Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-08-09
ENTIRELY ATROCIOUS.
That Is What the Italians Call
the QuintupIe Tallulah
Lynching.
HODGES FIRST PULLED A PISTOL.

Was Shot While His Antagonist Was on
| the Ground and He Was Trying to Shoot
Him-ItaiIan Diplomat Reports IT q Sc
rious Case-some More Literature Re-
iating to the Dispute with Canada Over
That Line Fence.
Washington. Aug. 9.-The state de-
partment has received from the Italian
authorities a copy of the complete re-
port made by the Marquis Romano.
secretary of the Italian embassy here.
| on his personal investigation of the re-
cent lynching of five Italians at Tallu-
lab, La The report presents the affair
in serious light. As a whole the Ital-
ian authorities view the matter of the
lynching as one of unusual atrocity.
and without the mitigating circum-
stances which had been urged in pre-
vious affairs of this kind. In describ-
ing the first ARRAY which led up to ths
lynching Marquis Romano's report
states that DR.. Hodges was the first
to draw his weapon, and not until he
had fred one shot and was about to
fire the second at Charles Difata, who
was at that time PROSTATE on the
ground, did the brother, Joe Difata,
by. This last shot it is pointed out
was in defense of the fallen brother,
and was not wanton attack upon DR..
Hodges.
What Led Up to the Trouble.
The circumstances leading up to the
ARRAY are described in detail. Accord
ing TO this account Charles Difata' was
alone when DR.. Hodges passed. There
is no effort made in the report to OBJ
scure the fact that Charles Difata made
the first offensive overture. But it is
contended that this was not accom-
panied by the use of firearms or even
a movement to draw them. 1t is said,
however, that Charles Difata up
braided DR.. Hodges in an offensive way
for having killed an animal, and &C
companied this by a blow of the fist.
Then. il is stated, DIR. Hodges shot at
Difata. Whether or not the shot took
effect it was not possible for the Ital-
ian authorities to learn, as the bodies
of the men after being lynched were
disfigured and disposed of.
Lynching of the Italians.
Then followed the lynching of these
two Italians, Joe Difata and Charles
Difata. The mob took them before they
had been arrested. Up to this point, ac-
cording to the Italian report, only these
two Italians had figured in the affair.
The report goes on to state that
throughout the occurrence the three
other Italians-Frank Difata, Joseph
Feducio and John Cerami were in an
other street and did not know what
was occurring. It is stated that they
did not take part in the attack on DR..
Hodges. and that they did not even
know of it until some time after when
the local officers came to arrest them.
This arrest was accomplished and the
three Italians were actually placed in
Jail.
Mob Had Time to Cool.
The report then brings out that the
mob, having already lynched Charles
and Joe Difata, turned their attention
to the three Italians under arrest. Two
of these men-Joseph Feducio and
Frank Difata-were first taken from
the officers and lynched. Subsequent
~. and some little time afterward, the
mob returned and took John Cerami
and lynched him. In this circumstan-
tial way the report brings out that the
mob made three distinct movements
against the Italians. and that there was
sufficient time for the blood to cool and
for the anger of the lynchers to abate
after they had disposed of the first two
men.