Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-10
HOME or THE VENDETTA.
How the Corsieans AvsnRe wronRs-In
stances OF Terrible Venasahse-BIood
Vows.

oOOOc-D1WtOCFut III fiVhTIO, tOTblch,
writes The Corsicans are brave, tenn
perate, hospitable, but indolent, impet.
uous and particularly vindictive. They
are very quick TO take offcnse, and
equally quick to revenge or resent any
wrong, actual or imagined. These traits
are not much observed in the large
towns, though they crop out constantly
in the sparsely- settled districts, and
| contribute 10 the continuance of the
vendetta, which the French authorities,
with all their efforts, have not yet been
able 10 eradicate. The vendetta has been
the chief cause Of the stationary, even
diminishing, population. systematic
homicide ia different quarters being far
NOR" numerous than any natural in
crease. Thirty or forty years ago it was
not uncommon for whole families, 80 far
as the male members went, 10 be exter-
minated by the blood-feud, and at the
beginning of the century the mum Der of
inhabitants was steadily declining from
| the same cause.
When n murder has been committed
here the murderer is pursued, not only
by the officers OF justice, but by the
| kinsmen of the slain, who regard it as "A
solemn duty TO avenge his death The
latter seize their arms at once, follow
the homicide, resolved upon his death.
II be should escape altogether they feel
bound TO take the life of his relatives;
40 that anybody and every body who is
consanguineously connected with the
homicide is Obliged TO be perpetually on
the alert. Men who are hunted always
carry weapons with them, and when
they are in the fields set 3 watch to
warn them OF any hostile approach.
At home they keep their doors and win
dows-if they have any windows bar
ricaded, and IA the would-be assassin is
seldom far of they are really in an in
cessant state OF siege. Persons who, as
the phrase is, arc suffering the vendetta,
have been shut up in their houses for
ten or fifteen years, and shot dead the
moment they ventured outdoors.
The women incite the men to revenge
by singing songs OF vengeance. These
people arc noted for Improvisation over
the corpse Of the person murdered, dis
playing AT the same time his BLOODY J
garments, and acting out dramatically
their vehement passion. Not infre-
quently "A mother attaches TO her sons
garments a bloody shred of the mur
dered mans shirt as a reminder Of bis
duty, and enjoins him not TO remove
1t until the vendetta has been satisfied.
Comparatively small iniuriessmAy give
rise TO IT, even purely casual occur
rences. Mediators, termed paTolanti,
often volunteer to heal quarrel, es-
pecially when life has not been sacri-
feed, and when they succeed, an oatn Of
reconciliation is sworn, and the oath is
regarded as solemnly binding; but Il is
broken occasionally.
The brigandaRe which prevails on this
island can be almost always traced to
the vendetta. A man kills another from
revenge; he takes refuge in tie noun.
tains. and. as it is never safe 20 resume
his old life, he adopts robbery as a
trade.
There are family feuds, independent
OF the vendetta as properly Understood.
These feuds are hereditary. and exist
sometimes between entire villages. The
prominent families used to hand down
feuds from generation TO generation,
and not the relatives alone, but the re-
tainers and servants were involved, and
fought with one another desperately,
like the Guelphs ana Ghibellines and
the Eeri and Bianchi OF the middle ages
in Italy. The vendetta is not confined
here TO men. Women also share in 1t,
especially where they have been betray-
ed. Any woman who slays her lover
under such circumstances is considered
heroine, and ballads to celebrate her
courage are su " in her honor. ! have
seen many stone d yelling, having iron
doors and perforated with holes. through
which an approaching enemy could be
seen and shot.
have been told of a man living near
Zicavo. sufferer from the vendetta,
who han been a self-made prisoner in his
own house for seventeen years. He
I knew that his foe had MI this while been
lying in wait for him; but learning that
he had gone 10 Sartene for a week, he
ventured forth, rejoicing once more in
the open air and looking up to The blue
sky in thankiulness. This is meet, "
he murmured, and as he pronounced
the last word there was = sharp report.
! and he feel dead with bullet through
his brain. The vigilance OF seventeen
years had been recompensed. His unre-
lentinR enemy had bribed somebody to
deceive the sufferer" with n false re-
port. and the sufferer had fallen into the
trap. The man who had been revenge.
was slain a week later as be was lesy ing
the village of Solaro by cousin of the