The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-14 00:00:00

ENCOUNTER WITH BRIGANDS NEAR

TELLETRI.

The following is an extract from a letter giving
au interesting account of a rencontre with brigands
near Velletri :

" ROME, Dee. 4.—We left Naples by diligence at an
early hour on Saturday (Dec. 1), and were accompanied
by a mounted gendarme, for we carried on the roof
20,000 ducats in silver, which sum is sent from Naples
twice every mouth for the payment of the troops at Mole
da, Gaeta, where the King maintains a large garrison.
"We got to Mole at nightfall, where we deposited
the specie, and our escort left us.
"Having changed carriages at Terracina, the frontier
town of the Papal States, we started thence about ore
hour after midnight, and our slumbers through the Pon-
tine marshes w:re only disturbed by the demands, at
each stage, of the posthoys for Beiocchi.
At early dawn we arrived at Cisterna, and about 11
stopped to change horses at Velletri. It wag a flee bright
morning, and being Sunday, the men were idling about
in groups, in their brown cloaks and conical hats ; and
the female contadini were flocking into the town in holi-
day costume—scarlet boddiceF, blue petticoats, and the
white incosere on their heads.
" I walked on, in advance, and had proceeded about
half a mile beyond the town, when the diligence over-
took me, and I resumed my seat. About ten minutes
afterwards we came to a sudden halt, and upon looking
through the glasses to ascertain the cause of our stop-
found e were surrounded by brigands, masked,
and six or seven long rifles presented horizontally at the
carriage windows. They approached, opened the doors,
and mentioned to us to alight, and made us le down on
our faces by the roadside. We had five passenger=, and
had a fellow to each, who made us, more by signs than
words, deliver up the contents of our pockets. I handed
out all the loose silver I had about me, which was very
little ; but. I had also a few Napoleons, which, in order
that I might not during the darkness disburse them by
mistake fir two-Paul .pieces, I had wrapped in a morsel
of parer—this I did not give up, and as the fellow did
not hi nself put his ban I into my pockets, I luckily
saved my coins. To my surprise he did not take my
watch, although he saw, and his hand even came in
contact with, the chain. lie took my cigar case, and
returned to me my handkerchief. Ho then ordered me
not to move, and left me ; when we heard an altercation
with the cc nductor, who was pleading most earnestly to
the Caro fratello,' as he called him. Then we heard them
cutting through the thick leather tarpaulin that covered
the luggage on the roof. In about a good quarter of an
hour they jumped into the bosquetto, or thick planta-
tion of tall reeds, by the roadside, and disappeared.
Finding they had cleared out, we picked ourselves up,
and in a few minutes were again on our road towards
Albano. The other four passengers had been completely
despoiled of every cent they possessed ; but although
we all had watches and chains conspicuously worn, one
only had been taken. We could only account for this by
supposing that they feared that the possession of, or at-
tempt to dispose of, such articles might lead to detection.
The squabble with the conductor had arisen from his
hesitating to open a bag especially entrusted to his care,
and for the safety of which he was responsible, and
which contained parcels of money and registered articles
of value. One of the fellows, however, presented the
mezz'e of his piece immediately under his ear, and at the
touch he said his blood ran cold through his ♦eine, and
he opened the bag, of which they immediately appro-
priated the whole of the contents, and then sprang into
the jungle and disappeared.
The amount taken from the passengers in money was
ab nit 240 dollars, or 501. Only one portmanteau had
been got at, which was cut open and a few things of
trifling value taken therefrom. There can be no doubt
that they had scouts out to prevent interruption, for both
before the attack and immediately afterwards we saw
various country people about, both singly and in partie.;
but during the whole time the affair lasted, which was a
good quarter of an hour, not a soul approached. Upon
arriving at Albano, two hours after, one of the passen-
gers was in a state of the most profuse perspiration, and
his heart throbbing fearfully.
" The conductor, who appeared perfectly well upon
our arrival in Route the same afternoon, was subse-
quently taken sick, and has since been confined to his
bed, and is now seriously ill."