Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-11-07


Hundred ana thirty Crimes i-BreakIng Prison
The Business Of Robbery - Contradictory
Rulss Of BriEandngs.
Writing from Naples on October %, the
OF the London Times says
Before the affair passes entirely into oblivion,
~ u viii very shortly here, let me report two
NJ three salient facts which have struck me In
The judicial examination of the brigand,
Crocco. His trial terminated aome DAYS since,
but his examination has been published In
paris, the last Of which was given to the public
only last Thursday or Friday. To use his
own words he was torn from the arms Of his
mother by the conscriptlsn, and how hateful
1t was under the BourbOns was made only too
evident by the frequent spectacle Of hundreds
Of conscripts roped together and dragged like
criminals through the atreets OF Naples. They
have now, Indeed, a cOuntry and good cause
to serve, but tears and curses are necessarily
eHtorted from thousands by an Institution
which violates all home affections, while II
depriyes land Of lie labor and industry Of Its
strong arms. Crocco began life, then, In
bitterness. Heseryed his time, and afterward
was soon associated with several fellows Of
the worst character. This was the beginning
Of q career which, according TO the indlct-
ment terminated US follower The act Of ac-
cusatlOn charges him with thlrty-slx heavy
crimes, selected par excellence FROM one
hundred and thirty which had been admitted
by what shall call the grand Jury.
There still remained, however, the follow
Ing charges which had not been decided by
that body, they icing Of mixed character;
political aud crlplnal four for having at
tempted to change our form Of government
four for lucltiug to civil war, twenty cases
Of extOTtiOn Of money, &c, twelve Of rob
berry with violence; twelve Of robbery with
violence; twelve OF rebellion with murder;
one hundred and twonty cases Of plumber Of
houses, with httoen Of incendlarlsm, ten Of
setting nfo 10 corn-stacks; aeyenty-fOuT
murders, 1000 600 ilyres destroyed. host Of
these crimes were admitted by the prisoner,
who, however, endeayored TO shift the no.
sponslblllty OF some OF them, either on tho
undlsclplined bands he commanded or on
the Bourbon troops, ('And you know, Senoi
Presidents" said Crocco, "what they were, :"
or on tho peasants who followed on thel
tracks. He could read and write, but ~
was mover at school," said the criminal
There were no schools then, but my faihe
knew the alphabet from A to X, and uset
10 copy the letters and gradually progressed.
Perseyering and Intelligent i Is easy TO so
| that under better influences Crocco, the brl
gand, might have been an honest, industriou
citizen. His earliest crimes led to his boiu
condemned TO imprisonment In irons 70
| nineteen years. 1--WE were shut 10, on
hundred aud thirty Of US, In one room. Tn
prisons were then q hell; will not say wht
they are now. We were divided into paTtle
the Neapohtans against the Baslllscha, (ni
lives Of Baslllcata.) We fought With knlye
Ing shut up In the crimlnale, q kind Of sci
ulchre. There found several others vii
had boon working At their escape for soH
time; they had found some nails aud wit
them they had made hole.
When | arrived they had seen the moon.
Joined them. We took 10 the woods. NJ
long after he Joined the GNrlbaldlnl again
the BOurbOns, who had shut him up. "Aft
this campaign / obtained q promise from Il
Governor oil PotenEa that vail should
thrown over my past, but Il was not kept.
was summoned TO appear before the Tribunal
and again ned 10 the woods" Robbery, wi
or without violence, was his only mode
subsistence. Sometimes he resOrted u hea
eXtoTtlons, For the brigAnd, Senior Pre-
dcnte, lives at dear rate and pays heavl
, Tor his food" About this time hs Joined
= ReactlOnists, In order, ~ he says, 10 secure
, liberty. "HAd l not been mOlested, and h
, the promise Of pardon been kept, shO1ld hA
lived TRANQUILITY" The alto al accuse sho
r the horrible crimes which were committed
1 him In this part Of his career. | shall d
: follow him through II. He led 10 the Rom
s States; but suspected OF the murder OF Boy
I he was III received. He had letters for FrI
4 els II, which he could never deliver,
n "FrAnclscO Was worse OF than he WI
+ being watched by tho Papal, the ItallI
!. the French, and the "Comitate Liberale
: lice" /Of his treatment In prisons, CrOC
a spoke most bitterly. Those shameless prize
took everything away from me, even 5LwhI
an EngllshmAn had given me at Marselll
o they lett me naked, taking from me my shl
g trousers, handkerchlefs and all. And nov
q said he, opening his shirt In court, take
I Al 4. a.. I
n arms Of my mother, the Pontlhcals tore
: In pieces; aud now you want my bio,
Il Neither Bourbons nor Liberals for me-"
II Though the trial Of CrOcco IL over, and
Il lts interest may be supposed TO have pas
l. away, some of the features Of the eXamll
ton appear 10 me worthy OF notice. Nc
l. stcr, as Crocco is he has been, perhaps,
, | victim of social Institutions aud social ON
70 slons, and Italy aud other countries he
II much to learn from trial which has oc,
!, pied the public attention for so long a tin
" OF ManZl, we are Informed by the SaleI
q Gdzete that he will give up his captive, s
nor Mancusl, In a few days, though why
A on what terms no one knows. The Pdb
l. speaks OF him as almost u lOyeAble man.
" does not rob, nor burn, nor commit rapl
l. he aims only at heavy ransOms. He NAL
" q law To respect women, children and
" aged. lie orders masses and gives much
charity. For services he pays 10 NapOloo
/ Without these medals, said Manu-, hold
m up a Napoleon, one cannot work miracl
On hearing that a reward Of 10000 lire
"a been offered for his arrest he said, 81 spt
"a as much daily TO guarantee my safety
the provinces Of SalernO and AyellinO, the
20 fore, he enjoys great popularity, and II '
n be ditiicult matter TO catch bin. His faith
N continues the Pdtrid, has been arrested, I
"a urged 70 produce his son. GastlAn win
surrender himself a second time, was the
ply. On the first occasion he had b
70 promised some consideration, but on the c
N trary, he was condemned TO the gRlleys
1i life. Tie took offence, and returned 10
mountains. OF other bands In the prOyl
h of SalernO, Basilicata and CosenEa, do
{, speak. The troops are out after them, |
occasionally get shot at them, and TeCe
IA q return shot. Rewards, too, are offered
Ie the capture Of four or Ave chiefs, but with
a results"