The record-union., 1891-04-06
5snunl 5snlsi,ta arn1uner.

with this record before them, the people
of New Orleans rose in their might and
executed the men whom the evidence in
the Hennessy case showed belonged to
this gang? Are they not rather to be
commended for their patience?
when this Malta added to its stack of
lniquity the capsheaf of the assassination
of the Chief of Police the people remitted
the matter to the courts. They heard and
read the evidence adduced showing the
guilt of most of the accused. They heard
the eye-witneSSeS testify to the presence
OF the men on trial and saw them point
these men out in court.
They S;tW, in addition TO this direct
testimony, 4 perfect and complete cham
OF circumStantial evidence woven around
these men. They heard the confession of
the miserable wretch, PolietZ. They said
to themselves: AT last we have the Malta
III the tolls; it cannot escape And then
they saw this jury acquit these men
whose guilt was undoubted. Then came
the knowledge that The money OF the
Malta Lad corrupted the jury; that the
expert jury-fiXer' had performed his
task, and that all their patience had been
III vain. They saw these chiefs and their
willing tools about TO be turned loose TO
rccommence their course OF crime. They
saw their lives in danger, the witnesses
lives in danger, the prosecuting officers
AiNto III bFtiiSsi. JliSN saw MlLllGSSGS III
the future terrified into silence or per-
jury; they saw the machipery of public
justice tisj0inted and ont Of gear; they
saw the the wheels OF the law stopped by
bribery; they saw the community, and
every man III it, at the mercy Of Il band
OF criminals, organized for assassination,
which had now learned that they could
with impunity strike down the chief
officer of the law; they saw the members
OF the Na1ia, who were ut large, tear
down the American flag. spit upon il and
trample it under foot, and then hoist it,
union down, beneath the Italian flag.
This IS not figure OF speech; it was act
ually done on the levce at the lugger
landing. They heard the boast openly
uttered in every part of the city: The
Malta is on top and it will rule New Or
leans.
"What were they to do? Submit to this
outrage upon justice, and tamely offer
their necks to the yoke of alien criminals,
or strike in defense Of civilization and or
ganiZed society? In their execution of the
law, there was no blind fury. No prop
erty was touched; not an Italian outside
OF the men who had slipped through the
meShes OF the law, was harmed. RHwenty
thousand men assembled at the call of
their leaders, and IN broad, open day ex-
ecGted the death penalty upon those
against whom the evidence was conclu-
sive. The men whom the Judge charged
the jury to acquit, and the ones against
whom the evidence was not conclusive,
although in the hands Of the people after
they captured the prison, were not
harmed. They were separated from the
others and spared. Every commercial
organization in the city on Saturday after
noon passed unanimously resolution
indorsing what had been done. The
Stock Exchange, the Cotton Exchange,
the Board of Trade, the Mechanics, Deal
ers' and Lumberman's Exchange, the
Sugar Exchange, all certify to the world
that the act was necessary 10 the security
issue was between the Malta and the peo-
pie; and the people decided in favor of
themselves. JoHN c.. WICKLIFFE."