Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1890 — NEW ORLEANS VENDETTA. [ARTICLE]

NEW ORLEANS VENDETTA.

Origin and History »C m Organized of Italian Mtirderor*. The killing of Chief of Police Hennessy of New Orleans, by the Matta, an organized band of Italian and Sicilian murderers, has called public attention to the ex. .istence upon American aoU cf a formidable vendetta. Among tbe 2,l<X> Italian* who annually land in ■ New Orleans, are some of the vilest criminals that ever disgraced the handiwork of God. They are banded together in an oath-bound organization, the divulgence of its secrets punishable by death. They set at defiance all law, and ad who incurred their enmity or refused to comply with their demands for money (which were made by command of the society of assassins, countersigned by the skull and crossbones), was marked for murder. During the past few years in New Origans many persons have been shot down n the dead of night by unknown assassins, and all efforts to ferret out the murderer* have beenJutile, as evidence could not be had through fear of assassination. Tbe Metrango-Provenzano vendetta of ast May was so open and outrageous that tbe press and the people of New Orleans demanded the destruction of the banditti and the suppression of the vendetta, in which they were seconded by Mayor Shakespeare, the late Chief Hennessy and his force, the city government and th* ccurts of justice. ———; —- The night attack of the Provenzanq faction, as has been alleged, on the Matrango party was the result of a sued. The former was succeeded by tbe latter as stevedores in the work of unloading fruit vessels at the New Orleans wharf. Hid behind trees, the attacking party opened up fire with blunderbusses (their favorite weapon, loaded with slugs, etc.) on the Metrangos, as they were passing in a wagon. None of tbe party were killed, but some were badly wounded and lost their limbs as a result of tbe skirmish. Arrests followed. Tbe trial, full of sen* sational features, resulted in life imprisonment for six prisoners. One of the. principal witnesses, an Italian, was assinated during the trial. The prosecution was vigorous, and the late chief was an important witness. A new trial, tbe date of which is near at hand, was granted. Hennessy had been active in securingevidence against the secret assassination societies < So he must be removed. The society selected their members to carry out their plans. And was anything more cowardiyt At midnight on the 16th inst. —dark, dismal and raining—the courageous officer was the last victim of th* ban 1 ditti. Armed with shotguns and blunder busses they fired from ambush, In tbo second story of a house, into tbe body of the officer of the law, completely riddling R with bullets, and then made their escape. Tbe country is familiar with the details. Italians and Sicilians who have been arrested from time to time are, as a rule, desperate-looking fellows, of the lower classes, who speak little, if any, English. It is supposed that, in most cases tbe assassins are agents of the society, selected to do the murderous work, and do not per* sonally know their victim. The intense feeling in New Orleans is not to be wondered at. The authorities continue to vig orously prosecute the search for assassins making scores of arrests of Italians and Sicilians daily. The killing of one unde* arrest by a friend of Hennessy’s, in the parish prison, shows to what extremity the trouble may go. Mayor Shakespeare’s call for a Council meeting to con* s'dertbe matter having resulted in a committee of fifty persons being appointed to aid in the werk of bringing'this band to justice, the Mayor’s life has been threatened. They may kill him, but can not frighten him any more Ithan they did the late Chief Hennessy. It is toA>e hoped for the welfare of our fair Southern city and ’ts hospitable people, as well as for the good of our general government, that tho assassins will be apprehended, the band broken up, and drive from the country for. ever the vendetta and banditti. Whether Italians or Siciliana, they are brigands, and as such are a terror to society and a menace to good government.