The record-union., 1891-05-07
THE REPORT OF THE NEW OR.
LEANS GRAND JURY.

teresting report. The jury fails to indict
any of the rioters. We never entertained
the belief that it would. Though the
jury, in common with all New Orleans,
well knew who melted the mob gather
ing, who led it and who boasted of being
Its promoters and leaders, it retreats be-
hind the plea that 1t is impossible to
identify any particular person who shot
and'killed any particular prisoner.
This is all bad for good government. It
Is open confession of the imperative
character of the law in New Orleans.
Indeed, the Grand Jury report not only
expresses no regret for invasion of the
Eaw, but excuses and apologies the out
rage upon it. In short, in so many words
the law and meeted out justice. The
philosophy of all this masking of mob
violence and apologizing for the riot is too
apparent to need elucidation. If it is to
obtain much footing, the social structure
in the United States will not be able to
Withstand it, while as for the laws, they
will become but convenient means to be
used when wanted and set aside by mob
force whenever a sufficient number of
men can be infamed by designing lead
ers.
The report of the jury so far as the
mobbfng of the prisoners is concerned
will shame the United States before the
world. 1t will be pointed out as flat
confession of the ineffectiYeness of the
executive character of our system, and
we will have no reply to make to the re-
Dukes that will be pronounced. At least
the jurors might have put upon record
their condemnation Of mob methods.
They have seen fit, however, to give
them their approval in the particular case
in hand.
Concerning the alleged bribing of the
jurors who tried the murderers of Hen
nessey, the jury declares that there is ev-
viction that the petit jury was bribed;
that it was brought from division of six
to six to verdicts of mistrial and acquit-
tai by corrupt means, employed by the
O'Malley private detective agency. But
the jurors say that they cannot find suf-
ficient evidence upon which TO base legal
conviction. Hence no one is indicted for
bribery, but true bills are brought in for
attempts to bribe talesmen.
The expression of the jury is studiously
emphatic and repetitive that the processes
of the law were trified with and inter
rupted by vicious men hired in the inter
ests Of the prisoners. It declares that so
subtle were the operations of these agents
for the murderers of Hennessey, that the
list of talesmen as drawn by the court
from among whom the trial jurors were
selected, was put into the hands of the
defendants detectives before it was de-
clared in open court, and in the face of
the court order that the list was to be
kept secret until given day. In brief,
the Grand Jurors find that there existed
In New Orleans a secret detective agency
under the pay of the Malta that the courts
could not cope with, and that trihed with
their records at will, bribed talesmen, in
Inundated Jurors, corrupted witnesses
and officials, and engaged in blackmail,
perjury and jury-fxing with unblushing
freedom.
AS TO the murdered Italians, the jury
finds that nine were citizens, or had
formally declared their intention to be-
come citizens and had renounced allegi-
ance to the King of Italy. The two
others were subjects of the King. 1t finds
that all of them would have been con-
victed had justice been done, and then it
proceeds under oath to declare that the
secret organization, the ''Mafia." does
exist in New Orleans; that during many
years it has dealt in human blood, and
been guilty of extortion, murder and
host of 'blood-curdling crimes" The
majority of its membership are pro-
nounced to be refugees from Italian
justice, outlaws and reprobates, upon the
heads of some of whom a price is set.
The jury adds that in the office
of the Italian Consul at New Orleans
there is a record of 1,100 Sicilian
and italian criminals who have been
landed at that port during several years
past, and that written opposite the name
of each is the story of his crime
I'm the district from which he fed. The