The morning call., 1890-06-23
THE VENDETTA.
A Peculiar Institution That
Thriyes in Corsica.
Small Insults Are Never Forgiven, But Must
Be Wiped Out in Blood if 1t Takes a
Yesr-s.riking Examples

Should Corsican in revenge for injury
done to himself or his relations, or even to
his dog or his horse, kill another with knife
or coup de fusi, public sympathy sus-
tains him. the hills shelter him, his
relations feed him, and justice in the
shape of gendarmes winks with both
eyes unless the murderer be very
unpopular. True he is termed bandit"
and has to take refuge in the macqui, as the
natural bush Is called that clothes the noun
tain sides. Well-informed Corsicans tell
one that there are at this moment in the
island over 1000 in hiding. But please un-
derstand,
THE BANDIT is NO BRIGADN.
Should you, defenseless. happen to fall in
with him he will not take your purse, but,
on the contrary, will offer you food if he has
1t and shelter in his cave, and most probably
refuse any payment for his hospitality.
1t is only his foes family against which
he, wages war and OF course in self
defense with the Gendarmes. These
latter he will shoot with as much
unconcern as woodcock. And yet,
though the Corsican will not rob you, it is
not because he does not love money. For
very lew francs. both COrSiean gentlemen
and English residents aver, you can find a
man who will do your killing for you and
rid you of your enemy with knife or bullet.
And while this utter contempt for human
life prevails there can be no hope of the
extinction of the vendetta.
An English gentleman, Captain G., who
has now lived for some ten or fifteen years
in Corsica, on his own property, told me the
following story: 1t seems that one If the
employees of the former proprietor, fancy
Ing lie had some grudge against the new
owner, made himself objectionable by
breaking down fences. driving goats and
sheep into the gardens, and annoying Cap
tain q. In other ways. Captain G. hap
pened to mention the mans enmity, and
deplored 1t as unreasonable, both to Cor
sican gentleman, a neighboring proprietor
and also to shepherd with whom he was
on friendly terms.
LET me know if it continues" said the
gentleman. ''and Will have the man taken
over to yOnder rocks, and you wont hear of
him again"
II will arrange for little coup de fusil
whenever you like to give me the Office,
said the berger.
THIS WAS FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,
But even now it is said there is in Ajaccio
alone at least one murder week, though
these outrages are so aushed up by the
authorities that it is difficult to get any
reliable statistics. / never, for instance,
saw the account Of any murder in
the little local Fr"pch paper LIE Rail-
lement, the only Oh | think in Ajaccio,
but this proves nothing, for there was I'M
doubtedly one atrocious crime committed
in the village of Bocoguann, about twenty
miles off, while we were at Ajaccio, for par
tlculars of which | vainy studied the col
ums of LIE Raillement. The official whose
duty it was to investigate the matter had
wanted to requistion from the livery
stable keeper the carriage l had bespoken,
so | heard the story from the mans own
mouth. The victim was an Italian who had
married and settled at Bocognano. The
Italians are called lucquas by the Corscans,
and come over from Italy in great numbers
They are very Industrious and do a great
deal of the hard work of the island. Their
example of industry eXcites the Corsican's
Jealousy, but not his emulation, hence there
is little love lost between them.
1t appeared that the pig of Corsican
wandered near the open cottage door of an
Italian, and to drive it off the latter threw
a stone, whereupon the wife of the Corsi-
can Indignantly demanded of her husband
if an Italian was to throw stones at Corsi-
can pig with impunity. The COrsican at
once went into his house, and returning
with his gun, shot the Italian dead on the
spot. The murderer escaped to the macqu,
and is. | presume, there still, unless the
extenuatng circumstances of the victim
being a lucqua has enabled him to return
unmOleSted to the bosom Of his family
Tn6 National Review