American newspaper accounts at this time are…
March 1891 CE
The victims are presumed to have been involved with the Mafia and therefore deserving of their fate.
A New York Times headline announces, "Chief Hennessy Avenged...Italian Murderers Shot Down".
A Times editorial the next day vilifies Sicilians in general:
These sneaking and cowardly Sicilians, the descendants of bandits and assassins, who have transported to this country the lawless passions, the cut-throat practices, and the oath-bound societies of their native country, are to us a pest without mitigation. Our own rattlesnakes are as good citizens as they...Lynch law was the only course open to the people of New Orleans.
Note that this is before the purchase and reform of the New York Times by Adolph Ochs.