Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-05-19
PICTURESQUE BANDITTI.


It Is O picturesque sight to see band
Of Mexican ''bandith" gal1oping down a
mountain path on magnificent horses;
their large Mexican hats, trimmed with
gold and silver, shading their faces, their
pantaloons buttoned down the side with
large silver buttons; their pistols in their
belts behind. their swords at their side,
and their 'serapes" s"-a sort of plaid of
bright and variegated colors-artistically
thrown over one shoulder and hiding
their entire face with the exception of
one eye, which glares ferocio,lsly ON the
unfortunate passengers of the diligence
they are about to rob. Their captain
gallops at their head and shouts imper-
iousfy to the driver of the diligence to
stop In one trip In which encoun-
tered them there was lady among the
passengers who wore handsome dia-
mond ring rather tight for her finger. In
her fright she could not get it off, and
one of the brigands said to his leader:
Captain, the lady cannot get her ring
off. What are we to do ?" To which
the Mexican ssFra Diavolo'' answered
very coolly, "Cut her finger off.
You can easily imagine the cold shud-
der that ran through us all. Fortunately
she at last managed to get the ring off,
and we were not forced to witness an
amputation. In another journey more
amusing incident occurred. There was a
Bishop in the diligence, and they robbed
him of his ring. When they had got
through their operations, and taken
every thing of value we had, they knelt
down and asked the Bishop to give them
his blessing He told them it was i'm
possible to bless them without his ring,
hoping in that way to get possession of
it. They returned him the ring and he
solemnly blessed them, but when he had
done SO they again took his ring and gal
loped off with it, leaving his Grace in
the middle of the road exclaiming:
"Randidos perversos! they have
robbed me even of my blessing p
Robberies ON the Vera Cruz road
that time were daily occurrences, and
passengers clothes I have very often
seen, from my balcony in the Hotel
Iturbide, men and women arrive COM
pletely naked. An Englishman said to
me once: 81 generally travel with two
or three copies of the London Times.
You know it is very large newspaper,
and in case of those confounded black
| guards taking all my clothes, by Jove
| the Times might be useful.
The cause of Adelina PATHS breaking
her engagement to come to Mexico witt
Manager Maretzek twenty years ago was
that she had heard of the robberies and
of assassination on the Vera Cruz road.
| The diva might visit us in perfect safety
| now. as the whistle of the locomotive has
driven away the "handiti;" they have re.
tired, saying with the gypsy mother Of
| the Trovatore," '' Al nostri mont
ritorneren,o. The proof is that Paola
| Marie, Marie Vallot, and others of Grams
French company have arrived here from
| Vera Cruz laden with diamonds. Maurice
Grau is making money with Halevy's
| opera, "Charles VI and his new ''star,
Nine. Privat, who has splendid con
| tralto voice. His chanteuse legere
Helene Leroux, ran away from the com
pany, thereby proving that if she was
slight :" Of voice, she was Also light o.
foot. t.-Mericon Correspondence to tht
Nea0 York World. eu. -.-....-..
GALVESTON; May 18.-A News
Fort Wort special announces that
the Greenback State Convention is
called to meet in Galveston June 80