Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-14
A SURPRISED COURT.
The Prosecution in the HennesSey
Case Completely Fails.
SIX SICILIANS ARE ACQUITTED.
As to the Other Three the Jury Reports
They Fail to Agree.
JURYMEN ARE HOOTED BY THE CROWD

NEW ORLEANS, March 13.-The Hem
nessey case, the trial of nine Sicilians for
the assassination Of Chief of Police D. C.
Eennessev, which has occupied the time of
Section B, Judge Bakers division of the
Criminal District Court, since the 10th OF
February, was concluded this afternoon, the
jury bringing in a verdict of not guilty an
to six of the accused and failing to agree
upon a verdict as to the other three. When
the jury handed in their verdict, Judge
Baker looked at it for some moments before
he handed it over to Minute Clerk Screveu.
There was apprehensiye silence while
these preliminaries were going on. The
prisoners stood up and there was a look of
infinite woe pictured on the face of Maceca
and some of the others. Ofcourse Matranga
and Incardona were disinterested. They
knew that they had been saved, and their
only interest in the matter was to see that
their friends and partners escaped the fate
which had threatened them so long. The
boy Marchesi showed no signs of emotion.
He has a bright, open face, and he took
scant interest in the proceedings.
Precautions Against an Outbreak.
1t is not secret to say that the court at
taches apprehended a verdict against the ac-
|
stationed Immediately in the rear of the
prisoners to nip in the bud any demonstra-
tions. Every spectator in the courtroom was
on his feet. The States Attorneys sat at
their table. Judge Luzenburg must have
felt that the verdict was against the State.
The jury looked more concerned than anv-
one present in the room, except the pris-
oners. Their faces were ghastly, and they
showed the effects of their long siege and
their protracted deliberations in the jury
room.
verdict long. As soon as Judge Baker
handed him the document he glanced at it
and began to read. In a firm voice that
could be heard in every corner of the silent
courtroom, he spoke the words that freed six
of the men as far as the present case is con-
cerned, and virtually acquitted the other
three.
Astonished at the Verdict.
As the verdict was read each person in the
courtroom turned to the person next to him,
and there was an audible expression of sur
prise and dissats action. The deputies,
however, Immediately suppressed the noise,
and then Judge Baker ordered the jury to
be discharged and the prisoners TO be re-
manded, as there was still another charge
against them in connection with the same.
Then court was adjourned.
The Jurors remained some little time IN
their room getting their things together.
When they again reached the courtroom,
they were quickly surrounded by score of
reporters. One of them answered promptly
for the rest that it had been agreed among
the ~ men that they should not discuss
what had happened in the juryroom at all.
Representatives of the papers pleaded with
them to explain how the verdict bad been
reached, but to all inquiries they turned
deaf ear. The jurymen kept together until
they reached Lafayette Square, where they
were hooted at by the crowd who had al
ready learned of the verdict.