The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-05-16
A HUMAN Tiger.
An Infuris,ed Soldier KIiIs Eleven Comrades for
chafing His countrymen.

An lnfuriated Soldier Kils Eleven Comrades for
chafnng His countrymen.
NAPLES, April l5.-The castle Of Piz-
zofalione, on the hill overlooking the
lovely shore Of Santa Lucia, in this city,
has been the scene OF n remarkable
tragedy. The castle is n military bar
rack, filed with infantry. The tortuous
road down to the sea is bordered by
cabins inhabited by the families Of vet
Grams. The tragedy occurred on the
night OF Faster Sunday, about 8 o'clock.
A lot OF Piedmontese and Lombardy
soldiers began to chat n Calabrese cor
poral, jeering at his country, mimicking
his patois, and tantalizing him In every
way. A sergeant interfered, and drove
the soldiers to bed. An hour afterward
one Salvatore Misdea, a Calabrian sol
der OF the Nineteenth infantry, stole
quietly from bed, took his gun and a
hundred rounds Of cartridges, and sta
toned himself at the door of the bar
racks. He piled the cartridges on
bench, loaded his musket, and, kneeling
down, began to fire upon every Pied
montese and Lombard soldier. The
geant who had stopped the warfare of
words. lie fired as rapidly as possible,
every shot either killing or wounding
comrade. The sleeping regiment was
aroused. AS fast rs the soldiers sprang
from their beds they were shot down.
The regiment was panic-strioken. The
graduates who rushed for the door and
tried to corral the human tiger were shot
dead. The remainder of the soldiers
sought shelter in their rooms. Misdea
then entered the rooms, one afrer the
other, killing and wounding all but the
Calabrese. From the windows Of each
room he would shoot down the soldiers
outside. In one room half dozen sol.
ders had crowded under their beds.
They caught the Infatuated man by the
legs as he entered and pulled him TO the
floor. Although he fought like tiger
his gun was taken from him and his
hands were tied behind him. lie bit
and scratched all who came near him,
but he was finally gagged. Meanwhile
the barracks was filled with terror. Az
frighted soldiers sprang from the win
dows, breaking legs and arms, and the
place echoed with the cries of the
wounded. Smoke filed every room.
The walls were flrrowed by bullets and
blood was everywhere seen. Six men
we're killed outright and five were NOR
tally wounded. They were all natives of
Lombardy and Piedmont and of good
families.
The Calabrian was neither drunk nor
crazy. lie recognized his countrymen
while shooting, shouting; "Don't be
afraid. You are Calabrese. I'll not
shoot you" Seeing young conscript
quaking with fear, he cried: "Keep
quiet, You're only a conseript. won't
hurt you" In all he fired nearly 90
rounds of cartridges. When arrested he
snarled like tiger and kept 1t up the
whole night. General Mezzacapo ques-
toned him before he was imprisoned.
He replied that he knew what he was
about, but that he could not bear to hear
the Piedmontese and Lombards make
| fun of the Calabrese.
Before joining the regiment Misdea
was brigand. lie has often boosted of
his deadly exploits to his comrades. lie
frequently said that he hated mankind,
and that he loved no one-not even his
mother. He is q years old, red-headed,
and has high cheek-bones. He was sent
TO the prison at Castel del Nuovo. The
hospital Of La Trinsta Is filed with his
victims. Thousands attended the fiIner-
ais OF those who were slain outright.