The Washburn leader., 1891-03-21

GSSS
crimes other than completely in the MUIR
der of the chief also shared in the gener-
al decentralization. Some of the braver
among the representatives of the Malta
wanted to die fighting for their lives, and
THEY PLEADED FOR WEAPONS
| with which to defend themselves and
when they could not get them they
sought hiding places. The deputies
thinking to deceive the crowd, trans
ferred the prisoners to the female depart
ment and there the miserable Sicilians
trembled in terror until the moment
when the doors would yield to the angry
throng on the outside. Captain Davis
refused the request to open the prison
and the crowd began battering in the
doors. The neighboring houses
readily supplied axes and battering
rams and willing hands soon forced
them open. Then the turnkey was over
powered and the keys taken from him.
The patrol wagon drove up with a de-
tachment of police who we're driven
away under fire of mud and stones.
When the leaders inside the prison
got possession of the keys the inside gate
was unlocked and the deputies in that
lobby rapidly got out of harms way.
The avengers pressed into the yard
of the white prisoners. The door of
the first cell was open, and group
of trembling prisoners stood inside.
They were not the men wanted, and
the crowd very quickly burst into the
yard. Peeping through the bars of the
condemned cell was terror-stricken
face, which some one mistook for
Scoffedi. A volley was fired at the
man, and he dropped, but no2e
of the shots struck him, and it was
subsequently found that he was not
one of the assassins. The inmates of
the Jail were ready to direct the way
| to where the Italians were. $50 to
the female department" some enc
yelled, and thither the men ran.
The leader called for some one
who knew the right men, and a
volunteer responded, and the door
was thrown opel. The gallery was
deserted, but an old woman said the
men were up stairs. A party Of seven
or eight quickly ascended, and as they
reached the landing the assassins
fled down at the other. A half dozen
of the men followed them. Scarcely
word was spoken. 1t was time for
action. When the pursued and pur-
suers reached the stone court yard,
the former darted toward the Orleans
side of the gallery and crouched
down beside the cells. Their faces
were blanched, and, being unarmed,
they were absolutely defenseless. In
their fear ana trembling
THEY SCREAMED FOR MERCY,
but the avengers were merciless. Bang,
bang, bang, rang out the reports of the
murderous weapons and the deadly rain
of bullets poured into the crouching fig
ures. Gerachi, the closest man, was
struck in the back of the head and his
body pitched forward and lay immovable
on the stone pavement. Remero fell to
his knees, with his face in his hands, and
in that position was shot to death. Mo-
nastro and James Caruso fell together
under the fire of half dozen guns. The
executioners did their work we'll and be-
meath the continuing fire, Cometez and
Trahina, two of the men who had not
been tried, but who we're charged jointly
with the other accused, fell together. The
bodies were riddled with bullets. When
the assassins discovered on the gallery
Machesi, Scoffedi and old man Marchesi
separated from the other six and ran up
stairs. Thither half a dozen men fol-
lowed and, as the terror-stricken assas-
sins ran, they were slain. Joe Macheca
charged with being the arch conspirator,
was summarily dealt with. He had his
back turned when a bullet struck him
behind the ear and death was in
Simultaneous. No blood came from the
wound and when the body was picked
up the ear was swollen SO as to hide the
wound. Schoffedi, one of the most
villainous of the assassins, dropped like
log when bullet hit him IN the eye.
Old man Marchesi was the only man not
killed outright. He was struck on the
top of the head while he stood behind
Macheca, and though mortally wounded,
fingered all evening. Polietz, the crazy
man, was locked up in cell up stairs.
The doors were flung open and one of the
avengers shot him through the body.
He was not killed outright and was
dragged down stairs and brought
through the doorway by which the
crowd entered. Half carried,
half dragged, he was taken
to the corner, =, a rope tied q
around his neck and the people pulled
him up to the cross-bars. A score OF
men poured volley of shot into his
body and for several hours the body was
left dangling in the air. Bagnetto was
caught in the first rush up stairs and the
first volley of bullets pierced his brain.
He was pulled out through the main en-:
trance to the prison and from the limb Of
tree the body was suspended, although
life had already gone. As soon as the
bloody work was done, Parkerson, the
leader, addressed the crowd and asked
them TO dispense. This they consented
to do, with ringing shout, but first
made rush for Parkerson and, lifting
him bodily, supported him on their
shoulders while they marched up the
street. The avengers came back in a
body to the Clay statue and then
departed. From one end of the city
to the other the action of the citizens
9 applauded. OMalley, the detective,
who would have shared the same fate
as the assassins if he had been caught,
has disappeared, and the members of
the jury are in hiding. Though there
is a big crowd on Canal street tonight,
the trouble seems all over.
THOSE WHO ESCAPED.
"a