The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-13
4 TRIPLE LYNCHING OCCURS IN
A QUIET LITTLE VILLAGE IN
LOUISIANA.
ITALIAN MURDERERS STRETCH HEMP
Judge Lynch Presided, and the Murder
of Two Peaceable Citizens Was
Avenged-The Mob Chopped
Their, Way Into the Jail.

Hahnville. La, Aug. 9.-Therc was Il
triple lynching in this town just before
II o'clock last night, and this morning
the bodies of three Italian murdcrers
were found swinging from the rafters
Of a shed near the court house. One of
the men is Lorenzo Saladino, who so foul
ly aSsassinated Jules Gueymard at Free
town last Tuesday night, and the other
two We're Decino Rocorro and Angelo
Marcurso. who murdered an old Span
lard on the Ashton plantation near
Boutte Station some time ago. Ever
since the murder of Gueymard this par
ish has been in state of great excite
ment over the affair, and on the night
of the murder it was with great difficult
ty that the sheriff prevented the lynching
of Saladino and spirited him away to the
woods. In the meantime evidence grew
against him and popular feeling cor
half past II o'clock last night the mob,
which had been concentrated on the out
skirts of the town, began to move on the
Jail. They captured the old negro
guard, and by vigorous use of axes, with
which they were well supplied, soon de-
molished the Jail and cell doors and took
the prisoners out and executed them.
Lorenzo Saladino was charged with the
murder of Jules Gueymard, one of the
most prominent men in that section. The
murder occurred on Tuesday night at his
home in St. Charles, just short distance
from the river bank.
Mr.. Gueymard was on the gallery with
several friends playing cards, awaiting
the arrival of the boat with some freight.
When the whistle of the boat blew Mr..
Gueymard arose to 20 TO meet her. and
as soon as he was a few feet away from
his party shot was fired. 1t was from
Il shotgun loaded with all sorts of mis-
silcs, and the load struck him full in the
throat almost tearing his head from his
body. killing him instantly, besides
wounding Mr.. Robert Espenard, Il New
Orleans engineer. in the arm. Search
for the murderer was made, but he was
not found. The shot was fired from be-
hind Il tree ut the edge of the road, and
the assassin escaped through the thick
growth. Suspicion pointed to the Sicil
ian, who bears a bad character. He had
threatened Mr.. Gueymard's life because
the latter testified against him in suit
brought because Saladno cndeavorcd to
defraud New Orleans creditors. A visit
to his house revealed his shotgun, which
he said had not been fired in three
months. One barrel was found freshly
discharged. While he was not told of
the charge against him. he disclaimcd the
killing. Later on an old Italian woman
arrested at his place confessed that Sala-
dino, when he returned home that night.
said: Il got him"
Saladno would have been lynchcd that
night but for Sheriff ORGY, who hid his
prisoner in the woods.
The crime for which the other two Ital-
ians besides Saladino were hanged was
the wanton and cowardly murder of an
old Spaniard Oh the Ashton plantation,
near Boutte Station. The incentive to
the crime in this case was that the old
Spanard was their rival in the business
of gathering moss. They had frequent
ly threatened his life.