The Washburn leader., 1891-03-21
The Eleven Italians Who We're
Charged with Numbering Chief
of Police Hennessy
We're Taken Out of the Jail at
New Orleans and Hanged
or Shot.
They Had Been Tried and Acquit-
4 ted by q Bribed Jury the
Day Before.

Ine LyncnlnS fafCy was Maue up
OF Business Men, Doctors,
Lawyers, Etc.
New ORLEANS, March 14.-Three
thousand citizens, including some of
the most prominent residents of the
city, met at the Clay statute at
ten o'clock this morning, marched
to the parish prison, battered down
the doors, and lynched the eleven
Italian murderers of Chief of Police
Hennessy. The prisoners were acquitted
yesterday by jury, which is said to
have been bribed. The following is
the list of those who were killed:
Manuel Polietz, Pietro Monastro, An
tonic Scaffedi, Joseph P. Macheca, An
tonic Marchese, Antonio Bagnetto,
Frank Romero, Jim Caruso, Rocco
Gerachi, Charles Frahine and Comitez.
Polietz was hanged to a lamp post and
Bagnetto to a tree in front of the
prison. Both of them were also
riddled with bullets as they hung
suspended. The other nine were
shot and killed in the prison yard.
One Of them. Macheca, who had
revolver, shot Police Sergeant Heron
in the neck, inhicting slight wound:
All the citizens we're armed with shot
guns and revolvers.
A DETAILED ACCOUNT.
New ORLEANS, March 14.-New Or
leans struck the Malta death blow to-
day. It rose in it's might almost at mid
day and wreaked terrible vengeance
upon the Sicilian assassins who relent-
lessly slew David G. Hennesey, and
though there are eleven men dead to-
night who were happy yesterday over
their victory in the greatest criminal
trial the city ever witnessed. The work
of blood was accomplished without un-
necessary disorder, without rioting,
without pillaging, and without inaicting
suffering upon any innocent man, save
one and he was only slightly hurt. 1t
was not an unruly midnight mob. 1t
was simply sullen determined body of
citizens who took into their own hands
what justice had ANONYMOUSLY failed to
do. The chief of police was slain on
October 18th, and that very night the
evidence began to accumulate, show
ing that the death had been deliberately
planned by secret tribunal and carried
out boldly and successfully by the
tools of the conspirators. The trial
lasted twenty-five days and though the
evidence seemed conclusive the jury
was currently charged with having been
tampered with and failed to convict.
Last night body of cool headed men,
lawyers, doctors, merchants and political
leaders,
ALL PERSONS OF INFLUENCE
and social standing in the city, met and
decided that some action must be taken,
and the peoples justice was swift
and surely visited upon those whom
the jury had neglected to punish.
This morning call for a tmass
meeting at Clay square, on Central
street, appeared in the papers, which,
editorially, deprecated any violence.
The significant closing sentence of the
call was: "Come prepared for action"
Down in large room on Bienville
and Royal street there was an arsenal
which had been provided by the citi-
zens. The call was answered by the
populace. At 10 o'clock a crowd OF
several thousand anxious people con-
gregated around the statue. A large
proportion were leading people OF
the town. There were three addresses
made, which we're short and .pithy
and business-ike, and the assemblags,
not unwillingly, was soon carried
up to high pitch OF demonstra-
tion in it's denunciation OF the
assassins. Each of the speakers said
that there had been q great mass
meeting some months before which
had met quietly. and dispersed peace
fully, so that the law might take it's
course. The law had failed.
THE TINE TO ACT HAD COME.
After denouncing Detective O'Malley,
who is supposed to have tampered with
the jury, the speakers announced that
they would lead the way to the parish
prison. Before any one could realize what
had happened, great throng, gaining
recruits at every street, was tramping
down the street to the neighborhood Of
the prison, stopping only once, and that
was at the arsenal, where double bar
relied shotguns, Winchester rifles and
pistols were handed out to responsible
and respectable citizens in the party.
The starting of the crowd had an electric
eject on the city. Soon the streets were
alive with people running from all direc-
tions and joining the main body, which
moved sullenly down Rampant to the
iail, near Congo square. When the main
crowd from Canal reached the prison.
there had already collected there dense
throng. When the vanguard OF armed
citizens reached the prison, which is
many squares from Canal street, the
building was surrounded on all sides.
sheriff Viller, when he heard Of the
movement on foot to take the prisoners,
armed his deputies. The police force was
too small to offer much resistance
to the army of avengers, Capt. Lew Davis
was on guard at the main entrance with
q scant force of deputies. They were
swept away like chaf before the wind
and in an instant the little. ante room
leading into the prison was jammed with