Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-29

dead. three fatally wounded and TWO
dangerously hurt is the result Of the
series of assassinatons that have Oc-
CURED in the last few days in the Ital-
| ian settlement along the upper or
sugar" coast, and within a radius OF
] fifteen or twenty miles.
There has been so much written about
the Malta, to which it has been custom
AIRY to attribute every Italian killing
here, that there was an indisposition
to ascribe these crimes to members OF
the society at first, and yet they were
so brutal, so apparently without cause
or excuse, that no one can doubt now
that they were committed by Grim
nal or
a BAND OF CRIMINALS.
The fact that the majority Of the
murdered persons were women and
children, that they were assassinated,
shot from behind, without a chance to
defend themselves, and that the bodies
were not disturbed, although in two
cases the pockets of the victims We're
full Of money, prove that the crimes
were either engineered by the Malta or
were the results of one of those tends
| or VeudetCGs so common in Sicily, FROM
which country came the bulk of Italian
farm laborers in Southern Louisiana.
REFUSE TO TALK.
The Sicilians. as usual refuse TO
talk for it is dishOnorable to them to
appeal 10 law or give any testimony
against @ murderer. It is the duty of
the family to avenge the crime. Thus
it is tlat the authorities have been al
most helpless in the matter. They
have been arresting suspects right and
Lett, but it is impossible 10 get testi-
m0ny against the prisoners. and the
chances are that these crimes will 90
unpublished until the GiordanO, the
Russo, or the lido family.
WHOSE MEMBERS WE'RE SLAIN.
take mp the vendetta and set to work
to Kill the families of the assassins.
There never seems to be the slightest
difficulty on the part of the Sicilians
to decide who commit these crimes.
even ii the law cannot discover them.
The Italian colony of ST. Charles. st.
James, Ascension and Assumption Par
ishes has sprungUp inthelast FIVE years.
Some 5000 or 1900 immigrants arrive
st New Orleans every year from Pa
lermO and seek work i'm the fields The
planters ind them as tractable as the
negroes. Whatever difficulties they
have are among themselves and are
promptly settled with the knife or shot
sun. Several attempts have been made
to reorganiZe the Mafa there ON its old
basis OF blaclmail. and there have been
frequent and shocking crimes there.
which the police nave been unable TO
trace or ever explain
SERIES OF ASSASSINATIONS.
On Friday a week ago began O. series
of assassinations which have paralyzed
the Italians with fright and caused pro-
found Indignation throughout the State.
The first and worst of these tragedies
occurred Friday night q week ago at
Terra Haute plantation in st. John
Parish. about thirty-fye miles from
New Orleans. While the GiordanO
family were at their supper a disreput-
able Italian shot two loads OF bucksh0,
among them. almost discriminating the
family and killing two friends who
came to- the rescue. The police can
learn no cause or provocation for the
crime.
Sunday
ANOTHER DOUBLE MURDER
occurred at Oak Alley, some twelve or
fifteen miles from Terra H3Ute. where
SCrahnaO Udionor Guido and his wife
were assassinated. Both had consider
able money with them, and it was not
disturbed indicating strongly that rob
berry had nothing to do with the crime
that it was one Of pure vengeance.
Monday night Philippe Russo, known
as The Head Dago' on the Elm Hall
plantation was seated i'm his cabin
playing with his four-year-old boy on
his knee. Suddenly there was a crash,
and Russo was severely wounded. the
child fatally. Nobody witnessed the
crime. The police are now arresting
Italians in neighbOring towns, but it is
all cropping in the dark
The TACT that women and children are
slain as well as men, indicates that
there is something deep behind it, but
what it is the authorities are thorough
ly in The dark.
THE EXPERIENCE OF A UNION