Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1891 — JUSTICE OUTRAGED. [ARTICLE]

JUSTICE OUTRAGED.

The Verdict in ths New Orleans Murder Cases. The Grand Jury Finds That the Juror. Were Corrupted and Improper- ’ 1 y Influenced, • - After six weeks investigated the grand jury has completed its labors in the Hen J nesy case and the killing of the Italians al the parish prison, New Orleans. Wednesday it presented a very lengthy report, going into all the circumstances of the trial and subsequent occurrences in detail. Th< report is most severe upon the members of the jury who' returned the verdict of i March 13, which is denounced as “start- ! ling, amazing, a bitter disappointment. ■ shocking to public opinion, provoking the ■ repeated accusation that some of thejury ' had been unfaithful to their high office.” i As a result of their investigations ths : grand jury finds positive evidence that th» jury had been tampered with by the useoi money and unproper influences, that subordinate officers of the court had been j guilty of such offenses to justify the belief I that they also had been unproperly influenced, and that on the selection of the jury there had been such methods employed as to absolutely prevent a fair and Impartial verdict, The responsibility for this gross outrage on justice is largely upon D. C, O’Malley, of the detective agency of O’Malley & Adams, who is conclusively proven to have been the person who planned and carried out the various operations. The man O’Malley is shown to have been convicted of like offensesand other crimes many times before. The conclusion of the grand jury on this point is as follows: Taking into account the mass of evidence it becomes our painful duty to make a declaration most severe in its reflection upon the action of some of the jurymen. We are so deeply impTeSted with the facts of the case that the moral conviction is forced upon us that some of the"jurors impaneled to try the accused on the charge of assassination of the late chief of police were subject to a money influence to control their decision. Further than this, we may say it appears certain that at least three, if not more,, of that jury were so unduly and unlawfully controlled. Some of the jurors themselves have testified in most emphatic terms that if it had not been for the persistent and well-directed efforts of three of the jurymen, most, conspicuous from the time that body was impaneled, that the verdict would have been materially different from that rendered. This is a sad and terrible commentary from Aheir associates on the jury as against those whose every action was intended to make them the controlling power. It is certain that the special effort of counsel for defense was to select forservice on that jury such men as Were of the acquaintance and well unter the influence of O’Malley and his assistants, notably those talesmen who were on the detective agency’s list. Regarding the lynching of the Italians, the report concludes: The assassination of the late chief of police shows the culmination of a conspiracy. His death was deemed necessary to prevent the exposure and punishment of criminals whose guilt was being fast established by his diligent pursuit. Thecondition of affairs in this community as to a pertain class of violators of the law had reached such a stage that the law itself was well nigh powerless to deal with them, so far-reaching was their power and influence in the trial of criminal cases. Good, citizens were profoundly impressed by the repeated and signal failures of justice. The arts of the perjurer and briber seemed to dominate in the courts, paralyzing and rendering powerless the ends of justice. Certainly this was a desperate situation. In the public meeting above referred to—general and spontaneous in character as truly indicating an uprising of the masses—we doubt if any power at the command of the authorities would have been sufficient to overcome its intentions. Evidence is before us from official sources that eleven persons were killed in the attack on the parish prison. In the careful examination as to the citizenship of those men, we find that eight of them were beyond question American citizens, and, another "hart declared his Intention” in this court. Which act carries withit the renunciation of allegiance to his native country. It is a noteworthy fact in con--nection with the uprising that no injury w hatever .was... done to .either person or property beyond the one act which seemed to have been the object of the assemblage at the parish prison. We have referred to the large number of citizens participating in this demonstration, an estimate by judges at from 5,000 to 8,000, regarded as a spontaneous uprisings of the people. The magnitude of the affair makes it adlfflcnlt task to fix the guilt upon any number of the participants—in fact, the act seemed to involve the entire people of this parish and the city of New Orleans, so serious is their sympathy and extended their connection with the affair. In view of these considerations, the thorough examination of the subject has failed to disclose the necessary facts to justify thisgrand jury in presenting indictments.