The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-03-06

|
books and papers. Then he observed.
with growing interest, that there was
an excited discussion, in which differ
enee OF opinion was clear Finally the
gang appeared to come to a decision:
he was not the man they wanted. And
they let MIN 90 free, first returnino
everything.
The fact is that travellers from
abroad are com ,arativalv OK mDt from
these per >. \ ,.nd a--, N - 4 heavy
rsk eli t.,he> Il g.. .,l..i,.o the
N 'ui ans Ana m E, co.,
responding gain. Tourists are looked
upon as uncertain game. Their ran
som might not be worth the trouble;
BESIDES there is the bugbear of an in
dignant foreign government, which,
bringing pressure to bear on the home
police. would almost certainly stir
hornets nest up about their ears. So
! they confine their attention to the resi-
dents, whom Italy, not unlike other
nations, leaves to take care of them
! selves. The majority of the victims to
! Sicilian robbers have been wealthy
Italians Ii we hear only of an Eng
| ishman's s troubles it is because the
others are not of international inter-
est. A wealthy citizen who travels
certain routes at regular intervals
through the country is particularly ex-
posed to attack.
| To crafty our desire of seeing Es-
posito was no easy task. One of our
party, however, had made the acquaint-
ance, years ago in the United States,
of an exile from Palermo. When this
Individually s Punishment ended with the
change of Italian politics, he returned
! to Sicily and to atfiuence. My friend
now met him as an influential noble.
Count Torloni was grateful for some
| slight favors that he remembered as
| done to him in the past when he needed
aid, and strained every nerve to get an
entrance into the temple of our divini-
| ty, the great brigand. How many grand
officials the poor gentleman had to see
in our behalf l would not like to say.
There was the project and the governor
of civil affairs and the high council and
the governor of military affairs, and
half score more. In the south of
Europe there is, unhappily, more than
one circumlocution office. A day came
when the last magnate had consented.
We were driving along the Via Mac
queda on the way to the famous old
prison. The count directed attention
to the gay crowds on the wayside.
'0ut of every five of those whom
you see," he observed, Il suppose there
is one who at heart sympathizes with
such criminals as he whom we visit
to-day. Ii it had not been for the
Sicilian populace, the latter would not
have escaped as he did"
..How did it happen?"
s'They were taking him from prison
to court. His guard was careless, and
he slipped away. Do you see those
narrow alleys to the right and left of
this great Via?''
Eyes, they appear to lead into laby-
rinth."
''He lodged up one of those, and the
crowd passed in after, pretending to
be very earnest in securing him. 1t is
needless to say with what result"
''Into such a jam the gendarmes
probably could not pierce.
"No, and the next | knew of the gen.
tleman he had turned up in New Or
leans"
"A search for his hiding-place in
| your populous wards must have been
desperate.
s'There was no lack of friends with
whom he could lie quiet until the hunt
was given up. After that he made
quietly otf-in some fishing schooner,
probably
1T must have been disappointment
to your lawyers"
''Whyp because of no criminal to trv?
That is nothing" said the count laugh
ingly. Oar trials 90 on all the same
as before when the accused breaks jail.
The EspoSito proceeti1gs never sLop-
lped All instant. The, found him guilty.
Cur carr age came to Il stop. A mas
: - Of rqal building, with lofty
.a-.. W..s Draer!pg it suggestivey
,i u sid =. rose upon my siLnt. From
! -ouri ,tinn> stretched The smooth
"a qround towards the bar
rlcMs. A company OF soldiers were
drilling near. They marched in q
| q,sick, DreathleSs way-almost half
| un. The military power think to
make the troops thereby more capable
of enduring long marches.
Within the court yard guide showed
us into the prison and along bare cor
ridors. Occasionally he pointed out
the cell of some culprit celebrated in
that locality. A feeling grew upon me
that | was in some strange menagerie.
Presently the keeper paused before a
cage and commenced TO stir up the
animal that lay therein-tiger or wolf.
'.Esposito!'
We stared into the dark recess. A
froWsy, black-bearded man was stand
ing there. Neither of us could fix his
restless eye any more than one can ar
rest the attention of the showman's s
beasts. He was unclean and not ut all
romantic in his attire.
"How did you like America, my good
EspositoP" asked the count.
'Carissiman (dearest.
That was all this celebrated individ-
ual said. Nothing remarkable, but | re-
cord only facts, not fiction, and will
not write something very interesting
that he did not say. Our curiosity was
gratified and we left the place. The
fresh air of the suburbs was very CRATE
full after the close Jail atmosphere.
Orange groves bordered the road on
either side, and the rich green boughs
of lemon trees hung over the walls that
guarded them. A shower had just
fallen and the air was sweetly scented:
We were approaching the ruins of %
famous church-that where the Sicilian
Vespers began. In 1882, in place of
all those orange gardens there was an
open esplanade. On Easter Tuesday
it was covered with people. Some
were going to church, others were
making merry on the green. The mas
sacre had long been Matching, but its
immediate outbreak was an accident.
French soldiers appeared among the
townspeople on the esplanade, and one
insulted young bride. Thus it was
that the long restrained fury broke
forth. The fight was cruel, blood flow
ed as on St. Bartholomew and the
wcll-armed French slaughtered the
islanders, But when it was all over
there was one Frenchman left alive in
Sicily and no more.
The shady avenue of our drive was
the 'Via Del Vespri." 1t was not
straight. 1t bent and twisted and turned
like zigzag lightning, At each angle
there was a sentry box. Standing there
was sentinel. If you stood there with
him you would glance back between
the stone walls over which the orange
boughs dropped, to the corner last
.flIrpa1 Tbn,.a Won saw another SOL