The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-20
ITALY'S BOLD BRIGANDS.
THEY ARE BY NO LEANS EN-
TIRELY A MATTER OF HISTORY.

hned in an Iron Cage.
From the P.ttsburg Dispatch.
ROME, June 3O.-ThOse who fondly I'M
agine that the Italian banditti belong to
by-gone age, and that they no longer figure
anywhere but on the operate and dramatic
stage, would speedily become convinced OF
the fallacy of their views by a visit either
to the town Of Fros.none, not two hours
ride from here on the high Rad to Naples,
or, if they should prefer it, by trip to the
ancient city OF Terlnini in Sicily.
At Frosinone they would see gang OF
thirty-three blOod-thirsty-lo looking brlgsnds,
male and female, heavily chained and con
fined like wild beasts in a great iron cage
constructed for their particular benefit;
while at Termini they would have the
pleasure Of making the acquaintance OF and
listening to the tale Of woe related by MI.
ArrigO, one of the weathiest bankers
and most extensive land owners Of Sicily.
he has Just Effected his release from
captivity Of twenty-one days In the noun
tains by the payment of ransom of $780,
900 in cold cash to the brigands VINO had
kidnapped him. Termini is a toWn OF 20
600 inhabitan It's, about half an hours dis
lance from Palermo, at which ancient sea-
port Signor Arrlgo has entertained many
United States naval officers when their ships
touched there. Four weeks ago, while
spending an afternoon in visiting one OF his
estates In the neighborhood, accompanied
by his baiif, he perceivedsa little squad OF
six carabinefre, or gens-d'armes, halt before
the gate of the villa where he was sitting.
CLEVER sTRATAGEM.
On entering they informed Signor Arrigo
that they wished to know If he had any
arms on the PREMISES, and if so whether he
had obtained a permit TO use them. The
10 hat ha off ECAnCa
in Palermo, whereupon the leader of the de-
tachment Immediately proceeded to confls-
cate the signor's revolvers and rifles, with
the professed object of holding them untl
he had convinced himself by personal in
spection of the document that the permit
had been duly granted. Having thus
obtained possession of all the weapons In
the place, the gens-d'arms announced their
intention of placing the banker and his
bailif under arrest and OF taking tnem as
prisoners TO Palermo in order to authentl-
cate the veracity of their statements.
The two captives were accordingly bound
and blindfoded, and were taken in broad
daylight, not down toward the coast, but
up into the San Cologeri mountain, where
for the first time it dawned upon them that
the men dressed in the uniform Of gems
darmes or police were members of the
famous band Of brigands that had long ia
Tested the district The bailif was soon set
at liberty and sent to Palermo for the pur-
pose OF Informing the partners and relatives
Of the banker as TO the amount Of money
required for his ransom. Twenty-one days
elapsed before the negotiations ON the sub
lect of the latter was completed, and during
this time the captive millionaire lived in a
mountain cave sleeping on bundle of hay,
and forced to content himself with diet of
black bread, fruit and cheap but very
powerful MARSHA wine.
THE RANSOM PAID OVER.
The ransom money has now been paid
over TO the bandits in full and The banker
restored to his anxious friends at Palermo.
A funny qttid pro quo took place on the
day of his release He had been turned
adrift by his captors at the foot Of the
mountain, and had not gone far when he
happened TO meet patrol OF three cara
binerii. So ragged. unkempt and generally
disreputabe did he appear to them that the
gens-d'armes we're convinced that he was
one of the band of banditti for whom they
were hunting, while he on his side, taught
by sad experience, was equally confirmed in
his belief that the gens-d'armes were nothing
but brigands in disguise.
1t was not until the police station at the
gate of Palermo was reached that the cara
binieri became assured of his identity aud
consented to cut the cords with which they
had secured him. Owing to the promi-
nence and rank OF Signor Arrigo, the gov
eminent is displaying unusual energy In the
pursuit of the brigauds, who for many
years past have infested the picturesque
country around about Palermo and al
though none Of the actual captors of NJ.
Arrigo has vet been caught. several per-
sons, Including lawyer and priest, have
been arrested on the suspicion Of being
affiliated with the gang.
A DESPERATE DEED.
With regard to the thirty-three brigands
confined in the iron cage at Frosinone there
are no less than $40 separate charges against
them, most OF them for murder burglary
and highway robbery. They are all natives
and inhabitant of Artena, a mountain town
not an hours ride from here, which has
since the sixteenth century, possessed the
most evil reputation of any place in the pen
lnsula. Indeed. the papal records show That
In the year 1907 its walls and houses were
RACED to the ground and salt strewn on the
ruins by order of Pope Paul ", who de-
clared that Artena was a hotbed OF crime
and the most accursed spot in his domin-
ions. That the Artenians of the present
day are in nowise inferior in power of vii
lainy and infamy to their'ancestors is album
dainty proved by the fact that the last three
mayors of the town have fallen beneath the
stiletto of assassins.
Almost the entire population of the place
are more or less directly engaged in brig
andage, and the chief of the band who is
included among the prisoners in the cage at
Frosinone, is one of the wealthiest and
most respected municipal councillors of
Artena. his name is Pasquale Villain, his
fortune amassed by highway robbery
amounts to $4,000 aud his fame as brig
and dates back to the days when Plus TX.
still exercised temporal sway over Rome.
For Pasquale, though still hale and
hearty and ready as ever for any deed of
villany, is old and gray-headed, and stands
on record as having during the course OF
his long career committed forty-two muir
ders, sixty-two rObberies and 1S4 assauks
with intent to MAIN and kill. The immu-
nifty which both he and his fellow-citizens
have enjoyed until now is due to the re-
luctance of any Of t6s inhabitants Of thu
district to bear witness against him.
A MODERN HIGaW
fnly 1rvNiv-