Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-09-09
TRY TOLYNCH NIX.
--~--------
Philadelphia Mob Plotted to
Burn Ria.. 10.
SAY HE AZ. ed CHILD
Italians Were : az az Youth to
Stake, Shouting Make 1t An
other Coatesyille,' When
Police saved Him.

Philadelphia. Sept. 5.--Possibly only
the courage and quick wit of lone
policeman kept Philadelphia from be.
ing disgraced by a repetition of the
Coatesville lynching at Luna park, al
Sixty-fifth and Vine streets.
A crowd OF more than 500 Infatuated
Italians were in the very act OF burn.
ing alive q young man named Nicolo
de Stefano, who they declare attacked
a three year-old girl, when Policeman
Hill came upon the scene.
Seeing the crowd swirling around q
central point and hearing the yells and
| the curses being showered ON some
person or thing within the throng, HUI
promptly turned In riot call to the
station house and then forced his way
to the heart of the mob. where he
| found Stefano, his clothing ripped
| from his body, bis arms and legs tied
being dragged towards a large tree
/ while the crowd fell over itself To
bring fence rails. boards and the dead
limbs OF trees.
L NuIhink Ills why ~ GASi1ht St0Nf
Hin, partly by argument partly by
sheer nerve, managed to make the
crowd halt for few precious minutes
while he tried TO argue with them.
Soon growing impatient, the leaders
| of the mob, among who was included
Giuseppe Dorso, father OF the little
girl that the young man is alleged 70
,Ar,fA I@A hat hAkt
could not understand Hin and with
cries of ''Iika Coatespillei" began
| forcing their prisoner towards the
| tree.
Realizing that II he used his re.
| volver the mob would probably pull
him to pieces and kill Stefano at the
same time, Hill kept his head and his
temper and did his best quietly. TO
impede the progress OF the mob. In
this he was successful, and Just as the
men were binding Stefano TO wha.
they hoped would be his funeral pyie,
a patrol wagon loaded with policemen
came dashing up.
Police Charge Mob.
Forming an old-fashioned foot ball
| ~" the policemen jammed their way
through the crowd until, with drawn
pistols, they surrounded Hill and Ste.
fano. Sergeant Whelan realized. as
had Hill, the peril Of airing shot. For
1.-THE crowd. which had increased to
:about 500 men, was getting more and
Irmore worked up. But by putting on o
flbofd front and promising that II they
would let the law have Its course ste.
fano would be dealt the full penalty,
and yet while talking backing slowly
away whelan managed TO get his 1T
tie command and his trembling urisr
oner to the patrol wagon. Once there,
he bundled everybody inside and made
a dash for II, getting away almost be.
fore the majority of the crowd real
! iBed what had happened.
DE sStefano was given q hearing at
| the Thompson street station house be
I licemen were on hand to preserve or
der, but Though the station house was
crowded with Italians. as many as
could force their way inside, there was
no attempt made to get at the pris-
oner. He wsss cursed and reviled by
many, but no one offered to do him
violence.
After the little girl. Melia Dorso.
had told HON Stefano had lured her TO
his room and there attacked her, the
chiId's mother, Mrs. Rosa Dorso, told
how on hearing the baby scream, she
had started upstairs from the kitchen
to meet Stefano coming down. That
he had knocked her down ant rushed
ont of the house That she had pur-
sued him, but he got out of sight be
fore she could aroise the neighbors
After Or. r. ID. Hancock, police sur
geon for the district, had testified that
stbe child had been attacked, Magfs.
.srate Boyle held the prisoner without
1ail for court.
AN investigation OF the causes lead
Jag up to the attempted iynching was
made by a policeman and reayealed
THAI the attempt to burn Stefano alive
was no spontaneous outburst. but the !
result of a plan. 1t appears that after
the alleged attack had occurred come |
of the friends of the Dorso family sug-
gested telling the police. This was
vetoed by a large majority vote. anc
II was decided to take vengeance into
their own hands II was put to vote
and decided on definitely that II they
should catch Stefano when the circum.
stances permitted they would treat
him just as the Coatesville mob had
treated Jack Walker