Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-17
PROVENZANOTALKS
Disclosures of New Orleans
Italian Leader.
THE MALTA ATTEMPTS BLACKMAu.

Demand for 81 900 or Blood-Caruso,.
Connection with the Society-The Vigil
iantes Send Out Order for Thirty
Men to Leave the City, Which Detec-
tive O'Malley is Said to Defy = The
Alleged Jury-Fixing - International
Status of the Matter-Chicago Preach
ers Hesitate-Press Comment.
NEW ORLEANS, March 17.-There was
not the least bit of excitement in the city
yesterday, matters having resumed the
usual routine. Business was going on as
usual and stranger could not guess by
outward signs that New Orleans had been
the scene of a tragedy which startled the
world. Saturday night the vigilance
committee held meeting and authorized
the notification by letter regularly
signed, to the members of the jury &C.
quitting Hennessey's assassins and the
people suspected of suborning them-some
thirty in ALTO leave the city. Among
those warned is Dominick O'Malley, the
private detective, but it is reported that
he swears he will remain, and will make
trouble for any one interfering with him.
The vigilance committee members are
thoroughly determined men, and trouble
with O'Malley is anticipated, because,
whatever his connection with the alleged
jury fixing, or other crookedness, he is a
man of undoubted grit.
Giving Away the Malta Secret.
Josep Provenzano. who is the leader of
one faction of the alleged Malta, is ont in
statement. 1t was a war between two
factions of the society that eliminated in
the murder of Hennessey. Proveazano
says that he has not been connected with
the Malta in any manner, but has been an
object of their enmity, and then continues
as follows: about five years ago the Ma
fla sent me several letters threatening to
Kill me and my brother unless we gave
the society $1,000. We did not respond.
and Jim Caruso shortly afterward came
to me and said that he belonged to the
society, and that we had better paw the
money He said that could do so by GO
ing to the old lake and bandaging my
head with red handkerchief and leaving
the money on a stump in the swamp near
by. was then to go about my business
and they would get the money.
Went and Consulted His Friends
Il then went to some of my friends,
whom / met under the ST. Charles hotel.
Jung Davy, Pat Mealley, and Ralph Nor
gan being among the number, and they
said not to pay it; that they would go with
me in wagon to see who was there to re-
ceive it. Jim Caruso, who was along,
said that this would not do If you 90
with a crowd no one would appear l
then dropped the matter, and told Caruso
to have nothing more to do with the So
ciety, to give up his fruit stand in the
French market, and to come on the levee
and we would make him free man. He
said he would do So as he was tired of the
Malta, having recently been selected on a
committee to kill some one"
Caruso's Alleged Confession
Provenzano says that Caruso (who was
killed by the mob Saturday confessed to
him that he (Caruso) was member of the
Malta. That he was initiated by Mat
rama, who was acquitted by the Jury, aud
later released from prison. Caruso said he
only attended one meeting; that he went
in and MatranZa held up skull, in his
left hand, and dirk in his right He
was then sworn with uplifted hands to
abide by the decision of the order He
said he was informed after taking the
obligation that the object was to kill
those who were against the Malta gang.
The way it was done was to select the |
victim and invite him to dinner and after |
wards do him up. Caruso said afterwards |
that he did not like to commit murder, |
but was willing to rob, so he went to the |
Italian church and swore before the altar
that he would have nothing more to do |
with the Malta Afterwards, however, he |
was frightened back, with the result of |
losing his life