Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-30
Gbe aaI spp aaloresr aoeonsoap ong august 3d. szl.


From the London Times, Aug. H.
Rome has scarcely recovered from the excite
ment OF the late suspicious events when new
commotion is created by the arrival within its
walls of Antonio Gasparone, the famous robber
chief, with the remnants of his band, now again
seeing the free light of day after 46 years i'm
prisonment. Men of the living generation may
be forgiven il they plead complete ignorance of
n name only too well known during the pom
tificate of Louis NIL, pope who already reck-
ons three successors in the long list of reigning
pontiffs. At the time that Pope Della Gchga
sat in ST. Peters chair Gasparone and his
bandits were the terror of the frontier district
between Frosinone and Terracina, lowering on
the hills that skirt the Pontine marshes, with
their headquarters at SonninO, the birthplace
and home of their chief. As all the measures
OF the papal government against these formida-
BILE marauderS had proved unavai,ing Il good
priest, Monsgnor Pellegrini, vicar general Of
Seize, now still living, though 81 years old, met
the brigandS in one of their mountain haunls
and rendered them, in the name Of the govern
ment, free pardon and liberal PEN
sions if they would surrender TO the
public force, and consent to quit the
papal states under solemn engagement never to
return. The offer was accepted and the bargain
struck. The band, twenty-five men strong,
laid down their arms, and were escorted to
Civta Vecchia, where, far from being allowed
to set sail for some land of freedom, they were
thrown into jail, with an intimation that, in
stead of the galows which they had richly de-
served, their punishment would be life long inn
prsonment. They were accordingly immured
in the State fortress of SpoletO, and later in that
OF Ciyita Castelana, where, upon the arrival Of
the Italian troops on their way to Rome a year
ago, seven of the twenty-five still survived.
Upon the news of Victor Emanuel's late visit TO
his new capital reaching their prison, Pietro
Mast, the only man in the party who could read
or write, represented to the king that Gasperone
and his followers had never been tried or even
Nyh1tpVpr nIfrbf 10 tbnip
crimeS-GaSperOne himself is said to have at
least fifty murders, beside arsons, rapes and bur-
glaries on his cOnScience-the law had lost its
hold upon them after more than thirty years
prescription, and they were now entitled to
full and free release. The justice of their de-
mand was admitted, the seven prisoners are now
at large, and If not pensioned, are at least pro-
vded with means of suStenance at charitable
asylum for dccrepit old men.
The report of their arrival reawakencd in
Rome the memories Of their former exploits,
giving full scope to that popular love Of the
marvellous and the terrible which draws such
glowing pictures from traditions dimmed and
blurred by long lapse of time. The old cut
throat heroes drove through the streets OF new
Rome as the relies of that old Italy from which,
it is to be hoped, whole age OF progress separ-
ates the present generation. GaSpar0ne is now
seventy-seven years of age, and his youngest
companion is only ten years his junior. The
old miScreants made their appearance in the
Corso, in the Piazza FarneSe and the Campo
del Fiori, in their gala costume--conical hats
with flying ribands and peacock feathers, vel
vet jackets and shorts, crimson silk sashes, and
high CATERS; their snowy locks and boards,
which reached down to their shoulders and
breasts, enhancing the glance of their dark
eyes, their wild but fine features, and their firm
and erect bearing, indicative of u manly
strength which nearly half century's captivity
had not wholly subdued A curiosity, not UNI
mixed with a certain admiration, wrung cheers
from the crowd which pressed everywhere on
their path, the object of the general interest
being, of course, the chief, Gasparone himself,
who boasts of deeds of daring worthy of
second Fra Diavolo.
Themselves wonder to the world, these old
rutfians gazed upon the world with wonder, the
discoveries of our age-gas lights, steam en-
gineS, telegraph wires, Photographic apparatus,
and especially revolvers-flling them with as
much surprise as if they were the Seven Sleep
els just reused from half century's slumbers.
All that, however, would have passed through
their minds merely as a matter of speculation;
for otherwise these aged pensioners are now not
only perfectly harmless, but even piouSly in
clined. In something less than fortv-eght
hours they had already visited most of the RO-
man churches; and Gasparone-who, even
when he imbrued his hands and arms in blood
to the elbows, wore scapularies, mumbled his
AUe MdridS, and never "worked" on Saturday,
being the day consecrated TO the Virgins Mt
present wholly bent on making his SOUL"
and, to obtain leisure for the purpose, has in
the meantime hired himself out as model to
some French artists, who want his fine patri-
archal head to personify Moses in the wilder
ness or Joseph in a Sdcra Fdmiglid.