, 1874-06-28

A TERRIBLE CONTEST.
Row Count Cuxnvione WINS Attacked
by Bandits in His Castle, mud How
lie Defended Himself and ssared His
Family.
Tbs Island Of Sardinia, IN the Mediterranean,
for centuries past has been the scene OF many
wild and terrible adventures. and its chronicles,
as tho Italian historian. Schiavone. said, ahould
be written in blood; but conspicuous among all
these episodes Of balf-barbarous island life
stands the tragical event which occurred in
1924, and in which Count Casavione boro the
leading part.
It was on tho 2od of July Of that year, At =
late hour in the afternoon, that the people OF
Noyi. o amall town in the eastern part Of the
island, were startled by the krrival Of young
man, mounted On noble s:eed, covered NTH
foam.
He shouted to them in painting voice:
ssAll of you who wish to save the lives OF
Count Casavione and his family mount at once
Your horyes and hasten fast as they will carry
you to Castle Manza. where the Count il be-
sieged BY Kocca and his gang Of: robbers and
mnrus1ers; aud may God give thas you do not
arrive ut the castle too late!"
THIS stirring appeal was received by those who
heard it with shouts Of mingled damay and ap-
proval. For Count Casavione, OF Castle 3larza,
was popular in all that part Of the island, because
he was nan Of the greatest benevolence, who.
but the year before, When q ong-continued
drought had exposed tho people OF Eastern sar-
| dinia to the danger Of famine, had generously
relieved the people OF the needy communities BY
tho princely gift OF one hundred thousand scudi.
Rocca. his assailant, the other hand, was
universally deIested, on hccouut OF the blood
thirsty and ferociouA manner in which be carried
| on his infamous business as chief OF
i GANG OF MOUNTAIN BR18ASps-
| Within few minutes after the Arrival OF the
| messenger from Caatla Ianza, who MAS tho
! body-seryans Of Count Casayione, this market
place OF Nori was filed with excited people, to
| whom tho messenger explained more at length
the startling occurrence that had led him to the
| town.
| He said that about noon three men, wearing
| the gatb OF pilgrims bound for the Holy Land,
! had knocked at the gate of the castle walls,
| and had been unhesltatingly admitted. for the
| Count was pious and hospitaple man. The
| pilgrims had said they bad come from Corsica,
| and had conducted themselves with strict pro-
! priety ut the family table, to which the Count,
after t the fashion Of tho country, had invited
| them After dinner, however, as they were
| Walking with the Count in tie vailed courtyard,
| cue OF them hxd suddenly drawn from bis pock-
ct silver wh1s.ls~and given Whit shrll s1e-
! nal to :shioh another whistle on the outside OF
| tho walls had Immediately responded
| Before the Count had been able to ask the pill
! trims what Ibis meant they had thrown OF their
urper eurment, drawn lou8 atiiettos, aud threat
e1led to take his lie N case nc elu uut ~ oics
o,,cn the heayT iron door closing the entrance to
| the castle.
Count Casavfone, very powerful man. had at
| first consented to do go. and, az the outlaws
| for such they we7e-had turned to drag him
| to the door, he had snatched the Btilesto from
| The hand of one Of them, and had buried it into
tbs breast Of another; and then, after giving the
| first tho dparmed one, tor1ip.e CASH in tho
abdomen, he had pounced upon the third OF hla
| yiltainous guests, aud, after brief struggle,
Ia hEf2 l1A
| outlaw IN ,.
TERRIBLE GRIP BIT THE THROAT.
and called loudly for help. His four servants at
once came to hls assistance. They bound the
| third OUTLAW hand and .oot- The other two lay
| dying on the ground. .,
| Meanwhile The cause Of this sudden assault
| upon Count CasAvione had become apparent
| Loud knocks st the castle-door caused 1t to
tremble audibly. hoaIss voice shouted IN q
nenacing tone: -.
| is here with his twenty men. Open it Tolun-
| teriIy. and only your own life shall be taken.
But resist me, aad swear by the Holy Virgin OF
Loretto that wil torture your vile and two
children to death before putting an end to your
own life! You know why I am here. You
know, TOO, that there is no help near. Ibis
door will not resist us very long"
Count Casayione made no answer. He begged
| his wife, who, with her children, two lit:le boys
and three young girls, had hastencd III terror
into tho COURTYARD, to retire to the castle and
send nis six muskets and all his pistols BY the
| thres servant girls into the courtyard. He then
hastily whispered to Logarino, his body servant,
to take his bess horse, aud, ieavnS the castle bv
| = secret door in the reat, gallop to Nor1 Tor
| succor. .
Locarino had reached Nori, as we know, in
| due time, and half an hour after hla ARRIVAL nc
started on his way back to Castle Manza, ac-
companiod by fifteen Well-mounted and we'll
| dresucd men, who, under the leadership OF the
| ortv rovo1 carshif7iara that wA8 stationed st
| Nori, we're extremely anxious to succor the be-
sieged Count, aud to inflict terrible lesson
upon the outlaws that had infested tue country
| for years. past.
the struggle, We will briefly Btato the cause Of
| TIE MORTAL FEGD
between Count Edgardo Casayione and Rocca,
! tho bandit chief.
In the year 1872 both tho Count and Kocca
| had been officers in the Sixteenth Italian Regl-
n,cnt. which, under Napoleon tho Firss, had par
/ tcipated in the disastrous Russian campai8n-
! Count CaBavione had been Lieutenan.-colon
| of the Regiment; Hocca only Second Lleuten-
| aut. During the battle OF Smolensk, Rocca hao
! been CAUGHT in the act OF robbing wounded
] Russian GENERAL. He had been tiled by Court
| Martial presided over by Count CasaVlone. ana
I had been cashiered and sentenced TO 90 sens 70
| the galleys at Genoa for s11 years. "hen his
enanlete vere torn from bis shoulders. hocca
| "Egardo Casavione, this is your work-5ou
/! shall suffer for it.! +" -
T;nt,l 1915. Rocea had undergone his tett1ble
| nnnlsLmept :; but theo the King OF sardinia had
| parloned him On condition OF leaving h!s Do
| minions. Rocca had then taken up his abode in
Corsica, and had at frat led an honest Ifa rs .
farmer. but in 1922 he mad joined gang o. out
laws, and naa finally been compelled to flee to
Sardinia, /. large reward having been o1e1ed for
| his apprehension, dead OF alve.
On the Island of Sardinla he had learned for
the first tune that Count Cas1vione. against
whom ha had sworn such
TERRIBLE REVENGE
in the year 1872, YVES now proprietor OF the
castle sud estate OF Mama, where he lived
peacefully and happily vita beautiful vile and
= family Q: charming children.
From that moment his principal object Was to
murder the Count He had twenty-five rufdans
about him, than whom no vi1er cut-throass could
DO found Tncv we're the dregs Of the robber
gangs Of the italian peninsula, who had found q
ia.z asylum in the mountain Businesses OF the
Island OF Sardinia
Rocca, handsome, daring, powerful man,
had eaeily become their chief. They readily ioi-
lowed him whenever be told them .,te. to ROB b.s
peaccable farmer or travelling Pedd!er. But
xtrho, ha +o}3 ftam they 7uust pe}p him to u1ur-