New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-20

STATEMENTS FROM JURORS AND PROM
NENT ITALIANS.
REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT no MALTA Ex-
lists IN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND
FUMING OVER SECRETARY
BLAINE's TELEGRAM.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TnrBUSEI

BY TELEGRAPH TO THE T1IBUNEI
New Orleans. March 19.-The two sensations OF the
day here have been the appearance in pubhc OF
J. NJ. seliGman. the foreman Of the Hennessy jury,
and the alleged declaration of John ROcchi a much
respected Italian. who has lived in NcwOrleanS Tor
over forty years that lie considered tie NhchhS
entirely juStiabe. seligman he has never lett
the city, although at first pressed 10 do 50 tlat lie
was rcvcr brbcd and that in spite Of all the vliupcr
ton heaped upon him lie would render the same verdict
again on the same evidence. Tho Ncw-Orlcans ltaO-
Americana" will saturday publish Mr.. Roccms
written statement that lie merely said he was giad
the affair not one Of race; that he was paihcd
TO think the innocent had suffered with the guilty ana
that much he dcplored the sad deed 1t woud teach
the Malta severe lesson to the advantage OF the
Woodworking and peaceful members Of the italian
Colony.
Itaian-Americans generally admonshed that
there is feeling whatever against their race but
they arc told You mus; remember that you all
helped with money and moral support to free the
accused men and did nothing to prove their guilt
What are the facts! After Judge BAKER had annulicd
the frs; Grand Jurys ind ctment because stcnoeraphr
heard the evidence, John yucca. the Editor Of the
"Italo-AmericanO,H uttered these prophetic words
"Tle trial viii proceed culprii Is sought ana must
be found. Conscientious scruples will be silea'ed
what il is imperative to satisfy Is public OPINION
This accomplished. it matters little That the price
may even be the lives OF half dozen OF orr country
men, In Issuing an appeal for subscriptions Mr.
yucca said: Twenty OF countrymen are lylng IN
jail under a capital charge. not because thcy were
caught red handed not because there Is evident proof
of their guilt but simpl5 suspicion. The majority
Of them lack means to procure defence Inc
colony understands how to be patriotic and charitable
and subscribe Now, unless the nnAmcrican theory
that man is guilty until proved innocent must prevail
was there anything unreasonable in this e If the
Italian colony has not stamped out the Malta, IL Is
because Italian and no American has ever proved
IL to exist. What have existed are local icuds ana
a bandit league established here IN 1881 by that ac-
complsEed rufian opposite on siciliAn lines. bHt
when Espo,ito arrested and the league uncovered
the good Italians did combine to supprc,, It, LcbFuz1o,
one Of Esposlto's Ieucnants turned iniormcF but
before he could be heard he was shot by Ado'to'
whlom accompnce Adotto was tried and escaped
punishment, not on Italian evidence, but because.
through the carele-sncss Of the authorities. the rr-
cipa! witness against him, Gcrman was allowed
to vanish.
Every body in New Orleans knows Mr. Zucca and
speaks we'll of him. lie is publicly praised as a man
Of honor and intelligence. DO | believe In the
Malta - he says. Not bit Of IT. Because umld
people receive threatening letters, Of them cvl
IDENTIFY written In Joke by Americans. does that prove
It's cxistencel And does II justify the killing of eleven
men. acquitted by jury described 10y The NeV-or
leans Item as persons Of intelligence, % whom tho
able attorneys for the defence could ind ~ ground
for objecting' the mere suspicion Of belonging I"
u2 The Item, by the way. protested that we need
have 10 fear that there would lie fair play. Well
where doe, the fair play come inl'
Mr. 2ucca was asked how he felt toward the lynch
ers. His reply does not mincc matters, and NAV be
pondered with profit by all citizens AS well as by
those who propose to meet at the Cooper Union 10
morrow night. "Of Cour-c,' said Mr. yucca no
justification can be offered and no apology accepted
for such crime II been left for II, perpetrators
70 make the first attempt at excuse for tie bloody
Tho ~ gF
Of Louisiana. The passive resistance of the state
officers must be construed aCQulceccncc ana u
they are not in accord with their duty they should
resign. sovereignty belong, to the state. ana ho' u
any local subdivision, and can be exercised 10y uo
people Of the state pcaccaby only by the b'II" ~
forciby by revolution. If the Committee OF tlity had
been safe advisers they might have secured In another
trial thc judicial execution Of those accused VIII
they now come forward for jury service, Instead "i
Sinking the duties OF citizenship untIl the consequent
abuses drive them 20 crucl The impression mas been
fo,ter,d that ouly Italians here have gone unpnhI'hel
Iy tho law. Isn't 1t notorious that murder has Dee"
again and again unpuni-cd by TIE law IN the case
Of American, a. well as those OF other natonaiue''
especially where polite, va, involved II TIE Nh."'
r are arrested We call not for conviction ana II
iury should be- fouud pure and true a u ''hNl'|
We demand their pardon. But on TIE DINER manu.
tho fullest possible indemnity should be made TO The
families Of all the victims, guilty a. well a. hhoce"
This i, good Amerlclni-m, A. wei - ethic'.
Last nights killing Of tho reporter Waters w |
Arthur Dnnn one Of the prosecutors III The heheNS
,n-e followed, but did not directly result rom
,ui,rrel over the Iynchius. The New DELTA 10"
ever call, Waters, the thirteenth victim oil inc Hc"
messy tragedy ,
Even at this late day, there is much idle vapoFlns
and furniuq Mr. BIaln. i, roundly abused for nos |
c,nGuins his letter t. Governor Nichols 1" "a s''hP'
roucst for the facts, although letter, 10 farker'oh
vii
blood of the Jurors. IN evening sheet also ch1anN
Ini AT the suspicion that the protesting Jurors arc
beng drilled In pretty much iie ,in1 hs"In a. III
wItness,> for tho G'i.nrr were uiiIuu IoI "a 80,
- Thc Ilcayunc' aud other serious Journals Prlt
inry ,y-icm. that shall provide f9 the payment IT,,
Jurors IN criminal cn~c,, the ~lmsal 81 N.Iu'',
by nine out OF me t"eiXc h"u & '1n d u" t,r "onl
r',,oncr, The Ncw Delta referring to the rec ~
lottery legislation. asks rcliincn!E; r - "o''o ~
ellgnian', second letter, defending NJ Ncrl't n'9
all nf !" ' those who may be- beginning 10 rcpcl
Of their share la saturdays cApIil. ''' Hti'" ~.
in te,ling ht' ntng, TO ,r'n " VET he
charged with having been eager To earn brlle' ~
ana J"r n% ., ,ee hat In" state flcd 70 make
out ts case the prosecutor dispensed win to t'',
ntbrr4 because h. considered hi case complete.
-cgman declares he Ia, 40 recollection 81 l,h3 ,Cr
yer that he va, unft for the work. And who oan
help ,ympaihzing with hm Jndtr' he say WIN WIZ
men
trfcr constantly 10 documentary evidence. l'nt an
Oiled Juror mu, riOlm the feat Of rcinclnh,fI-
.vcrytbiue He may not note even the names OF iIr
witness, and the charge, though the charge he may
not half understand. \ judge who err, In, ms a.
rision reversed: q Juror acting according to his con
.cirnrc within the dismal walls Of quasi prison. H.
70 branded ~ a wretch whom The gold Of a'sa'ahi7
has corrupted ...,
Tbc Iuror Doncgan saws that when the jury vl,it''
the scene Of the shooting they scnt sheriff VII IT,
forty fet away and couldn't recognize INN. VIM,
vitnc.-es blocks of, had sworn that they rcogmI
the a.,a->ine. And yet -cn-ltlv' pope "h!c,', "o
cnuse Mr. Blaine talked of a dcporlhl' massacre.
Watol,'s body taken 10 Poh'c lleadphartcr''
1, lille Duua was sent 10 Charity Hospital, and aitF
icing carefully examined by House surgeon Mll',,
was rIaccd in Ward 40. IA, and no ono was allowed
~ SO him During The shooting two bystandri' |
we're slightly wounded, one in tie arm and another
in the lcc.
,v.pIrEI pIr,rpPs rROI TrtIN