Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-20
1aouaar 70 Be DEAD,
But Hsturus to His Ola Home in xhts
City After 26 Years Absence.

Twenty.six yeArs gone from home. no
letter received, and supposed 70 be dead.
That was the condition Of things that Mr..
James M. Libby encountered on biz return
to this city this week.
Having gone through the war with credit
to himseR and his flsg and lying Is months
in the deadly prisons OF Libby and AndeY-
s,nville he arrived st his old home In this
city in 1865. Shortly after he left and
went TO ses, and from that time was net
again heard from BY his brothers. several
Of whom live In this city. and finally they
concluded that he was dead and gave mp Oh
hope Of ever hearing how b. met his death.
This week he put in an appearance at
Augusta, and even his own brothers did
no: recognize him 90 great bad been the
change that 26 years he'd wrought In his
appearances. No one can coffsctly imagine
the feelings that they experienced when Il
was known that the brother they Supposed
dead had, ~ II wefe, returned 10 life.
Mr.. Libby comes here from New Orleans
where he has been stopping for several
years since he left the ssa. How b.
chanced 10 leave the sea occurred this way.
A little more than . year after be lefs
Augusta after the var he met with fright
full accident aboard ship, from which be
almost mirsculously recovered. He was
standing on the yard arm, and without
other support, engaged In fssviug rope
through block. The other end Of the
rope waoon the deck and some one there
not knowing, seeing him on The yard pallsd
the rope and in 20 doing pullsd Mr.. Libby
headlong from the yard 10 the deck.
to be brief he lived through Il but was
about content TO be Q landsmsn In the fu-
tu1e. He vas In New Orleans during the
killing Of the Italians and 70 familiar with
all the details Of that famous event. He
thoroughly believes thst by such harsh
measures alone could the people Of New
Orleans protect themselves from those Of
the Italians which compose the law1sss
element. He says that they had become %
bold that no American walking through
their quarter dared ssy anything for fear
be would be pouDced upon. Even In the
Italian markets, IL . customer priced the
goods snd went sway without buying, be
he WAS insusted and very likely rotten sgo
thrown after him. On the street they
would congregats 10 groups and would nol
even make way for the ladies 70 pass. All
that 10 changed. he says, since the terrible
Lesson that they learned from mob
violence. A JouRHAL fspfsssntssivs
asked him ~ to the truth Of The chaSgsi
Of the Italian consul since his sesusr
to Italy, 70 the effect that b. vas II
danger Of bis life, and thas the men killed
we're respectable working psopls end
that the only objection s9ainst then
arose from labor troubles. Mr.. LibbJ
had no hesitsncy In saying thas u III
consul made the seDssks attfibuted 10 hin
10 the newspspsss b. vas . liss. Ths con
sul, he said, vss we'll tssatsd and the nsl
killed vers the conspiratoFs that deserved
punishment; that ths mob had ~ desire Il
moIess vsll.bshaved Italians, and IN fac
shot down only thoss thas wsfs ceaesssst
In killing Hsnnsssy. Some ons psseen
asked him how Secretary Blaine vas -
gARdsd down there and be said thas witteu
regard 70 parry IL pseple vsrs gSsat ~
missfs Of NJ Blaine. n. Ubby vii
spend . few weeks ID ths city bsfoss hll
| return.