The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-05 00:00:00

1.

THE REVOLT IN CEPHALONIA.
TRIAL AND BXECUTION OF VLACCO.

The Wowing is a report of the proceedings of a
detachment pascal court-martial, held at Liz uri on
October 17, 1849, by order of Lieutenant-Colonel
Charles Trollop., 38th Regiment KB., commanding
her Majesty's troops in Cephalonia:
President: Major King, 36:h Regiment, Ist Battalion.
Members : Captain Cooke, 36th Regiment 8.8. ; Liente-
neat Brockman, ditto.
The court, having bean duly sworn, proceeded to the
trial of Teodoro Vlacoo, brought to trial on the following
charges:
Chargs.—For that he, the said ToodOro Vlaeco, of the
village of Bpiglia and district of Livato, la the Wand of Cs
phaleala, was the chief, or one of the chief, lesders, heads,
aad directors of the armed banda that on or about the 28th,
29th. 30th, and 31st of August, 1849, committed a series of
atrocious crimes and disorders in the districts of Seals-
Coronae, Valtes, and Iwo; and especially oa the above
mentioned 28th of August, 1849, when he, the said Teodoro
Vlacco, at the head or in ortuspany of an armed bend, did
murder, or was present at, or concerned in the murder of tho
late Cavaliers Niceolo Metars, and other persona, in the
house of the said cavaliers at the village of Scala, in the
district of Beale, which bond at the same time set fire to and
burnt the said house.
Question by the Court—Prisoner, have you any objection
to any member of this court ?
Prisoner.--Let me be triad by Englishmen, and not by
Greeks. None.
The interpreter having been duly sworn, and the chugs
reed over to the prisoner, he is asked—
Prisoner, are you guilty or not guilty of the charges pre-
hued against you ?
Prisoner.—Not Guilty.
Bpiridione Fottinato, being duly sworn according to the
rates of the Greek Church, states that the prisoner,
Teodoro Vlacco, was at Maorata, when three men from
Scala came in to say that the house of the Cavaliers
histaza Capeoliveri was in dames, and tue lives of the
inmates nearly extinct. Witness and some others proeecdtd
to the village of &Ma, where he saw the prisoner and Boboti
go into the house in question, but be dces rot know what
they did there. Witneu further states that be heard both
the prisoner and Boboti give orders to the rioters,.which they
• obeyed.
Prisoner.—Have I killed or burned any person or house
to your knowledge ?
Witnese.—l don't know.
Prisoner.—Wu I forcing the people to join me or not ?
yiitneu.—Yes, you were; as well as Boboti and the Papa

Prisoner.—You were one of the ringleaders yourself (with
much vehemence). (Laughter.)
Giovanni Saloinosi, after having been duly sworn, states
that on the 28. h of August he saw the prisoner,
Teodoro Vlacco,ll take down a ladder and put it against
the wall of the courtyard of Cavaliers Idetexe's house
at Scala. Prisoner jumped iuto the said court-yard. The
Cavalier* Idataxa then came out of a door leading off the
terrace in front of his house, aid said to Teo& ro VISCC3
and the others, " What have I done to you, my lads, that
you us, me thus ? Here I am, if you want to kill me."
Prisoner made answer, " Come out, that we may see you."
Prisoner then fired a gun at Signor Mateza, and afterwards
a pistol. Witness saw the deceased fall instantly. Saw the
remaias of the body, half consumed by fire, next day. Five
people were burned in the house ; there were many outside
the courtyard ; ten held the gate, but inside the courtyard
were only two men, Teodoro Vlacco and Ceramitzo (who has
been hanged). Wh,le the inmates of the house were burning
Views and Caramitzo prevented their coming out of the
bout.. _ _ - -

Prisoner indignantly casts in the teeth of witness that he
has himselfesurdered a man named at dl, and now shields

his own guilt by scouting him, the prisoner..
The widow Anthem, having ben duly sworn, states that
she saw the prisoner Lear the house of the deceased on the
afternoon of the 28th of August; he was armed with his
gun and two pistols. Witness saw some men setting See to
the house, meat of whom hays since been hanged at Scala.
The husband of witness was in the service of the Cavaliers

)(emu, and was burned inside the boas,. Bbe heard
shots, but at the moment the deemed fell she could not see
the prisoner.
Prisoner.—llsd I any ill-feeling against the Cavaliers
Meuse ?
Witneu.—l don't know.
Peisonen—Did I not lave you from being murdered by
Commit zo ?
Witnem.—l don't know.

°Adele Zapandi, being duly sworn, states that he was shut
up in his house, but saw the house of deceased set on Are
about 12 in the day of August 28th by a party of armed men.
Witness applied to the rebels to let the son-in-law of Cavaliers
Metexa, by name Dr. Z magneto, come out of the burning
house. This they granted, and witness helped him to get
a the premis, e. Shortly after the house was set on fire a
party of armed men arrived, among whom witness think,
was the prisoner.
By the Court —Look well at the prisoner—was it he or sot
Witness.—lt was. Witness furthermore states that the

prisoner was armed with a gun and two pistol,.
Yaps Agiri Metaxa states that he is priest of a small
village in Coronus district. A party of armed men,
among whom he saw both the prisoner and Boboti, came
to hie village on the 29th of August. He believes (oat
the prisoner, Teodoro Viacco, was the leader; he was
armed with two pistols, two knives, and sometimes both
with a large and small gun. They 'embed witness', house,
and forced men to bear arms, both on the 28th and 29th of
August. Heard Viaceo give an order to ring the bells of his
village. Although the villagers ran away at the time towards
the mountains, about 28 or joined the rebels next day, and
went towards \Talks.

Athanasio Pendogalo states that he is from Coronus, after
having been duly sworn. On the moraing of the 20th of
August, about 200 men, from Scala, Leo, and Catoleo, pro-
ceeded through his village. The prisoner wae among them.
Witness also saw him ring the bell to eseemble the people,
threatening to burn their houses if they did not join him.
I heard him called the leader, proceeded witness, and de-
mending arms, and forcing people to join them. Amongst
others they took witness's arms.
Prisoner accuses witness in an angry tone of inciting the
people to kill Battiata Metaxs.
Antonio Mataranga, having been duly sworn, states that
he knows but little of the charge. (N.B. This witness was
called by the: police \lances commissary.) On;2Bth August
witness heard that the house of the Caysliere kietase Cap-
soliveri had been burned—being at home, did nut see It.
Witness believes Teodoro Vlaeco, the prisi,ner, was the leader
of a band of armed men that he sew tnat day. Next day they
came to his house, and he gave Viacom a cup of coffee. He
WAS armed with two pistols and a gun. They took possession
of witness's house, and made it into &sort of barrack. Viatica
asked him for 10 doh. for his lads. Witness gave them food,
and soon after they retired towards the north with a flag and
a crow, carried, the witness believes, by the Abbate Zapende,
since hanged.
Z entail Paolato was not to be found.

- _
Veneelin Poniard°, having been duly sworn, states that
about 30 people came to the village et Mareopulo, his resi-
dence, and threatened to burn it. They took him with them
to Valtes, where he beard the prisoner tell them to wait till
the people of Vettes came down and burned the house of
their mastrr, Mr. Barnet" Metaxs. Witness has no doubt
that Teodoro Viacco was the first who proposed to burn it,
as was done. The prisoner was present throughout the 28th
and 29th of August 1849.
Prisoner says scornfully that this witness was one of the
party who shot Bssilio Baldo.
Caralatubo Vomitus', being duly sworn, stake that on the
30th of August, i 849, four men came to hisi house, and took
him to the place where the rebels were. The prisoner
ordered him to co" k the meat brought in for • large body of
armed men who accompanied bite. Witness was left at
Assupades, while they went on their excursions. On the
31st witness read a proclamation signed Teodoro Viacco, and
alto by Boboti. The said proclamation set forth, " All those
who are Christians and believe in the Holy Trinity mustjoin
in this war for liberty ; sad whoever will not do ma must not
complain if he suffers by it."
Prisoner.—Did you net write that yourself ?
Witness.—No, certainly not.
The prisoner being asked by the president of the court
what he bad to say in his defence, states:—" I have none to
make. I leave my defence to God, and throw myself on the
mercy of the court. All the witnesses have been sworn in
together against me. I had nothing to do with the death of
the Cavaliers Metaza Capsoliverl. The Scala men did it,
breams* they owed him a grudge. Dr. Momoly Pretenderei
and Dr. Republica Poem offered me 800 dollars to shoot the
lord high commissioner. On such and such a day they told
me that the lord highcommi•sioser was ping to the convent
of 8.4 n Geraaimo in July, with Mr. Pausal' and Mr. Cladan.
I was to take • few young men with me, and they offered
me 300 dollars to kill him, and 160 snore to kill Mr. Fycrs.
Pecos added that Canada had risen, and they ought to take
advantage of this opportunity to throw off the English. He
added that all the people in Cephalonia had sworn to support
me. Cephalonia has ruined me. If I had life I had rather
trust in future to the demons of hell than to the Greeks.
Out of the 70,000 inhabitants of Cephalonia at least 60,000
were concerned in the outbreak. lam not more responsible
than they. The letter I gave to the authorities was given
by • boy from Messrs. Republica Poets and Pretenderi.
(The letter was hers translated to the court, but was not
signed.) This boy told me that another boy bad written it
for Dr. Pretendert, and at his dictation, as well as that of
Signor Foam. I deny. positively that I hart any other
documents, nor do I wish to accuse Dr. Mosnolo Pretendemi
or Signor Republica Forms in pesticular. I only wish that
the court may know the real truth."
Two other documents were then shown to the prisoner,
who denied all knowledge of them.
The court was now closed and the palate excluded.
The caurt Ageing maturely weighed and considered the
'videos", in support of the prosecutions, together with what
the prisoner has urged in his Wenn*, is of opinion that be,
the prisoner, Teodoro /Mono, of the village of Spiglia and
district of Livato, ia the island of Cephalonia, is Guilty of
the charge preferred against him,
Boxroom.
_ _ _

The court having found the prisoner guilty of the charge
preferred agaiest hint, does now sentence him, the prisoner
Teodoro `flame, Its death, at such time and pleas, and in
such manner as the officer commanding the troops in the
.land of Cephalonia may be pleased to direct.
(Signed tier* by the president of the court.)
The Ceinsmindant has been pleased to apnrove and C 01162111
the above muting" with the following remarks:—
" To be carried into effect at Lszuri by hangtog, on some
day to be named hereafter, with all possible form and cere-
mony, that the death of mob a notorious bandit, assassins
ant rebel chief may be erre& into the 5e....0.7 of an.
"CHARLES TROLLOPS,.
" Lieutenant-Colonel 38th Regiment. Contnundent.
Ariostoli, Cephaluls, Oot 18."