The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-16 00:00:00

tingE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER

A BRIGAND CHIEF.

The Times' Correspondent at Rome sends, under data
October 5, the following account of the slaying of Capraro,
the Sicilian brigand:—

"Vincenzo Capraro, the leading spirit of Sicilian
brigandage, has fallen fighting gallantly—l suppose
one may award the meed of courage even to a brigand
when deserved—at the head of his band. This re-
doubted chief had been the terror of the island for the
last ten years, and his death is the cause of general
rejoicing in the country places over which he tyran-
nized. It may be considered one of the most im-
portant results obtained since the more active measures
for the suppression of brigandage were commenced in
Sicily. He was a man endowed with undaunted
bravery, great energy, cunning as sharp as a steel
blade, and no scrupleg whatever. Either by.force of
character or intimidation—possibly both combined—he
had succeeded in establishing so complete and so ex-
tended a network of manutengoli that he had agents
and hiding places everywhere sufficient to enable
him at all times to elude the police and set them at
defiance. His field of action extended over no leas an
area than from Sciacca, his native place, in the Pro-
vince of Girgenti, to Termini, in the Province of
Palermo—places situated on opposite sides of the
island. He was here, there, and everywhere. One
day he would be heard of at the head of a numerous
band in the neighbourhood of Caltanisetta, the next
he would be seen alone or with one or two corn-
panions,on the heights in Palermo. For a long time
he carried on his operations in conjunction with
another noted brigand chief, Giacalone, a man as
astute and daring as himself; but a year or two ago
Giacalone was taken, and since then Capraro has
commanded alone. His band numbered nine men of
sworn fidelity, and at their head he acted sometimes in
concert with, and sometimes separately from, the other
principal bands in the island, according to the opera-
tions they had determined to accomplish. He was at
the head of nine men when he was at last surprised
by the Carabineers and mounted Militia the other
day. At the trial of Giacalone and his companions
—the details of which were, if I am not in error, sent
you at the time by your Naples Correspondent—it was
proved that Capraro had played an active part in all
the misdeeds perpetrated throughout the extended dis-
trict he may be said to have dominated. To the
country people—that is, the peasants—he was, after
the fashion of all the celebrated brigand chiefs, kind,
courteous, and free with his money, unless, indeed,
when he had cause to suspect any one of treachery,
and then the vengeance taken on the ' infamous ' was
sure and terrible. It came out at Giacalone's trial
that some of the victims suspected of having given in-
formation to the authorities had been disembowelled
and their hearts cooked and eaten. Capraro was
closely allied with the high-class Mafia of his
Province, was protected by its members, and in
return lent the force of the terrorism he exercised to
maintain its influence—an interchange, in fact, of ser-
vices for mutual information, advantage and assistance.
His family were originally very poor, but now they
are possessed of means, and for country people may be
looked upon as wealthy. How much the Government
considered might depend on the capture of thisbrigand
chief may be judged from the fact that, when a more
energetic course was initiated last year, no less a price
than 25,000 francs was put upon his head. It would
seem that the chance of participating in the reward
elicited the information which enabled the public
force to come to close quarters with him and his band.
Early on the morning of the 28th of last month eight
mounted militiamen, with their captain, Alessandro
Albini, and four Carabineera commanded by Lieu-
tenant Belletti, were making their rounds, patrolling
the neighbourhood of Mount Ceranie, in the territory
of Sciacca, when they received intelligence that Capraro
and his men were making for a cavern in the vicinity.
Being still dark, the officers determined to take what
advantage they could of the obscurity and of the for-
mation of the ground, in order to draw up their men
in such a position as to prevent Capraro, as far as
possible, from becoming aware of their presence until
too late to retreat without fighting. The brigands,
however, kept a sharp look-out; they sighted the
party at some little distance, and the moment they
did so turned and fled, plunging into the brushwood.
The soldiers at once fired a volley without effect and
started in pursuit, but the ground across country was
impracticable for their horses. In a second they were
out of their saddles and after the chase on foot, and a
few moments brought them to an open space where a
isk fusillade was interchanged without harm to the ,
troops, but in which Capraro fell dead and one of his
men badly wounded, the others getting away.
The object of the pursuers was evidently to have
Capraro dead or alive; all would seem to have
made him their mark, for he was hit in five places,
one ball striking him full on the forehead, and
for this . Lieutenant. Belletti, who is said to be a
practised shot, gets the credit. Capraro was armed
with a revolver of the latest model and a first-class
breech-loader rifle by Lefaucheux. On him were found
a silver watch, a necklace, a new pocket book bearing
his name, and a massive gold signet ring with 'Vin-
cenzo Capraro' engraved upon it. On the ground
were picked up some of those little square pictures of
saints made to be worn round the neck like amulets.
He is said to have been a devout Catholic. The body
was carried to Sciacca, where a photograph was taken
of it. The rest of the band got away into the hills,
where the soldiers are in pursuit of them, and addi-
tional force is being concentrated on the spot so as to
surround the district and insure their capture. The
majority of the communes have sent telegrams and
letters of congratulation and thanks to the authorities,
and rejoicing is general throughout the Province."

sirable some further steps should be taken. On the
whole, he should like to see a thorough inquiry
by Parliament into the law of settlement, and the
whole matter rediscussed and examined. Another
point worthy of attention was the possibility of
rearranging the unions SO as to dispense with some of
our workhouses, the expense of keeping them up with
the whole establishment connected with them being
wholly unnecessary now, when there was a very small
number of paupers in them. Local administration, by
which he meant the small arrirof local adminiAratiou
for inquiring into and examining cases, could not be
put an end to altogether, but some arrangement might
be made with neighbouring workhouses to have the
paupers sent to them, while the boards of guardians
would still act as a committee in the original union to
determine all cases, and which should be sent to the
workhouse. In conclusion, the noble lord said that
now was the time when there was a marked im-
provement in the condition of our population, to make
the Poor Law sound in all its branches. If we did not
do it now we should never do it at all. There was no
more pressing question for the Government.
Mr. Reed, M.P., secretary to the Local Government
Board, agreed with the noble earl, and repudiated the
assertion that the action of employers Of labour, in
turning attention to this matter, was a retaliation upon
the labourers for obtaiming an advance of wages. The
object of the Poor Law was to relieve destitution, and
not to be charitable or humane, beyond the actual re-
lief of that destitution, and until out-door relief was
abolished, we should not rid the country of that
stain of pauperism which still rests upon it.

AMERICAN HUMOUR.

A Missouri paper has undertaken to discourage
dying It publishes marriage notices free, but charges
heavily for ooituaries.

Young lady guides are coming into fashion in the
White Mountains, and the number of \flag-guided youths in
that section this season is said to be ast,,nishing.

The latest definition of an old maid.—A woman that
has been "male' along time.

The A merican Rochefoucauld says, "When a man
has a business that doe.,n't pay, he usually begins to look
around for a partner to share his losses with him.''
The following advertisement recently appeared in a
New York paper :—" A father wants to find a school for his
son where a manly and useful education will be given him,
and where the teachers do not fill the heads of their pupils
with humbug stories about nations that died and were buried
thousands of centuries ago, not a citizen of which could
either command a steamboat or keep an hotel."

Harper writes—" Going down to New York the
other night on the boat, I got to chatting with a German
acquaintance, and asked him what he was doing. He re-
plied, Shoest now do nodings, but I have made arrange-
ments to go into plzness." Glad to hear it. What are yotli
going into ?'Veil, I goes into partnership mit a man."
Do you put in much capital?' No, I doesn't put in no
gapitaL" Don't want to risk it, eh? "No, but I puts in d e
experience,' 'And he puts in the capital?' 'Yes, dat is it.
We goes into pizness for dree year; he puts in de gapital, I
puts in de experience. At de end of de dree year I will have de
gapital, and he will have de experience.'