The Mafia Society.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 19 March 1891, Page 3

The Mafia Society.

The cablegrams announce that a number of Sicilians in New Orleans belonging to a secret society (the Mafia) who were recently arrested for the murder of Hennessy, the Chief of Police, were acquitted. The public were so enraged that a mob of several thousand persons, organised by leading citizens of the town, and the lynching Avas approved by the leading commercial bodies, pillaged the gun shops, forced the prison doors, and shot eleven of the Sicilians in their cells. They then proceeded to threaten the jury, and the military were called out. Three leading lawyers of New Orleans harangued the crowd, which acted deliberately. The whole city was incensed against 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 at responding. The men who were shot included four who had been acquitted, three about, whom -the jury had disagreed, and four who had not been tried. It is alleged that a detective named O'Malley, who was an agent of the Mafia Society, bribed the jury, who m narrowly escaped being lynched, too. P The foreman is now in prison. The Italian Consul has demanded the punishment of the murderers. Secretary Blame expresses his horror at the outrage, and asked King Humbert to await the report which will be furnished by the Governor of Louisiana. The Mafia Society has threatened to poison the family of Parkinson, who is said to have been the chief leader of the lynching party, and some of the members of the Society have also avowed their intention of stabbing Parkinson to death.