The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-01-06

4 F5naa2a Brigand-A1 1Roaers Boadicea
E$cgpes ffio1l Jtsi! and Murders tie
Jailoy-DUager an tie Deqpo5itaa Pro-
! uiaceS.
A Turin letter states that among the Nespol-
! itau provinces which have TO contend with the
! dreadful scourge of the brigandage there is that
OF Cattanzaro, which possesses the advantage
or having band which is led by Maria Oti-
viero. al exceedingly handsome woman not yet
thirty years of age. Barbayity is her chief
characters tic, and the sight OF blood renders
her as excited as wild beast She was the
wife of the famous brlgaDd Monaco, Of the Al
bantam village Of Sp,>zzano, vino was killed 10
an encounter with he italian troops near Ros
sano. In this very encou nter Maria was also
wounded, but she continced to discharge her
musket, kneeling on the dead cody OF her hus-
band, with irmness and "a courage which ev-
en- commanded the admiration on heT opponents.
Having at last been struck in the right leg, she
fell into the hands of the troops, and bFouS0t
before a court martial at Cattanzaro, was con-
demned TO be shot The sentence was bower
er, commuted to thirty years of penal servitLde.
While she was ex9iating her crimes in the pris-
on at Cattanzaro the jailor fell desperately in !
love with her. The cunning woman pretended
to feel an equal affection for him, and one day
she told him that while she was with her hus.
band she had concealed, in certain place near
Rossano, large sum of money which had been
paid for the ransom of rich farmer. The |
jailor went quickly to the spot, and found the |
money. The fact had naturally the effect of
making his love for Maria still more ardent, so |
that she had no difficulty in convincing him |
that tender affections are better manifested in !
freedom than within the four walls of dun |
geon. Before, however, making their escape
Maria succeeded in sending word to her broth |
ers, who are brigands, that certain even
ing she would be at an appointed spot not far |
from Cattanzaro, attired in mans clothes, to- |
gether with her deliverer. Maria was punctual- |
ly at the rendezvous, and her brothers also - I
The unfaithfnl turnkey was killed out of hand. |
and the money he had found replaced in Maria's |
pocket. Once free, this woman organized |
band of brigands and began her operations in |
that tract of mountains which lie between the |
river Craft and Cattanzare. The barbarities |
since perpetrated by Maria are almost incredi- |
bic. The villages of Spinelli, Cotzenci, and |
Belvedere, have been literally sacked by the |
hand she commands. The dread which the |
name Of Maria Oliviero inspires among the |
rural population of Cattanzaro is SO great that |
the Italian government has been obliged to send
two baitalions of the line to pursue the cruel
fury. While the band led by this woman il
desolating the country Of Crittanzaro, we hear
from Rionero that bersaglieri have succeeded
at last in capturing the famous brisand Sacchi-
tiello, together with the two still more famous
mistresses of the brigands Crocco and Schia.
vone. The strargest thing about the capture
of Sacchitiello and of the two women is that |
they were taken at the house of the captain of
the national guard of the village, where they
had been concealed since the month of Julyl- |
This fact shows how difficult it is to get rid of
the Neapolitan srigands, since in certain cases
The commanders of the natl onal guard give them /
safe shelter in their very houses. /