’FRISCO MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 599, 25 April 1891, Page 2

’FRISCO MAIL NEWS.

THE GREAT NEW ORLEANS LYNCHING AFFAIR. DETAILS CF THE BLOODY WORK. THE PEOPLES JUSTICE. SHALL THE EXECRABLE MAFIA BE ALLOWED TO FLOURISH ? LEADING CITIZENS DECIDE IT SHALL NOT. THE DREADFUL WORK OF AN AVENGING PEOPLE. BLOOD FOR BLOOD. [Special to the Standard.] Auckland, last night. The R.M.S. Mariposa arrived from San Francisco this morning. Her passengers for New Zealand are—Mrs Thos. Gamble, Mrs Von Tempsky, Carl Levi, and three steerage. The most important news is that relating to the New Orleans lynching, details of which were not cabled. The Chief of Police was slain on October 25, and that very night evidence began to accumulate, showing that his death had been deliberately planned by a secret tribunal, and carried out boldly and successfully by tools of the conspirators. The trial lasted twenty-five days, and though the evidence seemed conclusive, the Judge, who is currently charged with having been tampered with, failed to convict the prisoners. Next night a body of cool-headed men,. such as lawyers, doctors, merchants and political leaders, all persons of influence and social standing, quietly met, and decided that some action must be taken, and “ people’s justice " be visited upon those whom the jury had neglected to punish. Next morning a call for a mass meeting at Clay Square appeared in the papers. The closing sentence of the call was “ Come prepared for action.” Down in a large room on the corner of Bienvielle and Royal streets there was an arsenal provided by a body of the citizens.

The call published in the morning papars was enthusiastically responded to by the populace. At ten o’clock there was a crowd of several thousand anxious people congregated around the Clay Statue. There were then three addresses delivered. The addresses were short, pithy and business-like, and the assemblage—not unwillingly, it could be seen—was soon keyed ” to the highest pitch of excitement, and was wi’dly demonstrative in its denunciations of the assassins who had murdered the Chief of Police. Mr W. S. Farkerson, the leader, is a prominent lawyer, president of the Southern Athletic Club, and one who led ths vigorous reform movement three years ago, Walter Deneger, another of the speakers, is one of the leaders of the New Orleans Bar. The other speakers were John Wickliffe, also a prominent attorney, and James Houston, one of the foremost man of State. After denouncing Detective O’Malley, who is alleged to have tampered with ths jury, the speakers announced that they would lead the way to the pariah prison, Mr Wickliffe concluding with these words: “Shall the execrable Mafia be allowed to flourish in this city ? Shall the Mafia be allowed to put down our citizens on the public streets by the fool means of assassination 1 Shall the Mafia be allowed to bribe jurors and let murderers go free ?”

By this time the crowd was swelled to 3000 or more, and before anyone could realise what had happened, the great throng, gaining recruits at every step, was tramping down the streets to the neighborhood of the prison; stopping only once, and. that was at the arsenal, where double-barrelled shot guns, Winchester rifles, and pistols were andod opt to responsible and respectable citizens in the party, On arrival at the prison the assemblage had grown into a vast multitude. The prison doors had been heavily barricaded, but were broken down by axes and battering rams. The patrol waggon arrived at this moment with 1 a detachment of police, but they were driven off with stones and mud, and a party of seven or eight quickly ascended the staircase, and as they reached the landing the assassins fled down at the other end. Half a doaon followed them. Scarcely a word was spoken when the pursuit took place, and tpe prisoners reached the atone court yard. Tho aseascinc darted towards the Orleans aide of the gallery, and crouched down besides the cells, their faces blanched, and being unarmed they were absolutely defenceless. In fear and trembling they screamed for mercy, but the avengers were merciless. Bang! Bang I Bang I rang out the reports of the murderous weapons, and a deadly rain of bullets poured into the crouching figures. Gerachi, the nearest man, was struck in the back of the head, and his body pitched forward. Romero fell to hie knees, with his face in-his hands, and in that position was shot to death. Monaetero and James Carsso fell together under the fire of half a dozen rifle bullets entering their bodies, executioners did their wqrk well, *and beneath the) continuing fire

Cometct and Pralinia, two of the men who had not been tried, but who were charged jointly with the other accused, fell together, their bodies literally riddled with bullets, and they were stone dead almost before the fusillade was over. When the group of assassins was discovered on the gallery, Mac’eoa. Coffedi and the old man Marches! separated from the other six, and ran up the stairs. Thither half a dozen men followed them, and as the terror-stricken assassins ran into the cells they were slain. Jo Macleoa, who was charged with being the arch-conspirator, had his back turned when the shot struck him immediately behind the ear, and bis death was instantaneous. Coffjdi, one of the most villainous of the assassins, dropped like a dog when a bullet hit him in the eye. The old man Machesi was the only man who was not killed outright. He was struck on the top of the head while he stood beside Maeleca, and though mortally wounded he lingered all the evening. Pollitiz, a crazy man, was locked up in the cell upstairs. The doors were flung open, and one of the avengers taking aim shot him through the body. He was not killed outright, and iu order to satisfy the peeple on the outside, who weie crazy to know what was going on within, he was dragged down stairs and through the doorway by which the crowd bad entered. Half carried, half dragged, he was taken to a corner. A rope was provided and tied around his neck, and the people pulled him up tn the cross bars. Not satisfied that he was dead, a score of men took aim and poured a volley of shot into his body, and for several hours the body was left dangling in the air. Bagnetto was caught in the first rush upstairs, and the first volley of bullets pierced his brain. He was puled out by a number of stalwart men through the main entrance to the prison, and trom a limb of a tree his body was suspended, although life was already gone. Just as soon as the bloody work was done Parkerson addressed the crowd, and asked them to disperse. This they consented to do, with a rousing shout, but first they made a rush for Parkerson, and lifting him bodily, supported him on their shoulders while they marched up the street. The avengers came back in a body to Clay Statue, and then dispersed,