The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-11-06
BANDED FOR BLOOD SHED.
HORRIBLE ORGANIZATION THAT
HAS TAKEN ROOT HERE.

ciple-lts Awful Power nt Home--Somo
Facts of its Origin, Composition and
Nethods-How it Has Worked in this
County.
The Cincinnati Enquirer of Sunday
last gives the following interesting
sketch OF the dread Malta organization,
to which the assassination of Supcrin
tcndent 1Ienncssy is attributed
The La Malta is asecret organization
composed almost entirely Of Sicilians.
and was founded by an Italian cut
throat named Malta at Palermo a hun
drcd years ago. The members are for
the most part criminals and counter
feitcrs, and hesitate at no atrocitv.
The inhuman cruelty Of some Of the
Malta agents is almost beyond human
creuence, and SaVOrS Of the brutal bar
barlty of the middle ages. NinccnZo
Arditi burned victims house in New
orleans, hoping to burn the owner ut
the same time. He was sent to the
Penltentlary, organized Il branch Of the
Malla-for house breaking purposes
only-among his fellow prisoners, got
out, went to ST. Louis and murdered a
lOc ol INC Mana JnGre.
lie went to Chicago, Orcncd Il saloon,
cntlccd an obnoxious Fellow country
man into it and stabbed him in the
back with knife so long that it stuck
out on both sides Of the dying man as
he fell to the floor lie came to Nov.
York, opened Il store, fired it to get the
insurance and was unsuccessful. lie
vowed vengeance and La Malta on Il
fellow comtryman whom he believed
n ~ iS 4. IL
invited his victim to 4 private apart
mrnt to have glass Of beer, offered Il
Dcakcr with one hand, and with thc
other, by one stroke OF the razor. laid
the poor Wrctch'S face open from his
forehead to thcpoipt OF his chin. When
the wounded man, almost by Il miracle,
recovered. and was able to leave the
Chambers Street Hospital, he WIS afraid
TO complain against Ardi!i, who went
scott free.
In October, 1858, Antonio FlaccOliip
was aSSaSSinatcd in the shadow of the
Cooper Union building, in New York
city. FlaccOmio had been adjudgrd
traitor to the organization, of which at
one time he was a prominent member
and 1t was said that CarmellO Farach,
who was murdered in the Staten Island
woods four years before, had been en-
rolled in the same society. The un-
JuStiflablc killing Of Farach WAS one Of
the causes that led to Flaccomio's re- !
moval, but the cause Of his assaSsina-
tlon was the testimony that he gave |
shortly before his assassination against !
some OF his countrymcn, who were
counterfciterS, us well as brother mem
bers of La Malta. Flaccomio was SEN
fenced to death, and two brothers, Carlo
anu NlncrnZO (luarrara, were selected !
TO XIII him. The former plunged the
Stlletto into the doomed mans heart.
Slgnor Ralllo, of New York city, the
Italian consul, is authority for the
statement that the first that was really
known of the order was at the begin
ming of the present century in the town
OF Silinl, Sicily, where Il family Of nlnr, |
named GiaNanni, of considerable social |
position, were murdered in us MANY
weeks. The father went first. being
found at his very doorstep. Seven days
later the mother followed, Her dead
body was found in almost the same To-
cation as that of her husband The
authorities were unsuccessful in trac-
ing the murdcrcrS, and several days
altcrWard the bodies of the two eldest
children were found dead in bed. The
Others followed in regular order, until
the family was completely annihilatrd
n tough character of the town. named
Slpoll, was arrested on suspicion an | |
confessed. He revealed the existence
and his family had incurred the anger ,
OF the band by bctraying a criminal |
who was Malta, TO the authorities
Slpol had been instructed, among
Others, TO commit the murder. He was
tried, and although the best counsel was
employed to defend him on plea Of IN |
sanity by the Malta he was convicted |
and sent to prison for life.
Several witnesses for the prosecution |
Il m nN "A Inti
The government DccC ming aware of the |
laWleSS nature OF the organization, at |
once took measures TO have it SUPPRESS
ed, but the efforts proved futile. La
Malta continued to grow. \ pollcr
officer i'll 1863, in Milan, discovered Il
mark by which member of LA Malta
could be known. 1t consisted Of a small
scar Immediately under the ear, caused
by burning. In this way great mum
Der Of criminals were aftcrwArd run
down and brought to Justice. The So
cicty then gave up the mark, and the
police officer one year after was fOuui
dead, stabbed to the heart
La Malta is modern organization
based on medieval sentiment IL is re-
lated to the CamOrra, of Naples. 1t is
Il society confined not to Italians, but
to Sicilians, the baser kind Of Greeks.
who bring their national customs. their
secret societies and traditions of mur-
der with them. If Il Sicilian believes |
that he can provide for the protection
OF his person and property without
having recourse to law that person IS Il |
Maliosa. lie may be a bully, Il black
mailer, a murderer, but in whatever he
does the public opinion of Sicily sup
ports him still. The code Of ethics |
which maintains him is called "omcrta'
or manliness.
Not long ago wealthy proprietor
was driving to his home in the neigh
borhood of Palermo. Six bullets whiz-
yea oy nm. None Of them hit him. No
complaint was made to the police. Yet
within few months everybody who
had taken part in the attempted assas-
Slnatlon was himself aSsaSsinatcd. A
Malia had attacked a Matiosa. lie was
more powerful than his assailant. Sici-
llnQ llSflIN ihaCn nrin L Il |