The hydraulic press., 1860-07-14
The gydraalis 9ress,

ATROCITIES IN SIClLY.-The barbarOuS ma
ture of the government against which the
Sicilians are now arrayed in rebellion may
be learned from some statements made by
the correspondent of the London Chronicle,
who vouches for their truth. The police of
Palermo, desiring to get possession Of citi-
zen suspected of patriotism, who had taken
fight, arrested as hostages, threw into filthy
dungeons, and put to the torture, his aged
mother, his wife, and his sons and daugh-
ters The youngest of the latter, a beautiful
girl lately married to a respectable citizen,
underwent treatment that htnoVed The whole
capital to pity" Madame Catalano, wife of
celebrated advocate, entreated and at last
obtained her release, and she is now slowly
recovering. Pontillo, a commissary famous
for his cruelty, makes his prisoners sit down
in chair with an open work seat furnished
with razor blades, and having underneath a
chafng dish of burning coal Inspector
Louis Maniscalco applies iron manacles to
the accused, which arc made to grip tighter
and tighter if the sufferer is stubborn. In
the slang of the sbirri, this is called "the
angelic Instrument" Jailer Bruno strips his
prisoner of his clothing and then ties his
head between his legs. But the most infa-
nous of the crew of the Director General is
Captain Chemici, who was once robber
by profession. Being sent to the town of
Nicosa to discover the assassin of a gov
ernment official, out of thirty individuals
thrown into prison on suspicion, he chose
two at haphazard, named Chimera and Piz-
zolo. These two unfortunates Chemici sub
jected to the most horrible treatment, such
as the " cap of silence" the "angelical in
strument," starvation, beating, &C., but he
could not make them confess O crime they
were not guilty Of His next act was as fol-
lows:
"The police functionary then seized on
the wife of Chimera, young and hand
some woman. After having perpetrated on
her the most abominable violence, he had
her tied naked on bench, and gdre her up to
the brutality Of his sbirri. She remained three
days in that state, without solid food, until
half dead the poor creature depUsed that
her husband had said formerly that he
should like to kill Captain Gorgone.' This
testimony, SO obtained, was Immediately ta
ken down by an officer of justice, brought
for the purpose; and Chemici, rejoicing at
having an inkling of proof, returned to the
dungeon of the prisoners to inform them
that Chimera's wife had confessed. They
still persisted in their denial, and he then
had recourse to mode of torture of such
monstrous obscenity that description is i'm
possible. The sufferers at last yielded, and
confessed whatever was required"
The poor creatures were then taken before
a magistrate that they might repeat their
confession In the presence of the multitude.
The light and air of heaven and the pres
ence of their fellow-citizens, however, re.
yived their energy, and they not only pro-
claimed their innocence but denounced the
infamous means employed against them. A
cry of horror arose from the assembled
crowd, and the sbirri hastily surrounded
them and carried them back to prison. The
former torture was again applied Chlmera
and Pizzolo again sank under it, and con-
firming their first avowal of guilt, were Ia
ken to another town for trial. The tortures
they endured were so evident, however, that
the court appointed a commission to inquire
iuto their case. The commission was bold
enough to report the truth, upon which the
court pronounced them innocent and order
ed them to be set at liberty. 1t was Of no
use, however, the unhappy men are still in
prison, by the pleasure of the Director Of
Maniscalco.