Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-08-07
THEY ARE ROBBERS BOLD.
Brigandage Still Rampant in Sunny
Italy, Even at the Very Gates
of Rome.
Thirty Three Bandits in an Iron Cage,
All Inhabitants Of Valley Near
the Eternal City.

Those who fondly imagine that the Ital-
ian banditti belong to bygone age and
that they no longer figure anywhere but on
the operatic and dramatic stage, says a
Rome correspondent of the New York
Tribune, would speedily become convinced
of the fallacy of their views by "a visit
either to the town of Frosinone, but two
hours ride from here on the highroad to
Naples, or. if they should prefer it, by a
trip to the ancient city of Termini in Sic
| lily. At Frosinone they would see a gang
of thirty-three blood-thirsty- looking brig
ands, male and female, heavily chained
and confined like wild beasts in a great
iron cage, constructed for their particular
benefit; while at Termina they would have
the pleasure of making the acquaintance
of and listening to the tale of woe related
| by Sig. Arrigo, one the wealthest bankers
| and most extensive landowners of Sicily.
He has just effected his release from a
captivity Of twenty-one days in the noun
tains by payment of 100000 in cold
cash to the 6eigands who had kidnapped
him.
| Termini is town of $4,000 inhabi-
tants, about half an hours distance from
| Palermo, at which ancient seaport Sig. Ar
rigo 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
bailiff, he perceived little squad of six
o,.rabinieai or gendarmes halt before the
| gate of the villa where he was sitting.
Upon entering they informed Sig Arrigo
that they wished to know if he had any
I h.. a Il. L
he had obtained license to use them
| The banker replied that he had left it
at Palermo, whereIpon the leader of the
detachment Immediately proceeded to con-
fiscate the signor's revolvers and rifles,
with the professional object of holding
| them until he convinced himself by a per-
sonal inspection of the document that the
permit had been duly granted. Having
thus obtained possession of all the weapons
in the place the gendarmes announced
their intention of placing the banker and
his balliff under arrest and of taking them
as prisoners to Palermo in order to verify
their statements. The two captives were
accordingly bound and blindfolded, and
were taken in broad daylight not toward
the coast, but up into the San Cologeri
mountains, where for the first time it
dawned upon them that the men dressed
in uniform of gendarmes or police were
members of the famous band of brigands
that had long infested the district The
bailiff was soon set at liberty and sent to
Palermo for the purpose of informing the
partners and relatives of the banker as to
the amount of money required for his ran
som. Twenty-one DAYS elapsed before
the negotiations on the subject of the lat
ter were completed, and during this time
the captive millionaire lived in a mountain
cave, sleeping on bundle of hay, and
forced to content himself with a diet of
black bread. fruit, and cheap but very
powerful Marsha wine. The ransom
money has now been paid over to the BAN
dts in full and the banker restored to his
anxious friends at Palermo
A funny mistake 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 carabinieri. So rag
ged. unkempt and generally disreputable
did he appear to them that the worthy
gendarmes were 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 gendarmes were
nothing but brigands in disguise. 1t was
not until the police station at the gate of
| Palermo was reached that the carabinieri
| became assured of his identity and con-
sented to cut the cords with which they
| had secured him. Owing to the promin-
ence and rank of Sig. Arrigo the govern
ment is displaying unusual energy in the
pursuit Of the brigands who for many
years past have infested the picturesque
country round about Palermo and, al
though none of the actual captors of Sig.
Arrigo have yet been caught several per-
sous, intending lawyer and priest, have
been arrested on. suspicion of being affili-
ated with the gang.
confined in the iron cage at Frosmone
against them, mostly for murder, burg
natives and inhabitants of ARENA, a
mountain town not an hours drive from
here; which has, since the sixteenth CEN
tury, possessed the most evil reputation of
any place in the peninsula Indeed the
papal records show that in the year 1859
its walls and houses were razed to the
ground ana SAT- sTeWn on the ruins Dy
order of Pope Paul w., who declared that
ARENA was hot bed of crime. aid the
most accursed spot in his dominion That
the Artenians of the present day
are in nowise inferior in power of villainy
and infamy to their ancestors is abund-
antly proved by the fact that the last three
mayors of the town have each fallen be-
meath the stietto of assassins. Almost
the entire population of the place are more
or less directly engaged in brigandage, and
the chief of the band, who is included
among the prisoners in the cage at Frost
none, is one of the wealthiest and most
respected municipal councillors of ARENA.
His name is Pasquale VILLAIN, his fortune
amassed by highway robbery amounts to
$50. 900, and his fame as brigand dates
back to the days when Plus * still exer-
cised sway over Rome.
For Pasquale, though still hale and
hearty and ready as ever for any deed of
villainy, is old and gray-headed, and stands
on record as having, during the courses of
his long career, committed forty-two muir
ders, sixty-six robberies, ard 1S4 assaults
with intent to MAIN and Kill. The i'm
munity which both he and his fellow-citi-