The record-union., 1891-04-02
The New Orleans Tragedy.

!
of a number of Italians and citizens, pub
! lication of the following letter from II
Pr0gresSo It0Ge7Aneaicaaeo, of New York,
in its issue of March 25th, and addressed
to that paper. 1t is written by one, ac-
cording to that journal, who is not an
| Italian. Publication is made, therefore,
in accordance with therule of this journal
to afford the people fair opportunity to
present fit matter on current topics, which
they deem important to reach the public
eye.l
NEW ORLEANS, March 19, 1891.
DEAR SIR: Pardon the liberty, but ]
cannot refrain from begging that you will
| defend the memory of the poor Italians
! who Were so cruelty put 10 death by
/ blood-thirsty, brutal crowd of ruffians.
/ live two blocks from the place where
! HennesSy was shot, on the same street,
and sat in the courthouse and heard the
| evidence, which was very weak on the
part Of the State, and very contradictory.
! One witness said the shooting lasted ten
minutes and others ten seconds. One
witness. who ran to assist Hennessy
when he fell, named Ungervarzt, and
was on the spot, said the same; several
men were around, but from the light he
could not tell if they We're white or black
men: other witnesses pretending to- and
/
! the shooting two blocks Off. One man
| recognized the man when he admitted he
/ only saw the back of his neck as he ran.
| Two policemen who were on the spot,
and who spoke TO HenneSsy, they did
not put on the stand at all. though most
important witnesses, as one Of them was
so near that his ear was shot; he is named
Noe, l think, and the other was named
O'Connor. The witness Ungervarzt
spoke to both men, as all three helped to
pick Hennessy up, who said: Leave
me alone; go after the man with the
! pistol"
The jury were very dissatisfied with
/ the evidence of the witnesses who pre-
! tended to recognize the prisoners, so they
| requested to be taken to the scene of the
shooting at night. The houses had lights
! from the windows, ana doors, as all the
occupants wanted TO see the jury and the
| prisoners who were III the maria or
prison van. When the shooting took
place it was after IL o'clock and every
! house was closed and people in their beds.
/ The Sheriff got out Of the van. His face
the jury all were well acquainted with,
they could not recognize him forty feet
away; now could people one or two
blocks away, when the men were run
| ming?
Judge Baker, I think an impartial
gentlemen, told the jury if they had
doubt they must give the prisoners the
benefit Of it. and they and thousands
! others had 4 doubt, so they gave a verdict
according to the eUldeacc, as any impartial
person, who was not blinded with hate,
/ would have done.
/ am not an. Italian, nor any of my
/ family, but the cruel persecution, as one
of the Jurors called the trial, has made my
/ heart bleed especially when / saw the
poor, uutilated form of Romero taken
into his house, and heard the cries of his
| stricken family, who reside close
! TO me- and then again when / saw the
poor old mother of Scaffidi with his little
child in her arms, crying as though her
| heart would break. and his poor mutt
lated form, too horrible to look at, and
/ his poor wife, III the next room; those
are sights words cannot express.
There is 10 proof whatever that the
| jury were bribed, and at present they
have not brought any; they only obeyed
the instructions of the Judge in the YER
diet they gave, and for that the foreman
/ OF the jury has been compelled to fly
/ from the city, leave his wife, family and
! business (he is in a large way Of busi-
| neSs-ieweier and siiYerS), because he
said Hennessy was no more than the
laan who shot himself. The Chief was
tough man." had killed one or two men,
/ and his father before him had killed two
men, and was killed himself. Now,
/ question whether any ofthe poor Italians
/ had such bad record. ] am not in any
way acquainted or interested III any Of
the parties concerned, but the love Of
Justice compeis me TO write few facts,
, as they, towards az they are, aBe now
defending their conduct by every lying
excuse. While the poor jurors are de-
mGnding an investigation into their own
conduct against the charge of bribery
and cannot get it, / ann here only TO pass
the winter. ! leave next week, but a let
ter addressed Z. o., New Orleans. will be
forwarded TO me. Yours most respect
fully, ALEXls Il. ScAFAR.