Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-02
THE MAFFIA.
wonderful Organization which
Has Tor Centuries Ruled sicily.

>
pvernment in that most unruly part Of
be now united kingdom, and the spread
modern ideas in ancient Trinacria.
looks. indeed, like the beginning OF
BE- end of that wonderful organization
nhich has for centuries defied every gu
eeding government Of the island. an |,
ppported by public feeling, virtually
DIed Sicily.
OF late years it has been rather the Gus
Epm TO mix up all Italian secret societies
nth the Italia Iredenta" movement.
10 far as that of the Maffori is concerned
nothing can be more mistaken. The r.
fedentist agitation is in favor of recover
ne portions Of Italy, or, more correctly,
provinces where the Italian language is
6poken, but which belong to-other states.
such is, for example, Trieste and its
neighborhood, now belongingto Austria,
Nnd that portion Of the Riviera ceded to
France some five and twenty years ago.
The average Sicilian cares as little for the
AequisiGon Of the unredeemed parts
"a Italy as he does about the Irish Eng
ish land question. He calls the men from
bic mainland. and especially from the
Northern parts of the peninsula, forestiere,
% foreigners in exactly the same manner
Nnglishman. One evening in the spring
81 1876 j went, after the opera, in Mes
Ina, to sup with a young cavalry officer.
Tho next night, meeting him by chance,
4 proposed TO 90 again to the same place.
The landlord, coming up, remarked that
he was always glad to see foreigners, and
bat their coming to his restaurant was
compliment looked up, smiling at
DC officer who was in full Italian uni
Nprm, but he gravely assured me that al
ihough he had been stationed in Sicily
ior more than two years, he had yet to
neet the first Sicilian who looked upon
bim as in any way being fellow coun-
lyman.
During this same visit / went from
PALERMO for short foot tour in the in
gerior. Everything was done to dissuade
pc from making the attempt, which was
represented as one Of extreme hazard.
had, however, been accustomed to this
manner of seeing countries and learning
lhe ways of the people; had, twenty
years before, heard about the same stories
of danger from brigands when / first
vent through Italy, and leaving all my
galuables behind, dressed in plain gray,
end armed only with stout stick, l
Started. At the first stopping place be-
yond Morreale one of the women in the
little wayside inn begged me. in a
frightened whisper, to 60 no further
but to wait for the convoy of train of
orange carts and return with them to
hc city. sOn my way had met gentle
man on horseback preceded by four and
followed by two mounted servanos, all
with holsters at their saddles and all
armed with carbines. As they rode up
happened to be admiring lovely view,
but noticed that as | came in sight,
although | was alone, and that except
bit of struggling cactus hedges there was
no cover, that all had uDslung their gnns
rs if making ready for combat. | asked
the girl of the inn who the gentleman
was. She supposed probably Signor So
hndso or Suchaone. But why the armed
escort2 o Diol did / think the poor
gentleman would 90 out on a visit alone
and be carried off, to the ruin of his
family2 ] had only time for a weeks
Tramp and returned to Palermo in per-
feet safety, but | returned with a belief
that the Sicilian Maffori were real and
not like the Italian brigand. creatures of
the mind, only TO be met with upon the
opera comique stage.
My first occupation in the city was to
try, from intelligent foreigners resident
there and the few natives who would
talk, and discover what was the dreaded
Malta, what its history and its member
ship. OF its existence and power there
was no doubt whatever. Its history was
hay, and its members seemed to differ
ia one important particular. The great
mass was unknown; its secrets were as
those of the grave. Yet there were a
few members of the order, leading blame
less lives, who were yet known to belong
10 its dreadful ranks. So far as | could
gather the Malta was formed by dis
banded soldiers after some war and while
Sicily was. a possession of the kings of
Spain. The organization soon grew in
bower, and was looked upon by the
people as a patriotic league. 1t was
still, at the time of my visit, a most
powerful political machine, but had de-
generated into national terror. There
were men in it of all social ranks. There
were curled darlings of society, members
of the noble club, men of the highest
birth, fortune, and station. The Maffori
knew every social event, every move
upon the political chess board. There were
city shopkeepers and artisans, peasants
and laborers 1t was said that the
Initiation was a dreadful one, and to
reach the higher grades demanded a
courage far above the common. One
nc tbo f~s@ orflaolc woe ~ ba uivpr a