The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-03-19
THEIR WRATH FELT.
The Murder Of Chief Hennessy,
at New Orleans, Avenged.

at New Orleans, Avenged.
Indignant at Their Acqulttal the In
furiated Populace Rises in Its Might
and Lynches Eleven of His Al
legged Assassins.
TERRIBLE SCENES
NEW ORLEANS, March 16.-New Or.
leans struck the Malta a death blow
Saturday. 1t wreaked a terrible ven.
geance upon the Sicilian assassins who
are believed to have relentlessly slain
David G. Hennessy, and there are now
eleven men dead who were happy Fri
day over their victory in the greatest
criminal trial the city has ever wit.
messed. 1t was not an unruly, mid
night mob. 1t was simply sullen, de-
termined body of citizens who took
into their own hands what justice had
ANONYMOUSLY failed to do.
The correct list of the men shot is as
follows: Joseph Macheca, Manuel
Polite, Antonio Marchesi, Antonio
Scoffedi, Antonio Bagnetto, Rocco
Gerachi, James Caruso, Loretto
Comitez, Pietro Monasterio, Louis Ira
hina. and Frank Romero. The bow.
Marchesi Matranga, and Incerdona, who
had been acquitted, were spared.
The chief of police was slain October
Is, and that very night the evidence he
gan to accumulate, showing that his
death had been deliberately planned by
secret tribunal and carried out boldly
and successfully by the tools of the
conspirators. The trial lasted twenty
five days, and though the evidence
seemed conclusive, the SUBSEQUENTLY
charged with having been tempered
with-failed to convict. Friday night a
body of cool-headed men, lawyers, doc
tors, merchants and political leaders, all
persons of influence and social stand
ing, quietly met and decided that some
action must be taken and justice swift
and sure visited upon those whom the
jury had neglected to punish. Saturday
morning call for mass-meeting at
Clay square on Canal street appeared
in the papers, which editorially depre-
Gated violence.
At 10 o'clock there was a crowd of
several thousand anxious people con-
gregated around the Clay statue. They
hardly knew what was going to hap
pen, but they seemed ready to go to
any length, and, while there were, of
course, many of the lower element in
the throng, a large proportion were the
leading people of the town. w. S. Park
erson, the leader, is a prominent lawyer
here, the president of the Southern
club, and the man who led the
vigorous city reform movement three
years ago. Walter ID. Deneger, another
of the speakers, is one of the leaders of
the New Orleans bar. John C. Wick
life, another leader, is also promi-
another, is one of the foremost men of
the state.
Several speeches were made. Then
some one yelled:
''Shall we get our guns?''
Eyes, yes, get your guns" said Mr.
Patterson. Get your guns and meet
us in Congo square immediately
Loud cheers were given as Mr.. Parker
son and the other gentlemen
moved down the steps. Then
an ominous silence reigned, and
the steady tramp, tramp Of men fall
ing into line and marching along was
heard and the crowd followed the lead
ers along Canal street to Rampant
They marched down Rampant to place
where weapons were obtained and then
Congo square was in sight.
The parish prison was reached at
1880 ocloch. The wooden door ON
Marais street was broken in with a
large billet of wood used as a catapult
and heavy rocks were also poured
against it. After the door had been brok
en- down there was wild rush for en-
trance. Two men, however, stood at the
door and prevented anyone from going
in except those that carried shotguns
and Wincnesters
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 hither 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 d volunteer responded
and the door was thrown open. The gal
lery was deserted, but an old woman,
speaking as fast as she could, said the
men were upstairs. A party of seven
or eight quickly assembled the STAIR
case and as they reached the landing
the assassins fed down at the other
end. Half a dozen followed them.
Scarcely a word was spoken. It
was time for action. When the
pursued and their pursuers reached the
stone courtyard the former darted
toward the Orleans side OF the gallery
and crouched down beside the cells,
their faces blanched, and, being I'M
armed, they were absolutely defense
less. In fear and trembling they
screamed for mercy. But the avengers
were merciless. Bang! bang! bang!
rang out the reports of the murderous
weapons and a deadly rain of bullets
poured into the crouching figures.
Gerachi, the closest man, was struck
in the back of the head and his body
pitched forward and lay im,novable on
the stone pavement. Romero fell to
his knees with his face in his hands,
and in that position was shot to death.
Monasterio and James Caruso fell to-
gether under the fire of half a dozen
guns, the leaden pellets entering their
bodies and heads, and the blood gush-
ing from the wounds.
The bloody executioners did their
work well, and beneath the continuing
fire Comitez and Trahina, two of the
men who had not been tried, but who
were charged jointly with the other ac-
cused, fell together. Their bodies were
literally riddled with bullets, and they
were stone dead almost before the fusii-
lade was over. When the group of
assassins was discovered on the gallery
Macheca, Scotfedi and old man Mar
chest separated from the other six and
ran upstairs.
Thither half dozen men followed
them, and as the terror-stricken assas-
sins run into cells they were slain.
10 Macheca who was charpad will, no.