Connecticut western news., 1878-10-23
The PadrOne9s Slave,

some days ago Superintendent Jack son, of Castle Garden, New York, was approached by decrepit and emaciated Italian named Pisani, who begged to be sent to hospital. He was accordingly removed to Wards Island, and the patient was in such delicate state of health that he had to be carried on a stretcher from the wharf to the hospital, where he died. Before his death he made the following statement: "I am native of Boggiano, Italy, forty-nine years of age. In my native place was employed herding hogs, and for my ser vices received twelve ducats (about $1O) and ten rotold (about eighteen pounds weight) of wool, and one hog per an- mum. While employed at this occupa- tion Martino Damiana had returned from this city to his native place, and there, learning of my dependent and crippled condition, offered certain inducements if I would consent to come to this coun- try. He and my brother Francisco drew up contract placing me under Dami- ana's entire control for the period of two years, which term of servitude would expire on the 21st day of February, 1879. By this contract was to receive weekly allowance for such services as I should be called upon to render. As 8 remu- neratlon for these services the contract specified that Damiana should pay tn sum of 500 lire (about $10O)-one-half at the end of one year to Francisco and the other half at the expiration of the second year to myself Besides these amounts I was to receive sixty ducats for two years (about $25 per annum), but this amount the padrone never paid me. From Boggiano, my native place, I &C., companied Damiana to Naples, and sailed from that port to this country, arriving in New York, on the steamer Switzerland, October 13, 1877.
 " From the first day of our arrival I was employed collecting penn1es and begging in the company of Nardo Ermo, who played an organ. We would start from the padrone's residence, No. 143 Elizabeth street, at early dawn and not return until midnight, making our tour in Brooklyn, Jersey City or surrounding places. l used to feel worn out and ex- hausted from these long tramps, and when Iwould come home was compelled to lie on the bare floor, near the door, which was my only bed. They hardly gave me anything to eat, and was obliged to return them the food which I received during the day in charity. My averag e tsi collections of money were about $]. I had to turn this over to the pad rone every night. On Sundays he sent me to beg in Church street, near the Five Points, outside the stone church (meaning the Church of the Transfguration). At one time he found eight cents in my pocket and beat me severely and threatened that for every cent he would find with me he would stop $1 from my wages. About two months ago he beat me with suck on the head and body. This he repeated three several times. On other occasions he struck me on the head with his fist and knocked me down, and also kicked me in the stomach After that was in bed for three days. The people in the house saw him beat me, and some of them took me out for fear he would kill me. I got sick from these beatings and thought l would appls to hospital The padrone's wife went with me to the Battery Castle Garden) and left me ibCra o