Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-16

Ire officer drew back, fortified
Then came basket Of figs, and the figs.
passed like the watermelons-bY the aid Of
the dagger
The whole cortege went by in the same
manner.
At the first sign of violence the custom
house officers had called on the company Of
l0lsq.Ienets for aid and protection; but the
| facetious Germans were SO amused at the
scene passing before them, that they ex-
| tinguished their matches, shouldered their
muskets ard began clapping their hands, like
the marSet women standing around, and
laughed heartily at the Disconnected appear
ance of the collector, at the fright OF his sub
alterns and at the imperturbability with
which the insurgents followed the example
of their leader. For it was Masanlello who
opened the procession.
Having stopped the peasants along the
road and at the gates Of the city, he had no
difficulty in inducing them to refuse to pay
the market dues
Maddened by the conduct of the lansque-
nets, the collector rushed through the narrow
streets that surrounded the place, and soon
reappeared with a squadron of reiters,
grotesque kind of horsemen, whose disordered
costume and reckless appearance made them
AOON hAO ~ many Ou uOAScDttChe ttLA
who can only be compared tothe Cossacks Of
the present day.
Masaniello saw them issue forth from tho
streets leading to the Vicaria.
Lazaroni, mariners, porters' and peasants
all had their eyes bent on Masaniello and
were ready TO obey his nod and rush to death
on single sign from him. Every fruit seller
had orders to remain perfectly quiet, by the
Si6n IF his hnsEoto NH h MI yhNaN
dagger was again hidden beneath his rags.
Masaniello kept his eye constantly fixed on
dark edifice, which might have been taken
for fortress if tapering spire had not tow
cred above It's ramparts. This was the con-
vent of the reverend Franciscan fathers, fur
nished with battlementS and bastions, like
that of the monks of st. Benedict Twenty
stalwart men had been sent through the back
streets, and before the inmates of the con.
vent could receive an alarm had forced an
entrance, and taken possession of the belfry.
Masaniello saw red flag floating out Of
one Of the tower windows
"My men are there" said he.
Three other bands, sent in different dircc.
tions, had also made themselves masters of
the bells of Santo Filippo di Neri, of Santo.
Domenico, and Of the cathedral.
At the first signal the tocsin was to be
sounded everywhere.
The peasants, followed by their armed
acolytes, now drew up in a line. If the lans-
quenets had favored the disorder the reiters,
who had come at full speed from the palace
Of the Vicaria, did not seem at oil inclined
to follow their example; they drew up III
battle array before the insurgents, and tho
collector, followed by his officers, again sum-
moned tho peasants to pay
"In the name of the viceroy," said he, II
command you to pay the duesl'
His words were hoored.
Masaniello approached
$50, and tell your master" said he, ''that
the people refuse! Go, and tell him that
they demand the charter of Charlest the Fifth,
and all their former rights! Say, also, that
we are ready to die, and that If he does not
comply with our demands fire and carnage
will presently stalk through the streets of
Naples'
The collector and his men drew back before
the awful expression of Masaniello's, eoun-
tenance
They sought refuge in the ranks of the
German cavalry, and the rciters spurrod on
their horses to the charge
Our liberties!" roared tho crowd, ''or
death to the vceroy!"
In an instant every basket was overturned
oranges melons and figs strewed the ground
A thousand hands picked them up and show
cred them on the horsemen's heads.
1t was in vain that the reiters spurred their
horses--the latter, frightened by the yells of
the people, reared and threw their riders, or
turned FOUND and disappeared, with the rn-
pidity of lightning, in the adjoining street.
A minute afterward there was not single
enemy to be seen near the market place.
Here Masaniello gave the signal and the
oelfry Of the convent of the Franciscans i'm
mediately filed the air with a lugubrious
sound. The bells of Santo Filipp0 iii Neri
tolled in their turn, then followed those Of
Santo Domenico, and at last the great bell Of
the cathedral was heard above all the others
AS the gate of the Marina was not far dis
tant from the market place, Salvador Rosa
was now seen to issue forth at the head of his
division and the brigands Of Fesuvius, wear
ing helmets and armed with carbnes, fol-
lowed, and drew themselves up in line of
battle along the market place
At this moment n formidable cry was
raised by all these men-an immense clamor,
which, for an instant, overcame the roar Of
the tocsin. Masanielo had just perceived
the enemy; but, this time, it was fornida-
bic enemy-Spanish infantry, Castilian ar
quobusiers, and the cavalleria del re, com
posed Of old soldiers barded with iron, tried
by twenty combats, and mounted on fiery
and impetuous chargers, which already
seemed to scent carnage and death.
This mcnacinS cavalry came down Mt full
speed on the insurgents But Masaniello had
calculated everything; the measures he had
taken were such that this second charge
could not succeed better than tho first.
Round the market place were about hun
dred stalls, built of wood. By the time tho
cavalry arrived every ono of these were de-
molished, ana their observation-disclosures, doors,
6euches, seats, etc.-rolled, at a signal from
Masanielo, Gcneath the Forses feet, which
Tell, neigbinG with pain. At the same time
q fire was opened along the Whole line.
While MuSanielo and his men were en-
gagged with the cavalry, Salvador Rosa, who
had just stood a discharge from the Spanish
infantry, rushed up to them with his men,
before they could rcloa3 their muskets, and
obliged them to fall back in disorder on The
castle.
At another point, Corceli and his brigands
were engaged with the Castilian arquebu-
siers. Balls whizzed about on every side,
the place WIS already strewn with corpses,