Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-03-23
Mob Law at New Orleans.

Italians who were charged with the
murder of Chief -of-Police Hennessy
of New Orleans on October 10, gave
| their verdict March 13, in the after
noon, finding mistrial in the cases
of Polietz, Monastero and Scaffedi
and pronouncing the other six not
guilty. This created great dissatis-
faction in the city, and the jurors on
leaving the court room were hOoted
by the crowd. The next morning,
after mass meeting, mob, COM
posed of leading citizens, as we'll as
others, broke in the prison door and
shot to death or hung six of the priss-
oners, besides five who were suspec-
ted completely in the murder but
not tried. When the deed had been
done, the crowd dispersed, and no
other violence was done.
The indignation meeting was cal
led through the papers, and the last
sentence of the call was "Come pre-
pared for action" The meeting be-
gan at ten o'clock at the Clay statue.
At least 5000 people were present.
''Fall in T.! Fall in y was the cry, land
the crowd formed q procession which
went around the railing several times.
Then w. S. ParkersOn, prominent
lawyer, addressed the crowd. He
said that he faced the people of New
Orleans to denounce the infamous
act which was consequent upon the
most revolving crime in the criminal
annals of any community. The act
was the finding of the jury in
the murder trial, and that crime was
the foul assassination of Chief Hen
messy. "Get your guns and meet us
i'll Congo square immediately" Guns
had been stored in a building, and
they were given out to responsible
men. Then the mob advanced on
to the prison, one of the doors of
which was broken in with a piece of
wood used as battering-ram. The
crowd swept in, and the prison
officials were swept aside. Up stairs
rushed the armed men, but the pris-
oners were now in the yard be-
low. There they were at last found
trembling and begging for mercy.
But no mercy was shown them.
Their bodies were riddled with bull
lets.
The assassination of Chief Hen
messy was undoubtedly due to his de-
termination to break up the Malta.
1t occurred in a well-settled neigh
borhood, and q number Of people
saw the assassination, but with the
exception of a Mr.. Peeler, who lived
opposite Hennessy's house, they were
unable to identify any one of the Ital-
ians who were soon afterward arrest
ed. Peeler identified three men who
were Sicilian fruit dealers. On Oc-
tober II, Antonio Scaffida, identified
as one of the assassins of the chief
of police, was shot down in prison
by Thomas II. Duffy, aged twenty
eight, a newspaper carrier. The tri-
al of accused men began on February
16. One Of the chief causes of pub
lie indignation in connection with the
Malta trial has been the belief that
the society depends on bribery to
procure the release of the accused.
1t has been asserted that $75, 900 or
500, 200 were contributed by Ital-
ians all over the country to be used
as corruption fund. Detective
O'Malley, who secured the verdict,
got out of the way as soon as possi-
BILE.
Secretary Blaine has written let
ter to Governor Nichols, saying that
the minister of Italy represents that
at least three of the victims of the
massacre were italian citizens and
and asking that the governor main
tain the obligations of the United
States to the italian subjects in New
Orleans.
The Italian minister, Baron Fova,
has been commercially active IN qui-
citing the excited Italians in the large
cities of tie country. He sent word
to the consuls to use their utmost in
fiuence in inducing their countrymen
to show a dignifed, calm and strictly
legal behavior. In spite of this the
Italians are very violent in their lam
guage.
President Harrison has sent his
profound regrets to the italian gov
eminent, and has also informed it
that he has charged the governor Of
Louisiana to guard the italian resi-
dents of New Orleans, and to bring
the assassins to justice.
The following item has been going the rounds
of the press, and druggist, Fl. e. Pierce,
! handles the goods it may interest our readers:
had