The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-21 00:00:00

AN ADTENTURE WITH BRIGANDS.

The following (which we find in the Wolver-
hampton Chronicle) is extracted from a letter from
Mrs. Harper, the lady mentioned as being, with
her husband, of the party of travellers who were
lately pillaged by brigands while on their way
from Civita Vecchia to Rome :

Rome, Dec. 1. 1857.
" Well, we reached Civita Vecchia from Leghorn ;
and now as we are approaching the Holy City, we may
naturally expect good government and some honesty
under an ecclesaatical prince ; but now commences our
tale of trouble.

" While on board the steamer we had received much
good kindness from an Irishman, who helped us with hie
Italian, explained the Roman money, quarrelled for us
with the boatmen (a most rascally set), and, in short,
did us no end of little kindnesses. Hs proved to be an
American Roman Catholic bishop ; with him were Dr.
Whitehead, Vice-President of the Maynooth College,
and two other Irish-American priests—a youth coming
to Rome for education to enter into priest's orders, and
a young man named Blake, cousin to Dr. Whitehead,
and grandson of Lord French, a fine spirited fellow.
This party and ourselves landed and passed through the
Customs together ; and what a scene of extortion that is
from beginning to end—it is a perfect robbery. Here
again the bishop helped us, and when we could not get
places in the diligence, was so good-natured as to let us
join them in a large vetterino, which was only intended
to hold seven, but with the addition of ourselves it was
forced to contain eight. You will remember the party
whom I have severally named.
" We had four horses, and had to go 56 Roman miles,
each of which is a furlong less tban an English mile. The
driver (an Italian) promised to go into Rome at 7 o'clock ;
we left at noon, but he let everything pass us, walked
up hill, and walked down, and no talking would make
him go faster. At last, about 4.30 o'clock, he drove up
to the half-way house, took out the horses without per-
mission, and stayed until about 6.15. Thus we had only
accomplished half our journey by daylight. We had not
left this place more than half an hour before we were
sprung upon by 6 or 7 brigands ; each man had a blud-
geon, a pistol, and a dagger. One was stationed a few
yards distant on a bank, with his blunderbuss levelled at
the carriage the whole of the time, so that had resistance
been made he could have riddled us through and through.
Blake, who was by the driver, showed fight, but was
immediately struck down by a bludgeon, and left for
dead; Henry (Mr. Harper, the writer's husband) and
one of the priests sat outside behind the driver ; a wretch
began striking him until he threw him his purse, and
got down to have his watch and chain torn off, with a
dagger at his throat. The other wretches had got hold
of the bishop, and, with two daggers and a pistol at his
head, he had to give up his ring of office, gold cross and
chain, watch and chain, bag of 100 sovereigns—evers -
thing ; and Dr. Whitehead and the youth shared the
same treatment. Two horrid fellows came to me in the
carriage (I never got out), tore open my shawl, felt my
fingers for rings, and would have taken my wedding
ring and guard, only I had on a tight-fitting glove. I
cried out C'est tons, c'est tons,' and they not knowing
perhaps but what the others may have stripped me, left
me, finding only my purse. My watch, chain, and
cameo brooch I had (half in joke), at the roadside inn,
put into my secret pocket, which I carry under all my
clothes, and so they are saved. The brutality of these
villains can only be imagined by those who saw it ; had
there been any resistance they would have shot us down
like so many dogs, or more likely, because more quietly,
have stabbed or otherwise murdered us ; but not one of
us had any means of defence, and so we gave up all
willingly for our lives. They carried away 3001. in gold,
and 150(. more in watches, chains, and jewellery. Our
loss happily is not considerable, as Henry, at the inn,
had secreted his money in bis boots, as a precautionary
measure, leaving only about 30s. in value in his pure,
but not believing for a moment that we should be at-
tacked. We all had perfect presence of mind at the time,
and it seems wonderful to me when reviewing the
whole scene—a scene of horror—the real sang froid that
I felt. The terror came afterwards, when they were
fairly gone ; and the poor youth was placed in my arms
in the carriage. Thank God, it proved that be was
I only stunned by the blow of a bludgeon upon the left
temple ; he was not dead. I poured some brandy and
water into his month ; at last some went down, and
after a while he showed signs of returning consciousness.
It was affecting to see Dr. Whitehead's joy over the
poor lad, and sorrow, too, for his arm was useless, and
we feared a ball had entered his left shoulder. He is
heir, as I understand, to 12,0001. a-year, and Dr. White-
head had taken charge of him on this his first tour
abroad.

THE AUXILIARY LOCAL MILITIA.—A
CRUEL 110 AX.
A few days since an officer in one of the Yeo-
manry Cavalry regiments received an official-look-
ing envelope, with the important words upon it,
"Ou Her Majesty's Service," and bearing Cie
official seal of the War Office. Opening the enve-
lope, ho found it to contain the following enclo-
sure :
" (F. 0. 51)
" (749). " War Office, sth Dec., 1857
•