St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-17

OF lawyers, doctors, bankers and promi-
nent citizens generally. 1t was the
most obedient crowd you ever saw.
They obeyed ME implicitly, just as if l
was military commander. If there
was any rltf-ratf, it was all on the out
side. The inteution had been not to
shoot any of them, but when my men
were inside. about fifty of them, they
got very furious, and after the first
taste OF blood it was impossible to keep
them back"
''If you didn't mean to shoot, why did
you take the guns ?''
Because we didn't know what re-
slstance we might encounter from the
officers in charge-from anybody. We
meant to get into the prison. and we
would have torn it down if necessary"
"Did you kill any body with your own
hands?"
mo, did not fire a shot. In fact, at
the meeting the night before had said
that MatrangO and another should be
spared, the two declared innocent by
Judge Baker, in whose integrity we had
perfect confidence. l said | would de-
fend those men with my own life if
necessary, and they were not harmed"
''Dldn'tit strike you as not courage
Gus to shoot the lot of unarmed men in
a hole?''
We'll" said the young lawyer.
there was no doubt about the courage
OF any man i'll our party. Of course, it
is not courageous thing to attack a
man who is not armed, but we looked
upon these men as so many reptiles.
Why, was told that on Friday, after
the verdict, the Italian fruit and oyster
schooners along the wharves hOisted
the Sicilian flag over the stars and
stripes, and the prisoners themselves
had champagne supper"
"Do you regret what you have done?"
L asked, after pause.
promptly. This was great emer-
gency, greater than has ever happened
IN New York, Cincinnati or Chicago.
didn't act through a sentimental or per-
sonal Interest for HenneSsy. l knew
him well, and asked Mayor Shakespeare
to appoint him. He was fine man and
an efficient officer, and we felt that
wheu he was killed there was no telling
which of us would go next. While the
Malta confined itself to killing Its own
members we didn't resort to violence.
But Hennessy's killing struck at the
very root Of American institutions.
The Intimidation of the Malta and the
corruption OF our JurieS are to be met
only with strong measures. Moreover,
l recognize no power above the people.
Under our constitution the people are
the sovereign authority, and when the
courts, their agents, fail to carry cut the
law, the authority is relegated back to
the people who gave it. In this case l
look upOniit that we represented. not the
people OF the whole United States. per-
hapS, but the people of Louisiana
This is thing with which the United
States has nothing to do. 1t is queS-
ton OF state government entirely, since
the state controls its own municipalities.
l apprehend no trouble unless from fed
eral authorities. 1t is urged that these
men were the subjects of foreign po-
tentates, but l understood that they
were just dumped here, and that their
own governments were glad enough to
get rid of thenl.'
Mayor Shakespeare, whom the Italian
consul. as well as the country at large.
is disposed to hold responsible for the
violation OF municipal law, makes no
bones about his own feeling in the mat
ter. He is all impulSive, iraScible man,
mIddle-aged, OF the 'Sir Anthony Abso-
Lutte" type, with genius for autoc-
racy. He declares bluntly that
Parkerson and mis- associates did
just right. ~ was at nv
Office in good time on Saturday."
he protested, when told him what the
consul has said. Il was down at II 80;
II is my usual time. | didn't know
anything at all about the movement to
break into the prison on Friday night,
and wasn't at the meeting. In fact, L
was dining then with Gov. Nichols and
Maj. Glynn. The next morning when
l saw the call. of course, knew some
thing was going to happen"
"Where were you during the riot?''
Attending to my private business"
At the PIckwick club?"
"YeS; was at the Pickwick club"
Did you take any measures to pre-
vent the tragedy?"
Mo-
"Don't you regret it?"
mo, SIR" cried the mayor, belliger-
emily, Il am an American citizen, and
am not afraid of the devil. These men
deserved hanging. We expected dis
agreement, and had made arrangements
for retrial. When l heard of the YER
dict was frozen to my seat"
Couldn't you have punished them by
lawful means?"
'"Hhey were punished by lawful
means. The men who did it were all
peaceable and law-abiding."