Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-05-08
The New Orleans Affair.

The long-expected report Of the grand
jury of the parish of New Orleans on the
lynching of Italians in that city was made
public on Wednesday, The investigation
has been in progress for siX weeks. The
report enters into a review of the entire
case, including the murder of Chief of Po-
lice Hennessy, the trial of his assassins,
and the history and work of the Malta. The
findings are, in brief, that the murder of
Hennessy was the deliberate work of organ
lied assassns, and that the jury who tried
the criminals were tamperel with by the
O'Malley " Adams detective agency. Facts
are given showing that the O'Malley agen-
cy had full lists of the talesmen from whom
the jury were drawn, and that they were
fixed man by man. as far as possible.
The grand jury declares that by the skill
of O'Malley ''cunnngly devised schemes
were planned and executed for defeating
the legitimate course of justice and that
without his insidious and corrupting infu-
ence the verdict in the case of the assassns
of Hennessy would have been radically
different" and the tragic occurrence of
March II would never have been recorded.
The investigation leaves no doubt of the
existence in the city of the Malta. a secret
oath bound organization of Italians and
Sicilians. who in most cases left their native
country to escape punishment for crimes
committed there.
The grand jury refuses to find any in
dictmcnts against the men concerned in the
| lynchng of the Italians. declares that the
| lynchng was the spontaneous act of the
| entire people, and that it would be folly to
attempt the prosecution of the offenders.
Following is the closing portion of the re-
| port. which bears on this subject:
"The condition of affairs in this commu-
| nity as to a certain class of violatOrs of the
law had reached such state that the law
itself was well-nigh powerless to deal with
| them, so far-reaching was their power and
| influence in the trial of criminal cases.
Good citizens were profoundly impressed
by the repeated and signal failures of JUS
tice. The arts of the periurer and briber
seemed to dominate in the courts, paralyZ-
ing and rendering powereSs the ends of JUS
tice Certainly this was desperate situa-
|
spontaneous in character as truly indicat-
ing an uprising of the masses-we doubt If
any power at the command of the authori-
ties would have been suffered to overcome
its intentions. Evidence is before us from
official sources that IL persons were killed
in the attack on the parish prison. In the
careful examination as to citizenship of
those men we lind that eight of them were
beyond question American citizens. and an
other had declared his intention in this
court, which act carries with it the renun-
citation of allegiance to his native country.
1T is noteworthy fact in connection
with the uprising that no injury whatever
was done to either person or property be
yond the one act which seemed to have
been the object of the assemblage at the
parish prison. We have referred to the
large number of citizens participating in
this demonstration, estimated by judges at
from 5000 to 5000, regarded as a spontane-
Gus uprising of the people. The magni-
tude of this affair makes it difficult task
to fix the guilt upon any number of the
parcicipants-in fact, the act seemed to in
volve the entire people of the parish ant
city of New Orleans, so profuse is theil
sympathy, and extended their connection
with the affair. In view of these consid
eratiOnS the thorough examination OF th'
subject has failed TO disclose the necessar!
/ facts to justify this grand jury in present
, ing Indictments
The press of New Orleans approves o
the finding of the grand jury, and says tina
it would have been folly for it to have trie,
| to find indictments against the lynchers
for it would have been necessary to arres
! and try at least 10000 people who sympa
thized with the lynching, and to have m
dertakcn work of this kind would hav
= been impossible. In other words, the NeN
e Orleans people think that the Italiann de
+ served their fate, and they have no regret
o to waste on them.