The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-29
Moorish Robbers.


- What kind of people are the BENZ
Hassan?r demanded De Amicis, mem
Der of the Italian Embassy to the Moors.
referring to the approaching company
of wild horsemen who were TO escort
them through the next province.
- Thieves and murderers," replied
the interpreter; " faces from the other
world; the worst crew in Morocco"
And naturally the SignOr's curiosity
was excited TO the uttermost when they
were expecting the arrival of their rob
Der escort.
The faces from another world were
not long in coming We saw in advance
a great cloud of dust and in a few min
utes were surrounded by a throng of
three hundred mounted savages in
green, yellow, white, violet and scarlet,
ragged, disheveled and painting. as if
they had Just come out of fray. In
the midst of the thick dust they raised
we could discern their GovernOr-al long
haired, black-bearded giant, who, fol-
lowed BY two hoary yice-governors, all
armed with muskets, approached the
Ambassador, pressed his hand and then
u
firing, charging and yelling began.
They seemed frantic. They fired be-
tween the legs of our mules, over our
heads and close to our shoulders. Seen
from a distance they must have looked
like a. band of asSassins assailing US
There we're formidable old men with long
white boards, all skin and bone, but
looking as ii they might live for centur-
les, and young men with long locks of
black hair flying like names. Many
had their chests more or less bare, tur-
bans in tatters and red rags twisted
around the head; caicS torn, saddles
broken. brides made of cord, old sabres
sRnd poinards of Strange forms. And
such faces! 1t is absurd" said the
cOmmandant, . TO suppose that these
people viii be capable of the sells
nee of not killing US" Every one of
these faces told a story of blood. They
looked at us as they passed. out of the
corners of their eyes, rs if to hide the
impression of their glance.
The manner and morals of this I'M
pleasant people by no means belied
their villainous looks Theft is their
avowed profession and they take rank
according 10 their deXtcrity in it. The
boys are put in training from their most
tender ares, and the youth are told off
TO particular departments, according to
the capabilities they develop. They 90
to work like an organized gang of burg
Lars, or circuits far beyond their imme-
date beat. They are in the habit of
lying in wait in the towns to attack the
Jews, who are compelled by law to go
Unarmed, and who are generally worth
plUnlering. Like mounted indians,
they 90 great distances on hOreback to
make sudden descents on unsuspecting
dUgrS. They will dismOunt, and. like
some of the lOw-caSte HindoOs. strip to
The skin, soap Themselves al over and
Slip wi hin the precincts Of q village,
fJrthe dogs will not bark ut a naked man.
They glide upon the ground like snakes
covered with grass, with straw, with
leaves. dressed in sheep skins, disguised
Is beTrIrs. Is mad men, as saints, as
soldiers. They viii risk their lives for
a chicken and 90 ten miles for a
dollar ihey viii even steal a BAG of
money from under the head of sleep
inc man. They terrorize the surround
ing country far and near, levying heavy
contributions of black-mail on the vii
lages that derive exemption from their
depredations. 1t may be said no doabt
that it is not so very long since a gen
tleman cateran ike Rob Roy drove a
hourishing business in Scotland. But
al all events, Rob Roy was prescribed
and hunted down and he had his head
quarters in the fastnesses of a remote
Highland district, while these Moorish
robbers thrive on their ill-gotten gains
in a country open TO the irregular cav
airy, of which their Emperor has so
many in his pay; and their bands infest
the roads between the court and his
capitals. which are habitUally Travelled
by his his caravans and treasure trains.