The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-10-25
A Singular Character.


The Mobile Gazette publishes the fol.
lowing remarkable history: There are
few residents of Mobile who have not seen
the Sicilian, Andrea, hobbling through
our streets upon his patched crutch, and
walking staff, or lying on some doorstep,
basking in the sun, wrapped in the rags
of poverty--a picture of filth and pauper-
ism, without q parallel in this or any
other city. Many reports are given of
his early history, of the cause by which
he lost his leg, and ofbis eccentricities, but
from these conflicting statements it is
difficult to arrive at the truth, and. no In.
his past career. opportunities in this di,;
rection ore most certain to be met by, a.
fit of passion calculated to deter the most
persevering from pressing the subject too
closely. But report states that in his
boyhood he was one Of La6tte's crew,
and lost his leg during an action between
the Gulf pirate and English man-ofwar.
This statement is without any substan.
tial authority, but there seems to be much
more truth in the following, which has
Just been related to US by a gentleman.
who has seen him daily for the last ff.:-
teen years About eighteen years ago:
Andrea resided in New Orleans, and
when one day assisting toput some heavy.
timbers in vessel undergoing repairs.
one of the logs fell upon and crushed his
leg. Amputation became necessary, and
was performed at the Marine Hospital m,
that city, and few years afterward he
came to Mobile, where he soon became
an institution.
He has relatives here in good circum.~
stances, who have made many efforts to
reform his vagrant habits, and once pre-:
vailed upon him with such success as to,
establish him in O f-uit-stand, fitted up for
his benefit, in which he continued but o
few days, when he broke up his stands
and boxes, pitched his fruit into the dock,
and withoutgiving word of explanation,
resumed his uncouth habits. He has been
repeatedly provided with good clothes,
which seemed to disgust him more the
nearer they approached gentility, and q
few days will find them torn up, patched
and re-patched, until all semblance Of
shape has been destroyed in them, and
Andrea rejoices in his rags again. Stran-
gers thinking him-an object Of charity,
sometimes offer him money, which he al
most invariably throws back Mt them in
a fit of rage and passion. -
When driven by hunger he will some- Z
times ask for piece of bread, which is
never refused him, but more frequently
enters a saloon OF bakery in whatever
part of the city he may be, and helps :
himself to any article of food desirable to .
him, and coolly emerges into the street
again, without saying "by your leave,
or "thank you" At the market he has :
been known to take up fish, sometimes
devouring it raw, but when his appetite
gives him leisure he goes through pro-
cess of cooking 1t, peculiar to himself.
Without sealing, cleaning, or giving it
any civilized preparation whatever, he
will place it on the Goals Of some of the
furnaces on Front street, and permitting
it to broil but a few seconds, draws the
tempting morsel forth, and instantly de-
YOURS it. Taking bis positionin the sun,
the vermin with which his rags are popr.
lated soon warm into life and activity,
when Andrea's occupation begins by an
onslaught upon the graybacks. Hc will
90 under one. of the docks when the pro-
cess Of ablution becomes necessity with
him, wash his clothes, and after hanging
them out to dry, take his crutches and
swim to the opposite side of the river,
remaining there until his apparel is sufi-
GENTLY dry to be worn, when he returns
and resumes his peregrinations through
the city, travelling day and night, sleep,
ing in the sun or rain, wherever and
whenever fatigue overtakes him.
Andrea is never dishonest takes MOTH
ing without being seen, and never accepts
anything that is not absolutely necessary
to the support of life. His constitution
Is of iron; he has never been sick, or rath-
er, has never been missed from the street,
unless Gt is said) on the full of the moon,
when he becomes morose, and apparently
ont of his mind Left to himself he is
harmless enough, but when set upon by
mischievous boys, is easily worked into
dangerous passion.