Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-12
THE sICILIAN NIAFFIA.
The Wonderful Organization which Has
for Centuries Virtually Ruled Sicily.

1taiidH government IN LnaL most unruly
part Of the now united kingdom, and the
spread Of modern ideas IN ancient Trina
cria. 1t looks, indeed, like the beginning
Of the end of that wonderful Organization
which has tor centuries defied every sue
ceedlng government Of the island, and
supported by public feeling, virtually
ruled Sicily.
Of late years it has been rather tn,
custom to mix up all Italian secret so
cletles with the italia ITredenta'' move
ment. so far as that Of the MatfOri is con
cerned, nothing can be more mistaken
The lrredentist agitation is in favor of re
! covering portions of Italy. or. more cor
| rectly, provinces where the Italian
| language is spoken, but which belong tC
other States. Such is. for example
Trieste and its neighbOrhOod, now belong
ing to Austria, and that portion of the
Riviera ceded to France some five anC
| twenty years ago. The average Siciliar
cares as little for the acquisition of the
| ''unredeemed' parts of Italy as
1 he does about the Irish-EnglisI
| land question. He calls the mer
/ from the mainland. and es.
| pecially from the northern parts of the
/ peninsula, fOrestiere, or foreigners, in ex.
actly the same manner that he would Sc
call an American or an Englishman. One
NfNAAA-- Al tAiE ollA4 lA- VI 4CAO went. dlltl
the opera, in Messina, to sup with young
cavalry officer. The next night, meeting
him by chance, l proposed to 90 again tC
the same place. The landlord coming III
remarked that he was always glad to set
foreigners, and that their coming to his
restaurant was a compliment. / looked
| up, smiling at the officer, who was in full
Italian uniform, but he gravely assured
me that, although he had been stationed
Asfaafr
yet to meet the first Sicilian who looked
upon him as in any way being fellow
cOuntryman.
During this same visit | went from Pa.
lermO for a short foot tour into the inte
riOr. Everything was done to dissuadt
me from making the attempt, which was
| represented as one of extreme hazard.
| had, however, been accustomed to this
manner of seeing countries and learning
! the ways of the people; had, twenty years
/ before, heard about the same stories o.
danger from brigands when first went
/ through Italy. and, leaving all my valu
ables behind, dressed in plain gray and
armed only with stout stick, ] started
At the first stopping place beyond Nor
reale one OF the women IN the little way
side inn begged me, in a frightened whis
per, TO 90 no further, but to wait for the
convoy of train Of orange carts anC
return with them to the city
| On my way l had met a gentle
man on horseback preceded by four anC
/ followed by two mounted servants, all
with holsters at their saddles and all arm
ed with carbines. AS they rode up hap
| pened to be admiring a lovely view, but
noticed that as | came in sight. although
was alone, and that except bit of strag
Cling cactus hedges there was no cover
that all had unslung their guns as if max
Ing ready for combat. | asked the cir
of the inn who the gentleman was. She
supposed probably Sig SO-and-sO or Such.
acne. But why the armed escort? o Do
did | think the poor gentleman would &C
out on a visit alone and be carried off, tC
the ruin of his familyY | had only time
for weeks tramp and returned to Paler
mo in perfect safety, but l returned with
a belief that the Sicilian MaffOri were real
and not like the Italian brigands, crea
lures of the mind, only to be met with
/ upon the opera cOmique stage.
My first occupation in the city was t
/ 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 membership. o
/ its existence and power there was M
| doubt whatever. Its history was hay
/ and its members seemed to differ in one
/ important particular. The great mas.
| was unknown; its secrets were as those
I of the grave. Yet there were a few mem
/ bers of the order, leading blameless lives
/ who were yet known to belong to it,
/ dreadful ranks. So far as l could gather
/ the Malta was formed by disbanded sol
/ diers after some war and while Sicily was
a possession Of the Kings of Spain
/ The organization soon grew in power
/ and was looked upon by the people
/ as a patriotic league. 1t was still, a
/ the time of my visit, most power
/ fut political machine, but had degen
/ Grated into a 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, for
| tune and station. The Maffori knew
every social event, every move
upon the political chess board
| There We're city shop keepers and arti
/ sans. peasants and laborers. 1t was sale
/ that the initiation was dreadful one, anC
| to reach the higher grades demanded
/ courage far above the common. One o
/ the first Ordeals was to be given a sword
/ and to Withstand the attack of one of the
! most skillful fencers of the order. The
/ candidate was almost always wounded
! sometimes seriously, and, while bleedinG
/ from his wound, the sword was agaiI
! thrust into his flesh to see how the would
/ be member bore the punishment. The
1 slightest sign of fear or shrinking dis
! qualified him. He never knew by
/ whom he had been surrounded
nor where the deed had beer
! done, but many, in fear and trembling
| had told of the first dreadful Ordeals
| Brutal deeds had been done by the order
1 but a singular feeling, which was univer
sal in Sicily, had kept the victims anC
/ their friends dumb. 1t was thought dis
] b0nnrq htn Infamous "a hrinfr fhn rNpIfnf
I or authorities into the matter. A mar
| might be robbed, beaten, wounded: hC
/ would deny to the police if they cam,
| that anything had happened, or would
| say he had wounded himself by accident
/ He or their friends must, themselves
/ avenge the insult. This strange feellu!
/ existed in all classes. The Malta itsel
/ was governed by rules of iron. In thu
! lowest grades they knew none but a Ger
| tain designated sub-leader. These sub
/ leaders knew one from whom they re
! ceived their orders. but knew not each 9th
/ er, unless chance brought them in cOntac
while executing their duties. Each prov
ince had a head, and received through
certain channels commands from some
! invisible and unknown chiefs or supreme
tribunal of the order, which chose. Whei
a vacancy occurred, some member Il
make good their number. These LEADER
I dAC OUED EA " LLC lElAtl. anu TIE OEEdni
cation is as perfect as the best discipline,
army. Besides, these persons hidden il
1 mystery, said my most reliable informant
| a gentleman who had resided for sOmt
years on the island. there is a class o
| members who but thinlY veil their con
nectiOn with the well-knOwn and dreaded
Malta, but who, certainly, never take par
in any of the crimes, rObberies, abduc
tons, and murders which stain the so
h. T.A, A
SOnsul, whom | knew well, took a sum
mer residence just outside the city walls
] The house had a large, deep garden, ont
| side of which touched the wall | speak of
/ He found the house unprotected, the win
/ dOws impossible to fasten, or the doors L
lock, and made some inquiries as to tn,
proper persons to make the repairs. On,
evening Immediately after a quiet, re
| spectable-lOOking man called. mentioned
he had heard Of the intended alterations
and then suddenly asked:
"Are you connected with the govern
mentg" mo; except as Consul from ;
foreign country" "WelI, there MAJ
| people pass through your garden late a
[ night; 1t is sometimes convenient for III
to send them. Do you ObjectY" ''No. i
they do me no harm and keep we'll awal
from the house." every well, then, it i
unnecessary to make the repairs. 1 viii
] see tudb no one TROUBLES IOu.' 'Dul. SIT
| it is common thieves l dread; can yol
| prevent their cOming" "Certainly,
/ should like to see any man in Sicily dar
to annoy you, either in your household, o
| from without. So long as you keep tn
| spirit of our agreement, never mention
/ that men pass through your garden, no
/ seek to know why they are there, you ar,
absolutely safe" twas only just befOr,
he left Sicily that the Consul told me thu
] story.
Wild Sports in Fire-Land.
/ In the last instalInnnt IF liant NTavu,