Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-08-17
DID NOT START THE ROW.
Recent Lynchings of Italians I'm Louis-
lana Is Condemned In an Official
Renorl.

Report.
Washington, Aug. 9.-The state de-
partment has received from the Italian
authorities copy of the report made
by the Marquis Romano, secretary of
the Italian embassy here, on his in
vestigation of the recent lynching of
five Italians at Tallulah, La.
The report represents 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 have been urged in pre-
vious affairs of this kind.
In describing the first affray which
led up to the lynching Marquis Roma:
nos report states that DR.. Hodges
was the first to draw his weapon, and
that not until he had fired one shot
and was about to fire the second one
at Charles Difata, who was at that
time PROSTATE on the ground. did
the brother. Joe Difata. fire his shot
gun from the store nearby. This
last shot, it is pointed out, was in de-
Tense of the fallen brother and was
not wanton attack upon DR.. Hodges.
The circumstances leading up to the
affray are described In detail. Ac-
cording to this account Charles Di
fata was alone when DR.. Hodges
passed There is no effort made in
the report to obscure the fact that
Charles Dfata made the first offensive
overture. But it is contended that
this was not accompanied by the use
of firearms, or even movement to
draw them. 1t is said, however, that
Charles Difata upbraided DR.. Hodges
in an offensive way for having killed
an animal and accompanied this by n
blow of his fist Then, it is stated,
DR.. Hodges shot at Difata. Whether
or not the shot took effect it was not
possible for the Italian authorities to
learn. as the bodies of the men after
being lynched were disfigured and
disposed of. But at all events it is
stated that Charles Difata was on the
ground following the shot from DR..
Hodges weapon. At this point Joe
Difata made his appearance and, see
ing his brother down and a second
shot about to be fired. shot at DR..
Hodges.
Then followed the lynching of Joe
Difata and Charles Dfata. The mob
took them before they had been ar
rested.
Up to this point. according to the
Italian report, only those 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 another street
and did not know what was occurring.
1t 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 ofli-
GERS came to arrest them. This ar
rest was accomplished and the three
Italians We're placed in Jail. The re-
port then brings out that the mob.
having already lynched Charles and
Joe Difata. turned their attention 70
the three Italians under arrest. Two
Of these men, Jose Feducio and Frank
Difata. were first taken from the Off
GERS and lynched.
Subsequently, and some little time
afterward, the mob returned and took
John Cerami and lynched him. In
this circumstantial way the report
brings out that the mob made three
distinct movements against the Ital-
ianS. and that there was sufficient
time for the blood to cool and the
anger of the lynchers to abate.