The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
SURE THAT The MALTA Is DEAD
ali DGE II>IH kILLED 1T, THE
>rU ORLEANS POLICE SAY.
So They DO >"' HciIr'e the Recent MUIR
der ,bstrr, There Was Its Work
m VIA, Flourish Elsewhere In
,ou,s,npa, Though - Ref0rusatiOn NJ
IN, New Orleans Italian Colony.


Iou,.,nna, Though - ReforuatiOn Of
N, sew Orleans Italian Colony.
NV FANS, May although the po-
uoc Mold to the theory that vincenzo Bon
ec,o the Italian found dead in his saloon
~, sunday last, was the victim Of his own
crime. and that he was burned to death by
On explosion Of gasolene while trying to set
fire 70 he place, popular opinion still holds
,othe theory that it was Malta murder.
The saloon had been meeting place Of the
Noaa before the Hennessy murder. which
,rpcipltatcd tho lynching Of the Italians at
he parish prison dozen years ago. Even
,ferward it enjoyed an unenviable repu-
,a,ion. for in 1902, IL was suspected Of he
inc the headquarters of a riotous move
ment directed by the strikers on the levee
against the men who had taken their places.
rsntan, now Chief of Police Journee, who
commanded the police in that district, after
Distressing the strikers, raided the saloon,
which was called the Red Light, and found
il a veri,able arsenal, filed with arms and
ammunition Of all kinds. A large number
Of guns and pistols were captured at the
rlace. That it still continued sort Of ar
.ena or military headquarters was shown
by the fire last Sunday night. for the ex-
blossoms in the burning building sounded
like battle.
Why ask the neighbors. were all
these arms and ammunition in the place,
against the law, II Bonfiglio was peaceful
man? Either some lawless society met
there or the dead man had reason to fear
attack and, like many other Italians, was
preparing for it.
With the police and to those who re-
member the condition Of Affairs before the
Italian lynching at the parish prison. the
Malta theory Of Bonfglio's death does not
barry much weight; and they are con-
WINGED that the Malta il dead in this region,
killed by Judge Lynch. who proved too
strong for it. The practice Of the Mafosi
of old days Of extorting money from the
richer Italians by threats Of assassina-
ton has altogether ceased In New Orleans,
although still practised in some OF the
sugar parishes above where large num-
bcrs OF Italians are gathered. There are.
including the children. some $4,000 OF them
on the sugar plantations between New
Orleans and Ration Rouge.
Only a few weeks ago tho body Of an
apparently well-to-do Italian was found
on the banks of the Mississippi River. near
Donaldson vile. some fifty miles from
New Orleans. The man had been MUIR
dercd and the body burned beyond recog-
llitinn by the murtierers. 1t has never
he. n identified, nor has any Italian family
in that district reported q member miss
INK but the evidence Of blackmail and
murder is strong,
number Of cases have bean reported
from Jefferson, St. Charles and 81. John
marshes Of Italians who have paid money
ON threats Of assassination, but no case
of this kind has occurred Of late In New
Orleans, as far as the police know. Al
most the las. case was that Of q wealthy
Italian Of this city who. after having been
backmailed. frequently warned the po-
lice and subsequently lost his mind from
the threats-and. as he had reason to know.
not idle threats-againSt his life.
There have been several italian assassi-
nations here Of Late. and q number Of mys-
FERROUS encounters, the Luciano feud. which
counted half dozen victims. being . case
In point, but the police use the right word
about these assassinations. They were
results OF the vendetta, tho blood pledge,
not Of the mysterious and criminal secret
society. the Malta. which, whether born
here. or brought from Sicily by some OF
the many convicts who came thence to this
country, held sway over the Italian colony
Of New Orleans q dozen years ago.
The Italians have greatly advanced
10 all respects since then. They are much
better of and have acquired considerable
property. Most Of them have become
Their children attend the
public schools and have introduced Aneri-
ran ideas to their parents. To-day the
Italians enjoy a good reputation In New
Orleans, where ten years ago 1t was doubt
hui whether they would be allowed to re-
main.
The Italian immigrants hero have been
hearty all from Sicily. and they brought
The vendetta with them. A considerable
were ex-convicts. a man finding
It advisable. after a term in tho penitenti-
lry, to slip on to America. Thus 1t was
found in the Investigations OF the lynching
In the Parish Prison that most OF the men
killed had served terms OF imprisonment
Tor crimes, mainly murder. and had adopted
aliases in this country.
In the early '70s the condition among
The Italians here were very bad. and
aseassinations, many OF them for money,
we're common. There were cited l25
Eases OF such assassinations In New
Orleans, in not q single one Of which
was any man convicted or punished.
The State government OF Louisiana and
the police system Of New Orleans at the
time were thoroughly rotten-it was during
the worst period OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
no effort was made to probe or punish these
Italian assassinations. 1t was impossible
TO get any evidence. for no Sicilian, even
II he were witness OF the crime, would
tell Of it; and the police finally adopted the
view that the vendetta was an established
custom of Sicily. which they might rs well
Yet alone. as they could do nothing with It.
II the Sicilians preferred to settle their
disputes out Of court, why not let them do
So?
1t was period when II was worth mans
life to venture on Gallatin street. In the
Italian quarter. at night, and when n single
alieyway grown notorious as Vendetta alley
close TO the Red Light saloon. by the by
Was the scene Of twcnt three assassinations.
IL was understood, and there 10 little reason
10 doubt the story, that the bravo system
prevailed In New Orleans, and that a Sicilian
here could hire n profesaioDal murderer to