The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-10-18
italian slaves Made StRhtIess by the
Bcggar Makers OF Southern
Europe and Sold into
bondage.


| INNW YIN
Among the most familiar objects upor
the thoroughfares calculated to gair
public sympathy and loosen the by
passer's purse strings has beon an ole
blind man who generally selected Fiftl
avenue for his resort. With n venera
BILE beard, skin wrinkled and drawn
over the bones like leather and sight
less eyeballs, which had that strange
CHASTITY look seen only in those waits Of
Southern Europe whom dreadful pro-
cess has prepared for life of mendican.
cy, this old beggar has more frequently
than most of his class won the pity and
the pennies of those whom he encoun-
tered. Around his mock hung a scrool
with the inscription, Ladies' and gents,
please help the blind" and he was
always led along by little italian boy,
with bright eyes, but pale, pinched
face. The pair have more than once
been hustled about by the police, but
recently the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children had their atten-
ton called to the case. On Wednesday
evening officer Chiardi came upon the
blind beggar and his protege on Fifth
avenue, near Fourteenth street. He
told the boy to take the old man home
or he would be arrested. Seemingly
frightened, they started on their way,
but loitered along, and as he thought,
waited for Chiardi to get ont of sight,
until he lost all patience with them. 1t
had taken them just an hour to go three
blocks, when he came up on the corner
of Eleventh street and had police Off
Ger arrest them. AS they started for the
station house the old beggar fumbled
about nervously and called to the boy.
The latter was allowed to go along
beside him, and evidently in ignorance
of Chiardi's knowledg of Italian, he fell
to directing his guide how to act, using
that language for his purpose.
"Peter-Peter Velloni, he muttered,
as Offer Chiardi stated yesterdy, say
nothing, boy, Do not speak word,
Above all say not who we are or where
we live. You hear me?"
The boy assented, but the mendicant
had already furnished the listening Off
Ger with his plan of action, and before
producing his prisoners in court yester-
day Chiardi was able to inform himself
about them. The developments fur
nished another revelation of the horrors
of padronism. The beggar's pane is
Nicoli Vianelli He is now quite an
old man, but during most Of his life
has led the strange, roaming existence
Of the professional beggar He came
last from the town OF Spinola, in the
province of Basilicats, Italy, There it
was alleged, contract had been made
with some one who held him as
oondsman to transfer him to one
Iiuseppi Luigi to beg on the streets of
his city. His Italian bondsman had
received quite consideration for his
services, as Vianelli was very valuable
and one on whom the dread
ul arts of the beggar makers had boon
exercised with great advantage. The
old man is believed to have
,een fitted for his life by those strange
PROCESSES of which stray rumors come
rom beyond the seas. Ills eyes are be-
Ievcd to have been rendered sightless
Ihen he was young, not by nature, but
" the passage of red hot iron strips
cross the ball so as to scorch and scar,
pU Hoo w ulohbulc IT, LINUS, IL 10 ottll,
lany of the children in Italy are pre-
ared for the purposes of the padrone, t
9th here and i'll Europe. Old Vianel- t
would say nothing in court when t
rought before Judge Flammer, and he
as sent to the Island. The boy, Peter
elloni, has been here year and I'M
erstands English fairly. He had been !,
sed by the padrone to lead the old !
eggar about since the latter came to :
lis city, about two months ago. He = =
lid he had father and mother here, a
Mt neither of them could be found t
hen search after them was made. r
iuseppi Luigi has also disappeared. h
| the Jefferson Market Police Court "
,sterday the boy was sent to the Pro- c
Glory. G