Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-10-16

a NLw CAN0RRA IN ITALY-oRGANIzI,

~ olclly- Inc Involuntary visitors u whom
| refer are large body Of malefactor< ar
rested in Palermo on the charge of robbinr
the Mont de Pete, or Government pawn
broking establishment of that civ, into
which they had managed to effect their en-
trance by regular series Of underground
engineering operations. After efiecting a
robbery to the amount Of several hundred
thousand francs, they were discovered. ar
rested, thrown into prison, subjected u q
criminal inquiry, and brought to trial. Bat
the trial did not take place, because for
1 three successive days the citizens OF Palermo
bound to serve as jurymen did not appear.
1t further became evident that preparations
on large scale were making 10 effect the
rescue of the prisoners. The design was
I frustrated by an order of the Government
that the prisoners should be removed u the
mainland, and conveyed, some to the prison
OF Turin, others to that Of Perugia Tnev
will be brought to trial in some Of the cities
Of the mainland, and it is hoped that, being
no longer shielded by the intimidation exer-
cised by the Sciian Malta, which 50 eliec-
tually deferred the citizens OF Palermo from
acting as iurymen. these robbers and as-as-
sins viii receive their deserts
What is the MafTa 1t Is the Sici.ian
torn and name corresponding t. what in
/ Naples was So long and 80 ominou-lv known
as the Cam5rn. Like the Neapolitan Ca
mora, the Siciian Malta IS a vast organizl-
/ t5n Of the " dangerous classes" of all who
| prefer living by the defiance Of. and tramp
/ ing upon, the Jaw Of earning their bread Ey
/ honest means. The Maila includes within
/ it, ranks members of all classes Of society:
/ the old Neapolian Cam0ra could point to
a Neapolitan Prince of the blood A. one Of
It's members, and if the Sicilian Malta is not
| quite 50 highly honorei it comprehend~ no.
| blemen, judges, lawyers, merchants, agricul-
turists, every grade OF life in short. down TO
the street pickpocket who makes dash at
! your pocket handkerchief or your watch, or
the highwayman who levels his pistol at
your head. An infinite VARIETY of causes,
some Of unbroken and fatal operations for
centuries, has contributed in Sicily 70 make
such an association as the MALTA possible.
Throughout the whole country there Is a
complete Ignoring, complete deie,tatiou,
a complete defiance of the principle of au-
| thority-oi Government action of any kind.
Ii + not dislike 10 this or the other unp1rg-
lar preiect, to this or the other rigorous or
at least vigorous police magistrate. l. Is
open war constantly declared against admin
istratiye prestige, or judicial aud police con-
troll. How this state of matters has sprung
up in Sicily would be rendered more ntelli-
gble to an Engli-hman if he refreshed bis
memory by reading again Sir Walter Scott~
Rob R0V,Ur Miss + Eisewotrh'S A5Sntea. than
by ANY special exposition of contemporary
Sicilian events. Ia great part Sicily Is, at
this moment. in the precise state. a. regards
social life, safety Of communication, ard the
| administration of Justice. depicted 50 wildly
in the pages of R0j R0V. and the economi-
cal and social evils lying at the root of il
political condition are almost Identical with
those - powerfully sketche1 In the A5s-r'e
| or Castle Ractrenf. The condition Of the rural
population OF Sicily /, the first cause Of tie
general spread of crime. The proper
ties were long, large tracts Of entailei
! land, in the possession Of feudal pr5priet,-S
( Whouever visited them, who remained always
/ in the tOwns-who always remain there still.
| There are no farm houses on these properties.
there are no cottages. In Sicily il / a rare
| thing To meet with village of even moderate
proportions, still less with the rural llbJrer~
/ hut al the peasants cultiyating the land
| live in towns. They are hired by the DAY,
never for any longer period than by the
week. the middlemln or steward whose task
| it is to hire them trying to get their work
at the lowest possible rate of wage. thar be
may make as much profit as possible on their
| hire These wretched creatures, who live
/ together in the flthie.t alleys Of the Siciiian
| towns, huddled together with wives. child
ren, pigs, leave the city gates frequently be-
/ fore dawn, for they have a weary journey
| before reaching the land which they must
| plongh or the grain which they must reap.
/ There i the same sad. weary J)urney-tAe
return after the DAYS work. What ties
| have such beings % connect them with the
/ lands they till? What kind of sympathy
exists between them and the landowners?
! They see their hmilie. in a state of want,
dirt, distress, and degradation, and it is al
most a relief when every four OF five years
/ Providence asserts the rights Of It's natural
/ law. visits their miserable dens with some
frightful epidemic, and either sweeps away
the wife and children, whom they have so
often heard crying out for bread. or relieves
them from the continued misery of such
spectacle by their own deaths. That Is the
normal. the ordinary condition of these 81
Gillian lab0rers 1t Is miserable in years Of
plenty, and when there come years of search
II the temptation presented to such a semi
savage to take t. the highway is almost ire
si>tlh.e. At such a moment the tempter
whisper, in the ear, - am the Malil.
He knows that hy joining the MALTA he viii
at once have abundant opportunities OF max
ing money by methods unrecognzeI ly law,
and still more abundant opportunities % es-
Gaping from the clutches Of the law during
his predatory career. OF the six thousand
cases Of crime which. according 10 the Hs'
statistics, occur in Sicily in a population
below two millions and a half, tour-fithS are
unpunishe3. and thi, mpunity x 10 doubt
owing TO the system of terrorism practisej
by the Maiha over all classes. In this un-
/ fortunate population regular code OF social
usages and legal or rather Illegal customs
has become developed and embodied in pap
ular proverbs, which are in every man :
mouth. There are, for example, such PROV
erbs as, :. If he depriycs me Of my bread,
, deprive him Of life By the deprivation Of
bread the Sicilian understands any act. no
= matter how legal and Just, by which one
, man in the exercise of his rights Of proper
q ", or in any other way, prevents another
. man from making or keeping money. "No
} evidence Is good which Injuries your neigh
Dor is the common proyerb, condemning
all depositions in a court of justice by which
a criminal may be speedily brought to JUS
= tice. Proverbs to this effect NAV be heard
e in Palermo ON the lips OF persons belonging
= to the higher, and what in other countries
p would be considered respectable classes.
, They are quoted approyingly by the news
t papers of Palermo. Can you wonder if in
such a social and moral atmosphere the
t member Of the MafIl ventures to hold his
e head high, and to dictate to his more timid
g iellow-citizens? lie makes NJ secret Of BIZ
T character. As a member Of the Maihl be
: wears tuft of hair plasterel down in the
I middle Of the forehead, and peculiar M4iha
i tas,el dangling from the top Of his cap. II
r Is. repeat, n body of these heroes who have
: lust become involuntary visitors to the prison
e of Perugia.
How An IMPEcUNIoUs PARIsiAS Cor
It DINNER FOR NoTnING. One OF the nasties
. tricks. but at the same time ore Of the clev
Il crest Of the day. was recently perpetratei OF
:. the reStaurant-keepers here. An enterpri7
- ing genius set out, one day, TO get first clns