The San Francisco call., 1899-07-22
FIVE BAD
MEN LYNCHED
By A MOB
Offending sicilians Are Put
to Death in a Cattle
Slaughtering Pen,
TRY TO KILL DOCTOR
Shooting ARRAY at Tallulah, La,
Followed by Prompt Action by
Enraged Citizens.
Special Dispatch 10 The Call.

TALLULAH. La. July 21.-FOr many
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 away, but
he would not do it, and on the night Of
/ the 18th DR. Hodge shot one of the
goats on his gallery. Early on the
morning Of the goth Frank Defatta
! came to Hodges Office and protested.
The doctor promptly ordered him to
/ leave, and he left, mumbling some
thing the doctor did not understand
About sundown on the evening of the
/ goth. as DIR. Hodge and Mr. Kaufman
were passing Joe Defatta's store,
Charles Defatta came out and said,
You shot my goat and struck the
doctor. Hodge 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, leVeled
a double barreled 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
/ CerenG. who were in another store on
Front street kept by Frank Defatta,
started on run to Joe's store with
shotguns and long knives in their
hands. Court was in session and
! 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 dlSarmlng
] Frank Defatta. Sy DeberrOch and John
ar-I ctr
/ CerenO made a lunge at one of the
/ crowd with one of his long knives and
was promptly knocked down by by
/ stander.
Immediately the Sheriff with his
! posse 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
/ a search of the premises, going thence
/ to the large dwelling Immediately be
! hind the shop. which was owned by the
! Defattas There they found Joe hid
/ den under the chimney. He was
! promptly taken out and the Sheriff
/ started to the Jail with Charles and
/ Joe.
/ square a crowd of about 250 citizens
| overpowered the Sheriff, and after Sc
/ we're struggle took Joe and Charles De-
fatta down in the field to the slaughter
/ pen and hung them to the gaIloWs used
/ for slaughtering beeYeS.
Joe denied the shooting and accused
/ Charles Charles in turn accused his
brother but said Frank Defatta and Sy
DeberroCh were the cause OF the
trouble.
The crowd then adjourned to the Jail,
overpoWered the jailer and deputies,
took the keys, went in and brought out
/ Sy Deberroch. Frank Defatta and John
CerenO and hanged them to an oak tree
in the Jail yard. Not a shot was fired
and the crowd was quiet, but very de-
termined.
A good many citizens pleaded for the
lives of the Sicilians but without avail.
as the people were much wrought up,
this gang being charged with a num-
Der of outrages that have recently Oc-
CURED IN the neighborhood. About
/ three years ago, Frank Defatta shot
and killed a negro for picking up
watermelon which Frank had for sale.
/ and about a year ago Joe Defatta shot
! and killed Pat Matthews, landing
/ keeper at Millikens Bend, La, as he
was passing his store. This murder
/ was due to a trivial quarrel the two
men had about some freight, and De-
! fatta was cleared by some technicality
of the law The Sicilians had frequent
/ ly bOaSted that they would do as they
/ pleased and their money would clear
/ them. The people believe the five had
! MANNED to kill Dr. Hodge After the
/ shooting, Joe Defatta's gun was found
| on the counter, with a box of shells by
! it.
DR.. ]. Ford Hodge is a prominent
! physician and is parish Coroner He
/ moved to this place from Calhoun
about two years ago. He is badly
wounded, and the doctors say he can
! not recover.
| The five Sicilians were buried to-day
near Tallulah. The Grand Jury is in
session and will investigate the affair.