The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-03-21

fellows stepped up to him, and began
to interview him after the fashion of
the Black Hills knights. A particular
examination was made into his note
books and papers. Then he observed,
with growing interest, that there was
an excited discussion, in which differ
ence Of opinion was clear. Finally the
gang appeared to come to a decision;
he was not the man they wanted. And
they let him go free, first returning
everything.
The fact is that travellers from
abroad are comparatively exempt from
these perils. A band assumes heavy
risk when it takes ctp;iye into the
fountains, and there ust be O Cor
spending gain. Tourists are looked
tUpon as uncertain game. Their ran
som might not be worth the trouble;
besides. there is the bugbear of an in
dignant foreign governmr which,
bringing pressure to bear Oh .ae home
police. would almost certainly stir a
| hornets nest up about their ears. So
they confine their attention to ito resi-
dents, whom Italy, not unlike pther
nations, leaves to take care = them
selves. The majority of the US To
Sicilian robbers have bee lthy
Italians. Ii we hear only q. Eng
lishman's troubles it is Eecause the
others are not of international inter-
est. A wealthy citizen who travels
certain routes Mt 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 acqu.eint-
ance, years ago in the United States,
of an exile from Palermo. When this
individuals Punishment ended with the
change of Italian politics, he returned
10 Sicily and to affiuence| My friend
now met him rs an influential noble.
Count Torloni was gratefI for some
slight favors that he rem. nbcred as
done to him in the past when he needed
aid, and strained every nerve to get an
entrance into tho temple If our divini-
ty. the great brigand. How nany grand
officials the poor gentleman had to see
in our behalf 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
whom the last magnate had consented.
We were driving along the Via Mac
queda on tho way to the famous old
prison. The count directed attention
to the gay crowds on the wayside.
''Out of every five of those whom
you see," he observed, Il suppose there
is one who at heart sympathizes with
suc| criminals as he whom we visit
If it had not been for the
.populace, the latter would not
!, have escaped as he did,"
81 w did it happenP''
"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. y 1t is
needless to say with what resNt.'.
v,ob ass such such, ii jam the g armeS
mo. and the next knew of Che gen.
isss'" he had turned up i" F." Or
IA search for his hidins1blace in
your populous wards must lave been
desperate.
There was no lack of friends with
whom he could lie quiet until the hunt
was given up. After that he made
quietly off-in some fishing schooner,
probably"
ut must have been disappointment
to your lawyers.
"WhyP because of no criminal to tryp
That is nothing" said the count laugh
ingly. ''Our trials go on oil the same
as before when the accusedNeaks Jail.
The opposite proceedings ..ver stop
ped an instant. They found him guilty."
Our carriage came to stop. A mas
white walls bordering it suggestivcly
on all sides, rose upon my sight. From
their foundations stretched the smooth
green parade ground towards the bar
ricks. A company of soldiers were
drilling near. They marched in
quick, broathless way-almost half
run. 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
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 shOwmau's
beasts. He was unclean and not at all
romantic in his attire.
"How did you like America, my good
Espositop" asked the count.
'Carissimar' (dearest).
Tina. lall this celebrated individ-
ual said. jNthing remarkable, but re.
cord only Acts, 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 a
famous church--that where tho 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
cd as on st. Bartholomew, and the
well-armed French slaughtered tho
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