The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-22
Terrible Vengeance of a Mob In
Louisiana.
WERE ALL sIcILIANs
HAD CAUSED MUCH TROUBLE IN
THE NEIGHBoRHooD.
Difficulty Arose Over Allowing Their
Goats to Roam Over Premises of a
Doctor-Attempt Made On Life of
the Physician Which Will Prob
ably Prove Successful.

|
weeks lot of goats belonging TO Frank
Defatta have been sleeping and run
ming on the gallery of DR.. J. Ford
Hodges office and residence. The doc
tor on numerous occasions requested
the owner to keep his goats up. but he
| would not do it, and on the night of
the 18th DR.. Hodges shot one of the
goats on his gallery. Early on the
morning of the 20th Frank Defatta
came to DIR. Hodges office and pro-
tested. The doctor promptly ordered
him to leave, and he lett, mumbling
something the doctor did not under
stand
About shutdown on the evening of the
Goth, as DR.. Hodges and Mr.. Kauff-
man were passing Joe Defatta's store.
Charles Defatta came out and said,
You shot my goat" and struck the
doctor. Hodges attempted to repel the
attack by striking back with his fist,
but, finding the Sicilian too much for
him, attempted to get at his pistol.
Joe Defatta. who was at the door,
pulled a double-barreied shotgun and
fired two shots at the doctor, striking
him in the hands and abdomen.
Immediately at the crack of the gun
Frank Defatta, Sy Deberroch and
John Cereno, who were in another
store on Front street, kept by Frank
Defatta, started on a run TO Joe's store
with shotguns and long knives in their
hands. Court was in session and a
large crowd of country people were in
town. With the sheriff and his depu-
ties they Joined in the chase and sue
ceeded in arresting and disarming
Frank Defatta and Sy Deberroch and
John Cereno, after a hard struggle.
John Cereno made a lunge at one of
~ Of h C
and was promptly knocked down by a
bystander.
Lynched In a Slaughter House.
The sheriff, with his posse. at once
went to the house where Charles and
Joe Defatta were barricaded, sur
rounded the square and, after batter
ing down the doors of the house, sue
ceeded in taking Charles Defatta- Not
finding Joe in there, the crowd began
search of the premises. going thence to
the large dwelling Immediately behind
the shop, which was owned by the De
fattas. There they found Joe hidden
under the chimney. He was promptly
taken out and the sheriff started TO the
Jail with Charles and Joe. When he got
to the court house square crowd or
about go citizens overpowered the
sheriff and, after a severe struggle,
took Joe and Charles Defatta down in
the field to the slaughter pen and hung
them to the gallows used for slaugh-
tering beeves-
Joe denied the shooting and accused
Charles. Charles in turn accused ms
brother. but said Frank Defatta and
Sv Deberroch were the cause of the
trouble.
The crowd then adjourned to the Jail,
overpowered the -jailer- and deputies,
took the keyes, went in and brought
out Sy Deberroch. Frank Defatta ana /
John Cereno and hung them to an oak
tree in the Jail yard, Not a snot Wus
fired and the crowd was quiet, out |
very determined.
A good many citizens pleaded for the
lives of the Sicilians, but without avSl'
as the people were much wrought up |
this gang being charged with num-
her of outrages that have recently oc- }
Cured in the neighborhood.
Was a Desperate aGng.
About three years ago, Frank De-
fatto shot and killed a negro for pick
ing up a watermelon which Frank had
for sale, and about year ago Joe
Defatto shot and killed Pat Matthews,
landing keeper at williamsburg, La.
as he was passing his store, in cold
blood. and about a trivial quarrel they
lad about some freight, and was clear
I'd by some technicality of the law.
They had frequently boosted that they
would do as they pleased and their
money would clear them.
The people believe the five had plan
led to kill DR.. Hodges. After the shoot
ng, Joe Defatta's gun was found on
he counter with a box of shells by it.
DR.. ]. Ford Hodges is a prominent
physician and is parish coroner. He
moved to this place from Calhoun about
wo years ago. He is badly wounded
md the doctors say he cannot recover.
The five Sicilians were buried today
n the potter's field near Tullala. The
rand jury is in session and will in
-estigate the affair. .