three men drew numbers they would
call them out. The man holding the
ticket corresponding with the number
would go upstairs, it. having fallen to
his lot to take part in the murder. In
this way all the murderers were
selected.
On the night of the murder the men
on trial and several others who had not
been arrested or even suspected of COM
plicity in the crime assembled at the
shoe shop of Monastero fully armed.
Monasterio was stationed to let the as
sassins know when Hennessy would APP
pear, and young Marchesi. who was
stationed farther away, was to give
notice Of the approach OF the doomed
man by a whistle. When the whistle
was heard Monasterio said: THE time
has come, and opened the side door of
his shop and let the assassins into the
street.
At this point Pollez abruptly stop
ped in his statement and refused to say
who fired the fatal shots. He denied
that he was among the men selected to
do the murder and said he merely
CHANGED to be present when the lots
were cast, as it happened to be his
lunch hour and he went to the building
for that purpose merely.
The grand jury is expected to report
during the coming week and among
other things it is said that the con-
fession of Politez will be used in the
report.