Meanwhile I feel quite sure that your excellency will, on the authority
of the accompanying declaration, kindly interpose his very high and
influential offices with the competent authorities of New Orleans in
order to secure a thorough investigation of the aforesaid charges, and
to prevent such ill treatments from taking place in future.
Your excellency’s feelings of justice and humanity vouch for a favorable
consideration of the request I have the honor of placing in your hands,
dictated by the same sentiments.
[Inclosure.]
Consul Corte to
the grand jury of New
Orleans.
Royal Consulate of Italy,
New Orleans, November 13, 1890.
No. 644.]To the Honorable Foreman of the
Grand Jury, City:
With a letter of the 17th of October last, I informed his honor Mayor
Shakspeare that it was referred to me that the parties suspected of
the murder of the lamented chief of police, Mr. D. C. Hennessy, were
being maltreated in the prisons in this city.
In reply, his honor wrote, besides other things, thus: “The rumor of
maltreatment of the suspects is, I am satisfied, without foundation.
On the contrary, I greatly fear that consideration for their
personal comfort and the wishes of their friends has been carried
beyond the limit of prudence.”
[Page 660]
Upon this assurance of his honor, I was naturally satisfied; but,
having went to-day to the parish prison, accompanied by the
secretary of the consulate, the attorneys Adams & Henriques, and
two other persons, to visit the Italian prisoners, who have their
passports, I was told by them the following:
Pietro Natale assured that, under threat of violence on the part of
the captain of the yard, he was compelled to hand over to him $35,
and that after giving this sum he was beaten all the same.
Sebastiano Incardona declared to us to have been repeatedly beaten,
and that three other Italians, now at liberty, in order to avoid bad
treatment, were obliged to hand over $50.
Marchese Antonino declared also to have been repeatedly beaten in the
parish prison and in a police station, and that a ring which he wore
was taken from him.
Pietro Monastero declared to have been beaten and showed several
wounds on his head; furthermore, he asserted that, being ill, on
several occasions he asked for a physician, but none appeared.
A few others, amongst them Loreto Comitz and Antonio Bagnatto, made
similar complaints, showing their wounds.
Having asked the above parties why, on my first visit to the parish
prison, they did not make such complaints, they replied it was
because I was in company with the jailer, and they were warned that,
should they have spoken, they would have been beaten again.
In view of these declarations, corroborated by clear evidences, such
as scars, blue marks, swellings, and contusions of recent date, by
us seen, I deem it my duty to seriously call the attention of your
honorable body in order to investigate the facts immediately, and
take the necessary steps accordingly, not only to avoid their
repetition, but also to bring the guilty parties to justice.
You are, no doubt, aware that the eyes of the whole world are cast on
this trial, so much as to have provoked the formation of an
extra-judicial body having in view only the Italian element.
Consequently said facts, which form an essential part of this trial,
if on one hand they could not have escaped the vigilance of the
guardians of the prison, on the other, if known, would not fail to
make a great impression on this enlightened and civilized American
people. In the meanwhile I can not but call the attention of my
Government and formally protest against such abominable ill
treatment, by virtue of article ix of the
consular convention and of the treaty existing between the United
States and Italy, which assures the same rights and privileges to
Italians as to American citizens.
A kind reply will be highly appreciated.
Respectfully,
