An Infuriated Mob Wreaks its Revenge on a Secret Society

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 113, 17 March 1891, Page 2

An Infuriated Mob Wreaks its Revenge on a Secret Society

MOB BREAKS INTO THE PRISON. SHOOTS 11 MEMBERS OF THE' SOCIETY IN THEIR CELLS. (PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) New Orleans, March 14. A number of Sicilians in New Orleansbelonging to a secret society, who were recently arrested for the murder of Hennessy, Chief of Police,, were acquitted. The public were so enraged that a mob of seyeral thousand persons pillaged the gun shops, forced the prison doors, and shoteleven of the Sicilians in their cells. They then proceeded to threaten the jury* and the military were called out. ' * Washington, Mar eh 16. Tbe attack on the Sicilians was organised by the leading citizens of the town, and lynching was approved by the leading commercial bodies. The Italian Con-, sui has demanded the punishment of the murderers. Secretary Blame expresses horror at the outrage, and is conferring: with the President. Three leading lawyers of New Orleans harrangued' th& crowd, which acted deliberately. The whole city was incensed agaiast the tyranny and corruption of the Mafia Society, to which the Sicilians belonged, and it is. believed the police officials connived at the lynching. The Governor called out the military, but they were very slow ia responding. The men who were shot included four who had been acquitted, three about whom the jury disagreed, and four who had hot been tried. lt is alleged. that a detective named O r Mally, , who was agent of the Mafia, bribed the jury, who narrowly escaped beinglyhched* The foreman is now in prison.