Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-08-27
ANECDoTE OF MARCO sCIARRo,
THE SPANISH ROBBER.

In the spring of 1888, Marco Sciarra,
of the Abruzzi, had retreated with his
band, before a force of Government
troops into the States of the Church,
which the Vice.Royalists could not in
wade without the permission of the Pope.
In the month of April the ViceOry, Don
Gioyan di Zunica Conte di Miranda, ap-
piled to the Holy See for an Immediate
renewal fan old cOacOrdaty, by which
the commissaries and the troops of eth
or government were authorized to have
free ingress and egress in the Neapoli-
tan Kingdom and the Papal States, to
pursue robbers, crossing the respective
frontiers, as often as might be necessary,
and by which the two States were pledg-
ed TeciprocaHy TO aid each other in the
laudable duty Of suppressing all bandits.
The Pope, Sixtus vi. complied with this
reasonable request, by granting a Breve
for three months. Immediately the
troops of the Viceroy Miranda crossed
the frontiers in pursuit of Sciarra, who,
being properly informed by numerous
friends and spies of all that passed, turn
ed back into the kingdom about the same
time that his enemies quilted il; and
avoiding the pass of Anuodoro, where
the Spaniards we're in force, he went
through the deflO of Tagliacozzi, and
was soon safe in the mountain soltudes
that surround the beautiful lake of Gel
anO.
Tho robber had The sympathies of all
the peasantry on his side, and found
friends and guides every where. Not so
the Spanish commander in pursuit Of him,
who did not learn whereabout he was un-
til several days after, when some fugi-
tive soldiers brought him word that Mar
co Sciarra was in the Kingdom, and had
just sacked the town Of Celano, cutting
10 pieces detachment ofiIoops that had
arrived there. The Spaniard then re-
crossed tho frontier Of the Kingdom; but
nearly whole day before ho reached the
country about Celano, Sciarra was again
beyond tho borders,
lie had now however, considerable
difficulties to encounter. The officer
had left a body Of bold men behind him
in the Papal States, and these mad been
joined by several commissaries of the
Pope, who each led number OF soldiers,
and carried with him his Holiness's COM
mand TO the faithful, not TO harbor, but 10
assist TO take the Neapoitan banditti
wherever they might be. Sciarra had
not expected so formidable an array ON
the side Of Rome against him: he was
several times hard pressed by the troops, |
but the peasantry, spite of the iniunc-
tlons OF the successor Of Saint Peter, still |
continued bis faithful friends. The his
torlans who relate these events, especial
Iy record that, wherever he went, the rob-
ber was kind in conversation and gener.
Gus in action with the poor, giving, but
never taking from them, and paying for
Whatever his band took with much more
regularity than did the officers Of The
spanish troops. Consequently he was
ADVISED BY some peasant or other Of the
approach Of every foe, of every ambus-
cade Of the troops, Of every movement
they made; and he finally escaped them
Al, keeping two forces, which might al
most be called armies, at bay, the one on
Sae Roman confne, the other on the Ne.
apolltan, for more than week.
Hc then threw himself back on the
mountains Of Abruzzi, where by keeping
himself in the most inaccessible places
with bis men scattered in the most On.
Pofsune spass, and regular sentinels sta
TONED and guards distributed, he had in.
yarlaDly the advantage over the enemy.
indeed, whenever the troops mustered |
courage % approach his strong-holds, |
whlcn g was IN the habit Of changing
frequently, iasy were sure to return con-
s'deEasly Diminished in number, and
withoHt the satisfaction, not only Of kill.