Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-11-12

SOCIETY OF AsSAselNS.

From 1864 to 1871 in Ravenna Italy
says the Paris correspondent of the
London Trnes, thirteen persons, be
longing to all ranks of society; from the
magistrate down 20 the common police
scent; were stabbed or shot in sue
session by individuals who during all
these six years succeeded in esca-
ping detection. Several Of these
murders, or atteapss at murder, were
serpetrated III broad daylight, on the
public square of the town, in trout of
She guard house. Arrests were made
and suspected persons were kept for
months III prison. 1t was impossible
to catch or discover the criminals. -
Neither the numerous witnesses Of
Il esa bloody scenes, nor the friends and
relations of the victims, nor even those
Of the victims who survived. could de-
nounce the culprits. A like impenetra
BE mystery then enshrounded the mo-
sire Of the assassins.
The hrst victim was the Cbevalier
Monghipi,an ex director ofthe National
Bank, who while, returning home at
night, was stabbed with knife, the
object being TO punish him for the
difficulties and obstacles which his re
.asal to discount bills had caused to
small tradessnen, and which had for
years given him the nickname of "Ex-
ecutioner,' &c. Fuscoli Sebastiano,
Il surgeon, was condo maed and muir
dered for not less general reason. He
Has charged with having said at u time
when grain was dear ;ha: the oeYfgers
could dispose Of it as advantageously
as possible for themselves, and that the
people must suffer hunger to such
point IS to be reduced to eat horses
litter. Others, like the Procuratore
<esare Capper, were assassinated with
a lew ct ayenging the Imprisonment
sid long detention Of several members
ot the band; others, like the brothers
Fassinari, who were members Of the
society, as warning against the in
discl etions to which their habi,ual
drunkenness might lead.
Last year, when all hope of detecting
the assassin had been abandoned,
man usned Giovanni Resta waited on
the Judge d Instruction at Pistola, and
divulg ed tEeir names and organization,
Including tie smallest details Of
;hsr procedure during and suisse
2uent'y to each assassination. He was
tl.e brother Of one of the criminals. and
she confidaut of most of them, and he
remained to the last on the best terms
with the twenty three persons ne de
neunced, the reason he ass signed for his
disclosure being that he wished to dis
sipa'e Ire suspicion :.liat his only SOD
M,gh. have had a murderer f.. his
fs.her. ....
1t appears from his statement and
Abe Investigation which followed, thst
aine years ago society was formed
originally numbering no more than
twelve members, which, after formal
consultation; passed sentences of death,
which were at first executed timidly.
bat afterward with boldness derived
from sense of IMMUNITY. Pistols and
guns were sometimes used, but usually
knives, which we're deposited in chest
in the room where they met, and were
sp ken Of by members as pens. When
the Bianconi had to convene the band
70 decide on the fate of a proposed
victim, the expression they used was
that they were "going to summon the
masters
Some, at least, of these assassins
we're far from being the most degraded
of men. They were not devoid of
patriotism, and went through the cam
paign of 1866 in the Tyrol with credit
or like Cavalcoli Giovanni responded
in 1867 to Garibaldi's appeal, and fell
bravely at the capture of Monte
Hotondo. Another characteristic trait
was the kind Of publicity they gave to
their acts. Not satisfied with executing
their victims by daylight in the presence
of numerous witnesses, they appraised
them of their sentence by anonymous
letters, or placarded their room with
such inscriptions as "a furnished room
TO let" Many persons, including some
Of those whose lives were attempted,
recognized the assassins repeatedly, but
whenever any of the latter happened to
be ameng those taken into custody By
tie police, nobody ventured to give
evidence against them and complainant
persons we're found to establish an alibi
such was the terror CT completely they
produced.
The Democrats have majority on
Joint ballot in the Indiana Legislature,