River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-12-06
TRIAL OF THE ITALIANS.
Two Convicted of Nam
slaughter in the Sd
Degree, the Rest
Go Free.

OF the murder OF John lSaacS, the
Prescott deputy sheriff, was con.
cluded at Ellsworth last Thursday,
after being under consideration by
the court for two weeks. The jury
returned verdict of guilty of man
slaughter in the third degree against
two of the Fl men indicted-Joseph
Siragusa and John Demma-the
rest being set free. Upon the re-
cording of the verdict F. M. White,
counsel for the defense, moved for
new trial.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
1 This is peculiarly unfortunate
case as the tragedy involved was the
result of the lack of discretion on
the part of those invested with, or
assuming authority under the game
laws, and the trouble arose over the
trivial circumstance of the alleged
shooting of quail.
| Last July gang of Italian labor
ers were encamped few miles be-
low Prescott, engaged in ballasting
up the Burlington tracks. There
had been a rumor in the neighbor-
hood of the camps to the effect that
the Italians were shooting quail. 1t
is stated by some that warrant
| was issued for the arrest of GER
tain member of the gang, accused
or suspected, while others say the
arrest was attempted without war
rant. July 13, John Isaacs of Pres
colt, claimed to have been deputy
sheriff, proceeded to the camp of
the laborers, presumably to arrest
the man accused of the breach of
the statute made and provided"
for the preservation of the quail
for the benefit of city sportsmen.
Some say that Isaacs went among
the men with the object of getting
the accusation located upon the ac-
tua1 culprit. This assumption is
apparently confirmed in the fact
that through an interpreter he sue
ceeded in securing confession
from one of the men to the effect
that he had shot quail. This man,
whose name we have not learned,
when told of the consequences of
his act, pleaded ignorance of the
law and expressed himself as will
ling and anxious to make amends,
saying he would pay any amount of
| fine up TO $50. Isaacs refused to
accept a fine and returned to Pres
colt without making any arrest.
In the afternoon of the same day,
| in company with James Hamel,
marshal of the city of Prescott,
/ Isaacs returned to the camp of the
Italians with the evident intention
of arresting the self-confessed stat
ute infractor. A consultation was
held with the members of the gang
amidst excitement and confusion.
The Italians did not understand En-
glish, and the process of interpret
ing from the English to the Italian
and from the Italian to the English
through an interpreter who did not
himself have good knowledge of
the Dago dialect was slow and un-
certain. misunderstanding arose,
the Italians failed to comprehend
the situation, fracas ensued, shots
were fired wounding an Italian in
the hand, shovels were used, and in
the melee Isaacs was killed.
In view of the fact that the man
who shot the quail had expressed a
willingness to submit to a heavy
fine and that there were two men
against gang of % clannish, igno-
rant, hot-blooded foreigners who
believed themselves prosecuted, the
action of Isaacs and Hamel seems
to have been i'll directed, almost
criminally so.
| The Italians, seeing the result
of the fight and dreading the conse-
| quences, scattered, some going in
one direction and some in another,
but in the course of few weeks all
but one were captured and he final
| ly gave himself up when on the
verge of starvation.
| The men arrested were taken be-
fore Judge Weld who bound them
over to appear for trial at the fall
term of the circuit court. AS there
were not adequate quarters at Els
worth for properly housing so many
men, the old Jail having been de-
molished and the one projected not
yet built, some of the prisoners
were confined in the St. Croix coun-
| ty Jail and the rest lodged in shed
| in the courthouse square in Els
worth. Adjoining this shed high