New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-13
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
THAT NEw-oRLEANs GRAND JURY.
A REVIEW OF ITS REPORT IN THE CASE OF THE !
LYNCHERS.

A REVIEW OF ITS REPORT IN THE CASE OF THE
LYNcHERs.
TO the Editor OF the TIL u II c.
SIR The authors Of the report Of the New-ortchs
Grand Jury probably regard ii as mastery piece vi
But aside from its rhetorical Imitation IL con-
tans absurd Inconsistencies of statement and reason
ing. which respectfully request your permission 10
note The reason they have not yet bceh eAposeu
only be that the ynchers friends have succeeded
in confusing the facts in the public mind, and divcrns
attention from the real issues.
To begin with, this extraordinary document attacks
the pegt Jurors for justifying their verdict on the
ground that the for the State was weak, ana
bames them that inpatience prevailed" toward the
close Of the trial and is thought by several OF the
jurors TO have hastened the conclusion Vague
accusations OF bribery are made against the whole
twelve In general and against three, who are left
nameless, in particular. surely a remarkable jury
say these vrtuous critics. but fully competent to
render the remarkable verdict" Now, was ii so very
remarkable that If the for the State weak the
verdict should have been for the defencei Is 1t the
first time in history that jury good or bad has
dsappolnte the public camor for vengeance against
improved cuprs And is it unprecedented that at
the end Of long trial. occupying several weeks.
jury should grow impatient of confinement and at
last reach its decision in hurry2 On the contrary,
don't such things happen every day
The Grand Jury, on the testimony of Collins, inc
spy employed by Mayor Shakespeare to work for
OMaey and betray HIS secrets to tho city, has indicted
OSalley and several of his companions for tury-hxng
OMaIley, however, is declared TO have acquired his
skin by "yeais Of experience His methods were so
open that one criminal Judge excluded him from his
csrrrt O'Naley's correction with Lionel Adams, his
counsel was common repute long before the acquitted
scllians we c lynched. The Grand Jury, In contem-
plating the possibilities for evll7 of this cOmbna-
ton stands ag!rast" Yet isn't 1t curious that none
of the vrtuous and hghminded citizens who used the
shotgun and the rope ever "st0od aeha5" while
O'MalIcy was acquiring his "years Of experience" or
held meetings prevent his alleged open conspracies
70 defeat JUSTICE And isn't it curious that although
the evidence Of bribery is so strong It isn't strong
enough to procure the Indictment Of the three peccant
jurorsl
The report declares that the Grand Jurys researches
have developed the existence OF the scctet orgaiz-
ton STYLED Malta ~ "Ofncers of the Mafa," IL says.
and many Of its members arc known Yet you
will observe that there not the shadow OF an attempt
to prove that the murdered belonged 10 it, though
Malta is coupled with Socialist and Nationalist
I'm the Grand Jury's elaborate denunciation. Does
this mean that in New-Orlcans Socialism and National
ism are ccimlnal, and that Henry George and Edward
Beamy are there considered fit subjects for short
shrift and two athoms Of rope"? Or does it mean that
the three things are regarded identical in sprt and
aims! Old residents Of New-Oreans native as well
as foreign know there organized gangs of assasss
among the vulgar Scilans, Just there are 0 have
been among the thugs and whyos OF the bo"ery' lfO
an oath or pledge used in the one case and not III
the other does not materially alter the situation Ihe
real Niaia on the contrary, that like NihillSm, mas
wide ramifcations and surrounds every man with un-
known enemies among his own associates. even in MS
own family is something to be dreaded But 1t Is Just
the thing that in NewOrleans has been shown not TO
exist 4 leading NewOrleans daily said edltorlally
last March: "Now let find out about the Malta!
What does 1t amount to- Is there really sIich Ia
to death on suspicion Of having belonged to it. -.
The Grand Jury has g%od dea to say c a9Gn n
tclIgence and virtue u the people, meaning the
iynchers1 dilates the right Of law,a6ldng
Srsye import. The meeting at the Clay Statue, it
Saws in one place. was general and spontaneous 10
and IN another Spontaneous uprising Of
the people The crowd was tSS ina Gp 10 m Tr
Patterson he felt he represented the whole people
not perhaps Of the United States, but Of Louisiana
sttHtion implied. But that gathering spontaneous
and did 5000 or 5000 people rG alp ost tneIF
on the Jail was all planned the night before by the
star-chamber committee OF fifty appointed e n.d
Iamaon ascblng the crime 70 Italians before ever
trial had been had II was tnat pse fwe ess
hours before the 10000 or 5000 people, ever
Of that v 6r"e no ?% Ro and placed @
at the door prevent unauthorized persons not under
f a membep that s Ps S esmaed the
bcr who broke IN at not more than fifty And 10
was that committee whose methods were unQualfedly
condemned by the local press before they cuminatd
In this outrage.
instantaneous photographs show that the law.
abiding 5000 or s .O00- hardly the mild and
virtuous creatures they pictured Moreover they
seem to have taken off their coats and donned souch
hats and brogans for the Job in hand II IT IS insisted
that the mob composed principally Of bankers.
merchants and lawyers" how many bankers, merchants
and LAWYERS will be willing to admit that they tortured
Potz tearing his clothes into strips, after he WIS
handcuffed, in the effort 10 hang himl How MANY
stood I'm a line when Dagnetto thrust out of tho
Jail door. in the death throes from n bullet wound
in his head. and licked him into a Jelly he
dragged off to tree to be strung up And what shining
light in inance. commerce or the law was IT that
waited for the body to I've lowered and then laid tho
forehead open with brutal kick from the heel OF
bOot7 L. L.
New-YOrk May 8, 1891.