ew Orleans, often tempted to appeal from bad law to
anarchy, was in the spring of 1891 swept off its feet by such a
temptation. Chief of Police David C. Hennessy was one night ambushed and
shot to death near his home by members of the Sicilian "Mafia," a
secret, oath-bound body of murderous blackmailers whom he was hunting to
earth. When at the trial of the culprits the jury, in face of cogent
evidence, acquitted six and disagreed as to the rest, red fury succeeded
white amazement. A huge mob encircled the jail, crushed in its
barricaded doors, and shot or hung the trembling Italians within.

[Illustration: Mob breaking into a prison.]
An episode of the lynching of the Italians in New Orleans. The citizens
breaking down the door of the parish prison with the beam brought there
the night before for that purpose.

[Illustration: Three story building.]
Old Parish Jail, New Orleans, La.

[Illustration: Downtown street, three and fours story buildings,
streetcars.]
Canal Street. New Orleans La.

Italy forthwith sent her protest to Mr. Blaine, who expressed his horror
at the deed, and urged Governor Nicholls to see the guilty brought to
justice. The Italian consul at New Orleans averred that, while the
victims included bad men, many of the charges against them were without
foundation; that the violence was foreseen and avoidable; that he had in
vain besought military protection for the prisoners, and had himself,
with his secretary, been assaulted and mobbed.

The Marquis di Rudini insisted on indemnity for the murdered men's
families and on the instant punishment of the assassins. Secretary
Blaine, not refusing indemnity in this instance, denied the right to
demand the same, still more the propriety of insisting upon the instant
punishment of the offenders, since the utmost that could be done at once
was to institute judicial proceedings, which was the exclusive function
of the State of Louisiana. The Italian public thought this equivocation,
mean truckling to the American prejudice against Italians. Baron Fava,
Italian Minister at Washington, was ordered to "affirm the inutility of
his presence near a government that had no power to guarantee such
justice as in Italy is administered equally in favor of citizens of all
nationalities." "I do not," replied Mr. Blaine, "recognize the right of
any government to tell the United States what it shall do; we have never
received orders from any foreign power and shall