The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-10
A POWERFUL SECRET SOCIETY.
AN Italian Organization Which Is More Pow
erful than the Police.

London Saturday Review.
The Camorra still lives, and is more powerful
than ever. The almost unlimited influence
which the association exercises over the criminal
classes is due less to the fact that many of them
are enrolled among it's members than to the ex-
traordinary information it can ommand as to
any detail of city life. In every city it has a
body of highly-trained agents, as to whose edu-
cation and organization we may perhaps have an
opportunity of saying something in a future
number. These men are all eye and ear, and if
a question is proposed to them by their superiors
as to the private life of any one who resides in
their district, it will go hard if they are
not able to supply a trustworthy answer
in a few days. Hence it would
be almost impossible for a criminal to
escape the officers of justice if the Camorra sim
cerely desired his arrest. It never interferes in
such matters, however, except when one of its
members or tributaries has been wrOnged. and
compensation is refused. This rarely happens;
but when it does it is said that its vengeance is
swift and implacable, while it takes the perfectly
legal form of a judicial sentence. Nor does the
victim escape from its power when the prison
gates close upon him. Some members Of the
association are almost sure to be confined within
the same gloomy precincts, and they spare no
pains to render tho life of the foe of their society
1nujisrabie by q thousand petty vexationS which
the jaiIePs could not prevent, even if they cared
TO incur the personal Danger of endeavoring to
do so. AS a rule. they prefer to stand on q good
footing with the Camorrists, and to employ their
influence in keeping the other prisoners in order.
When a dispute arises, either in the streets or
market places, between persons who have pur-
chased the protection of the association, it is
usually referred to one of it's. agents, whose
decision is regarded as final, and. so great
is the reputation of many of these men
FOR justice and fair play, that they are frequently
requested 80 arbitPate on matters with which
they have officially no concern whatever. On
such occasions it is usual to make a present to
the amateur Judge. proportionate in worth TO the
matter he has settled, or ut least to invite him to
a sumptuous dinner. In q similar way these
Camorrists form the court of honor of the lazza'
roni. All questions of vendetta, which have
their origin in a sense of honor rather than per-
sona1 hatred, are submitted to them, and it is
only Just to recognize that they almost invari
ably do their best to bring about a reconciliation,
though they themselves are VIGOROUSLY ready to
use their knives. In n word, whatever the ulti-
mate purposes of the Camorra may be-they are
doubtless always lawless, and not unfrequently
criminal-its influence over the poorer classes is
not an unmixed evil. tits INSCRIPTIONS both in
forming and executing its designs, but, when its
own interests are not involved, it can be both
lust and merciful. There are honest and well
to-do tradesmen in Naples who would never have
risen from the gutter if in their beyhood the
Camera HAD not given them a fair start and
c1.aathinn mara