The Express.
London, England, 1865-09-07 00:00:00

INGST THE BEM

e --e--
Conoenlifißstit befell Mr. Moons sem atununk
particulars ere given is a letter from M. Erdata, the clever'
Neapolitan correspondent of the Traps, who heard them
pow the lips of the released captive :
` Mr. Moen', it appease, sever IMO' any moth* of
Pram" IL as saw very plainly that Monza said hid ,
people bad taken to brigandage for profit's sake. Their
idea, at the @stint, was to Make a round sum and retire
taro private life, either in Roue or in Spain. They very
cynically avowed themselves greedy of motley, and did not
even seek to palliate their emu .by making themselves
out victims of injustice. I said to Mr. Moans, 'They are
wartime against society.' Against purees,' replied that
cool and matter-of-fact gentleman. But if the attack upon
purses is generally successful an eventual retreat has become
mach less probable than in those happy days when Cardinal
Auto ell! gave a passport to the brothers La Gala, with
Pie takers:der of hoduebianti. Me belle have Dow homers
the more usual sermiaatioe. Awarding to Mr. Moor, the
brigands feel thin, and would be glad to make an end of it.
Our Englishman's opinion is that the perspective of the
punishment inflicted when they give themselves up is still
too alarming. He would advise a sort of half amnesty. By
such means he thinks brigandage might be stopped. Such
is the opinion of this matter-of-fob man. He speaks of his
brigands without bitterer& Upon the winks he has Do
complaint to make of their treatment of him during the
three months he remained in their hands. He speaks of
Musa, the chief, ea • men of ability and deeisiou. He
was witnem to no amputation of ears. The bandits did Dot
appear to him more cruel than other people. HI feet
having swelled, Mania placed him in • cavern, guarded
by five of his men. Ha remained there a fortaight, and
they seat him everything he wanted. ileautrneutiono
(system of agents and purveyors of the banditti) was per-
manent. All that Mr. Moons required wu brought to him
next day from the oeighbouriug town or village. There
was only one interruption of five days after the arrest of a
number of gentlemen of the town of Camps/Da who had
organised an association for tbecarrying out of brigandego
ea • large wale. Dozing five days after that nixie nothing
ware. They had to eat some animals of very indifferent
flavour, among others a sheep that had dud on the skirt of
the wool. Then the supplies reemmenced. Mr. Moons
refuses to reveal anything that might lead to the detection
of the stanutengoli. Mr. Noon is by no means poor, sad is
a photogrspher only for his private amusement. He has
at least 30,000 fr. a year. It was the English coolant,
Mr. Bonham. who, from the very commencement,
idevarly made him pass for poor, sending some small
misteasee through the manutessgoli to his poor country.
man. Mr. Moans had the courage to hold out three months
la defines of his fortune, of which he has given only a
sixth, instead of one-half, as et first demanded of him. Hs
bas paid, or others have been supposed to pay for him,
/10,000 ducat., about 120,000 fr. (4,11001.) The brigands have
always boen convinced that the consul and the English at
, Naples paid for him ; the trick has been very well done, and
I skilful Albion has kept up her reputation. The certainty
I that, if the worst came to the worst, he was able to pay what
was demanded, euccorsged Mr. Moans very much ; he affirms
that he never for a moment feared far his life ; he was
playing a game, that was all. He played to keep 25,0001 r. a
year indeed of 15,000 fr. The most important part of this
gentleman's souvenirs, but perhaps the least reliable by
reason of hie ironical tandem:au, Is that which caeca es the
repressios of brigandage. According to Mr. Moons, the
mews employed are very feeble. He says that the Mesta
ban 1, during the whole time of his detention, was never
more than five miles from the nearest military detachment
and might easily have been laid hold of. The patrols, he
says, never leave the beaten paths of the forest, and do not
beat the wool, and several times, whoa surrounded by his
captors, he saw the soldiers passing at a very short die.
tanca. In short, he criticises the Italia* pollee and troops
very unfavourably, but his criticisms do not appear to me
vary demoostrative. As to the patrols keeping to the paths
and not going in among the treee,lt would be desirable to hear
military opinion. For my part, at Eboli, io that same dis-
trict, I have seen the Italian officers and soldiers at work,
an i my impression is far from resembling that of Mr.
Moons. Moreover, I repeat it, the gentleman is busies],
viewing things—eves those which are parses:id to him—as
from an upper window. Ooe cannot very well draw • con-
elusion from what he says. Mr. MOMS is anxious to repu-
diate the exam of misplaced honour attributed to him by
the papers ; he had never the possibility of ample& of
calling the troops. The attempt would probably have east
him his life. At the moment of his departure Maora gave
him 4001 r. for his jouroey,sod a ring as • keepsake, end said,
• I have let you off 30.000 ducats, but yon muse not let the
other English suppose they would get Of so wily.'"