THE NEW ORLEANS TROURLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2343, 31 March 1891, Page 2

THE NEW ORLEANS TROURLE.

I Tub disputes between the Sicilians 1 resident in New Orleans and an influential section of the American-born citizensj which culminated in the lynching by the latter of a number of the former, and which threaten to expand into an an international difficulty, present some peculiar features. A glance at the circumstances leading up to the present position of affairs will be of interest. Of all European peoples the Sicilians have the worst reputation for relentless vindictiveness. The "Vendetta—that deadly family feud which consists 'in the murder of each other by the heads of the respective antagonistic families—has its home in | Sicily, and professional assassins could until a very recent period I indeed—it is said can now—be hired for ' the purpose of carrying out dark deeds of vengeance or malice. Many (Sicilians were among the large numbers of the lowest orders of Italians who emigrated to America and made their homes in the Southern States, where the conditions of life were in many respects similar to those which exist in their native country. Some of them took up their previous occupation of fruitgrowing and kindred pursuits, but many gravitated to the large towns, where they in course of time almost monopolised certain departments of labor. In a country where the influence of rings and combinations is continually manifest in every grade of society it was only . natural that the clannish instincts of the Sicilians would be revived, and before long some of their old-world secret societies were established among them, There were several of these societies, the object of each being to protect the interests of its members, and to avenge, even by the deatli of the offender, any wrong which any member might be considered to have suffered. The Mafia is the most powerful of these societies, and for the last two or three years its power has been evinced in New Orleans, in a manner which caused something closely approaching a reign of terror. Assassinations of recalcitrant members of their own organisation began to be taken as a matter of course, and the impossibility detecting the perpetrators was recognised. But growing bolder the Mafia took upon itself to deal in its peculiar manner with those citizens who resisted its claims, which beginning with regulating those branches of the labor market in which its members were interested, became more and more pretentious, until an organised system of intimidation and corruption was set up, and even the administration of justice was sought to be controlled. This state of affairs was insufferable, and the authorities determined to take steps to suppress the society. Hennessey, the chief officer of the Mew Orleans police force, was one of the most effective of those employed in this dangerous duty, and so obnoxious was he to the Mafia that his assassination Avas ordered and effected Some of the party avlio shot him were recognised and brought to I trial, but the jury had been terrorised or corrupted, and four of the prisoners were acquitted. In the case of three others the jurors disagreed, and the j trial of four others was postponed. | Sicilian methods thus appeared to be in the ascendant, but laAvful American I methods having failed, the irregular methods of that great country were brought into operation, and the citizens, rising en masse, disposed of the whole of the accused summarily according to the method laid down by Judge Lynch. The representative of the Italian Government, as Avas his duty, demanded an explanation, which the United States Government has promised to furnish. Meantime we hear that the Italian fleet is being prepared for active service, and that some hundreds—thousands one telegram has it—of Italians in the States are arming and drilling, with a view, we presume, to meet the disciples of Judge Lynch on their oavii ground. It is a case of an illegal gathering assuming the function of dealing with an illegal combination, as the Mafia assuredly is. Much smaller matters have in times past brought nations into conflict, but there is very little fear of the New Orleans affair being made a casus belli. One point is very prominently shown by the affair, and that is that the Sicilians are one of those nationalities which Avill never assimilate with the Americans. Like the Germans, the Poles, and some others, they speak their own tongue, intermarry among themselves, and ob serve their native customs--some of which, as Ave have seen, are not tolerable in a civilised, and. on, the Avhole, well-governed community.