Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-03-26
The New Orleans Mob.

A few years ago while travelling in Sy-
ria. friend of ours who was journeying
with a caravan, was aroused by All uproar
in the camp. 1t seems that one of the
servants had fired a stone at dog and hit
and wounded boy. The offender ran
away and could not be found, but the
Turkish authorities took another servant
away. put him in prison and exacted fine
of S25 before they would release him.
They confessed that the man arrested was
not the guilty person, but then said they,
You know somebody must be punished" !"
The vicarious sacrifice is q popular notion
among people OF primitive or crude ideas.
1t seems to be the prevailing idea among
the mob In New Orleans.
1t will be remembered that several Ital-
ians were indicted in New Orleans for the
assassination of the chief of police. The
indicted men were tried. The jury acquit-
ted six of the prisoners and disagreed as
to the three others, nine men having been
put on trial. Either the prosecution was
conscious of having weak case. or it had
good case that it handled weakly, for it
did not put on the witness stand the DO
liceman who picked up Hennessey when he
fell, nor the officer who pursued the assas-
sins and was wounded by them. 1t Is
nothing wonderful that the Government 5
unwillingness to put two such important
witnesses before the jury inspired it with
doubt as to the value of the testimony 1t
did offer. One of the accused either went
mad or feigned madness, and sometimes
threw himself upon the floor of the court
room, where he grovelled until the court
officers lifted him up aud forced him to
take his seat. At other times he inter-
rupted the proceedings with insane jabber
ing. As he was the chief of the accused,
it was natural that the jury should hesi-
tate Is to convicting him on circumstan-
tial evidence. There are rumors of jury
bribing. but whether they have any foun-
dation Is very doubtful. On Saturday the
mob forced the Jail and killed L of the &C
cused-nine being shot in their cells, one
being hung to lamp post and one to a
tree. The city that suffers the mob to
supplant the court and the idea of punish
meut to supersede the idea of justice. is
severely wounding itself. The justice of
mobs is almost always injustice, and wig
ilance committees" which in disorganized
society are sometimes the only protection
for life and property. are an unmitgated
evil when operating amid organized insti-
tutions. The mob, like the pro-slavery
hh'' VI NtaiS dSo III DoStou, SttIllS
to have been led by "gentlemen"-amon
them being the democratic bosses of Louis
lana and New Orleans politics, with an ed
itor thrown in. The mob wanted to mur-
der more Italians; but the leaders thought
eleven victims would do. The police made
some effort 10 arrest the movement, but
were advised that if they wanted to join
the Italian victims, they better try to ar.
of the mnh Dpa Of tho mn 10
ed Italians was a wealthy man.
The bloody deeds of the mob naturally
create great indignation throughout the
country. The Italians of course are terri
bly, excited. In Chicago, Kansas City and
New York the Italians are holding meet
ings and denouncing the act. while calling
on the United States government to pun
ish the offenders. Secretary Blaine tee-
graphed Governor Nichols, calling the
governors attention to the fact that the
United States guarantees protection 10
Italian subjects in this country and Mr..
Blaine expresses the hope that the Louis
lana authorities will cooperate with our
government in preventing further violence
and in bringing the leaders of the mob to
justice. New Orleans and Southern papers
defend the mob and thereby reflect the low
order of Southern civilization. Such
crimes do the South more harm than she
suspects. They are apologized for on the
score that Jurors in New Orleans have been
bribed by Italian money. Even if that be
true, there is plenty of remedy in the
couIts. And as If to complete the con
demnation Of the mob, its leaders now an
nounce that they propose to prosecute in
the Courts jurors in the late cases against
the Italians. Why hadn't they taken these
proper legal measures before they had COM
mitted crime even more dastardly than
that which they accused the Italian. of
having perpetrated! These things give
the United States bad name in Europe,
and our government will do its utmost to
see that the responsible leaders Of the mob
are brought to justice-an enterprise Of
no small difficulty in state like Louisiana,
long dedicated TO brutality and bulldozing
and now possessed of a tiendish public
sentiment of misrule and revenge-Le,c-
jSt0n JpurnrI