Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-24

A U.,,esssi csstsn inst has The ssspsss "
Lsss Ases Of Practice.

, NV, ;hsv are unable to supply. any IN
,u,r,o,,or with respect to their assam
80, Th,s In itself is startling, vus
a nner no learns that neither the kll,ea
vo,nded has been robbed Oh
nor ~ his surprise will increase, ana y.
PIN" ~, ;,nrrohably arrive at the conclusiou
,ha, Tho town Il infested by band Oh n,s
wa. ~ Who take dislnterested pleasure
=, ,. ,,urde, and look upon stabbing - 10
-, a.,, n ,oru, az sport. The TACT Is tuas
g,tlliass - have all their origin IN Tue
100, and that The lips oil the sufferers
, - so,,led hv a sense OF honor moi mort pe,
verse than that which wou,u p 80 81 an
gentleman from reporting ,le na ..o,,nded
opponent by whom he had oee" "'
in duel. 81. "a NOT the wild
and reckless vengeance "n'on innsd IN
usually suppose, but yengeanIJ nninion.
rule and recognized by pupliI 1aroni.
THE vendetta Is the duel oil tile 'aA Tit,
and any peasant or fisherman WY IT, esnse
from entering upon one Wuei unS M
il given IL treated with Is in,icu uo..I no
by his equals as German officer moI'n
II ne refused a challenge. ms eAp,s.n
fact that has often puzzled se.ans,h
when man has been stabbed the syn 30
~ The populace Is almost ihVaI,ao,! y"
tho sidc OF the assailant. waom tney ov" IN
.i,er the probable victim OF an uil! - an
cruel law The act OF which he ms Ueou
g,;ltv "a no crime in their eyes. iney
~ ~ that his life would have been renuere1
,r,cIcrable n he bad not comnltted u, an,
that now the only prospect before nun, u
he lie discovered, is death or ine-o"s
Ia.
ignominy. In the old days the DrIsahuS
werr constantly recruited by men VINO n i,
such misfortune" and wtO heu " Wv
mountains to escape the gallows'
Vendetta nay he incurred In anunor. W
different WAYS. When man has been Siiin
on a women seduced the duty OF re'ehsihs
the oct falls upon the nearest male reiat'vri;
thougb il he be advanced IN years u WIN
nrol,bly be undertaken bya younger hlns-
mon In these eases punishment iOlo"s ~
a ,notter of course. and no warning hee'
Lc given. The worSr Of personal lh'uitS
i a remark casting obloquy on parent
csrecialiy dead mother. Mercy 10
curse her soul is compIratiyely harm.
less. and even an allu,ion 10 her past
life need not be taken amiss. Ihere are
a number OF NcaIoll1n expressions wulcn
strangers rarely bear, A. they are Only useu
for The purpose OF pr0voc1ilon, anu WHICH,
with very different meaning, have the siihc
weight which such terms as liar or coward
would have il addressed 10 continental
officer. A blow from 4 master or an w.
LuoWlcGecd superior is rarely seriously re-
senied. from an equal il is SAID that one
Given with a stick NAV be forgiven, while
one with the hand must be avenged. IL Is
difficult, however. TO obtain accurate III
formation rs To this and several other points
in the laZzaroni's code Of honor.
As soon ~ q man feels himself aggrlcyed
he must give fair notice 10 hS enemy.
Even if he intends 10 aYenge the Insult on
the sroi. he must allow his opponent time
10 uncaSp his knife. Nor Is THIS all.
There /, strange courtesy and con,idera-
ton Tor others in these bOt-blooded Nei-
Dolitan bcggar.. \ crime Of violence Is
very rarely committed in the house OF q
friend or tavern. rs this would cause the
host unplea>antne>s. When TIE young
men quarrel over their wine they do not
fly at once at each Others throats. 1hey
talk and gesliculate tercely, 50 that Il
stranger thinks that a ircc.tSht may begin
at any moment. While the noise Lasts
there is no danger. As soon n the natter
quiet, and drop away in groups to settle
their differences where nobody but them
selyc. VIII have TO bear the consequences
4 warning OF vendetta may be given in
go many words, but this i rarely done eX-
cept i'm private, as, II the threat were
known, the danger OF the victor would be
increased. The language OF signs, which
every Ncapolitan Of the lower class knows.
is generally made Use OF, and the gesture
most commonly employed Is made by press
ing the thumb and forefnger together in
such way AZ to leave narrow space be-
tween them, which is supposed to typify
the hole the challenger hopes to make in
his adyeTSary's body. In Naples, too, men
still bite their thumbs. a. they did in the
days OF samson and Gregory. and this Is
not an expression Of contempt. but Il
declaration OF war. This gesture. how
over, has fallen a good deal out OF Use Of
late, As it Is apt 10 attract attention, and 1t
Is saId to be discouraged by the camorra.
When the warning has once been given
and understood the claims OF honor are
satisfied. From thencefOrth each opponent
is free to guard his own life and attempt
that OF his adversary rs best he can. He
may lurk In dark and lonely corners and
stab in the back without shame. This,
which seems to an Englishman the fOule't
spot in the vendetta, has certainly been
spreading Of late years, since the vigilance
Of the police has rendered a fair combat
almost impossible. and cunning and secrecy
are the only arts by which the victor can
hope TO escape. In the old days, when an
offence was slight. fair combat with
knives, which ended in a scratch, il said 10
have been thought aS satisfactory by the
lszZarOni as it is still by the journalists OF
Paris, though the iiercer Kind Of vendetta
has always existed in the south. Yet, even
when it assumes the widest form. there
are considerations that stay the hand OF
the aycnger.
Men will often speak in the heat Of 4 mo-
mont words which they regret when they
are cool. A vendetta seldom arises out OF
these. un.esS the tyO opponents are alone
and draw their knives almost at once. ii
they have companions, TWO parties are i'm
mediately formed for common under
standing, and each OF the ldyerslrics is ac-
companied home by his supporters on
roundabout ways, which prevent the
chance OF meeting. One friend IA, cigars
10 buy at a particular shop. another must
pay a little account, a third is Obliged to
speak word or two with his cousin. The
rage OF both the adyersarics has generally
cooled down considerably before they
reach their own doors. aud in an
hour or so afterwards they are ready
TO listen TO reason. II the case be q
difficult one, u camOrrist is called As umpire
To decide who has been technically in the
wrong, and The man against whom iudg-
ment is given Is expected not only to make
an apology to his opponent. but to invite
him, the friends who prevented the aiIray,
and. above all. the camOrrlst. to sumptu-
Gus dinner. IL may be remarked here th It
the caInOrra undertakes the task OF ayeng-
ing the wrongs done TO its own members.
IL any one Of them he killed or wounded.
his kinsmen are informed that they have
neither the right nor the duty TO undertake
the vendetta; vengeance in such cases be-
longs TO the association alone, and il rarely
fails in inilicting it.
Old men among the lazzaroni assert tia.
the vendetta has been demOralfZed OF late
Thirty years ago the offences thai must be
answ ered by the knife were clearly known.
Now men stab each other i'm a passing lit Of
passion, or, what is worse, from rivalry IN
business, and the populace which would
formely have torn such a culprit to pieces
Is now eager to screen him. They COM
plain that in momentary encounters the
due notice is not always fairly given. but
that man often draws his own knife from
his own pocket, and even unclasp, it be-
fore he speaks word OF warming, and that
such an act OF murder, and not vendetta, is
not sufficiently resented.