The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-11-05
BANDED FOR BLOOD SHED.
A HORRIBLE ORGANIZATION THAT
HAS TAKEN ROOT HERE.

Facts OF its Origin. Composition and
Methods-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 Suoerin-
tendent Hennessy 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 hun
dred years ago. The members are 1or
the most part criminals ana counter
feiters. and hesitate at no atroclty.
The inhuman cruelty Of some OF the
Malta agents is almost beyond human
eredence, and sayOrS Of the brutal oar
baritv OF the middle ages. Nlncenzo
Arditi burned a avictim's house IN New
Orleans. hoping to burn the owner 2t
the same time. He was sent TO the
penitensiary, organized a brancno OF lhe
Mafa-for house breaking purposes
only-among his fellow prisoners, got
out, went to St. Louis and murdered 4
foe of the Mafa there.
He went to Chicago, oneneG asaloon,
enticed an obnoxious fellow country
man into it and stabbed him IN the
back with q knife so long that 1t stuck
out on both sides Of the dying man as
ne fell to the floor. He came 70 New
York, opened store, fired 1t to get the
insurance and was unsuccessful. lie
vowed vengeance and La Matia on a
fellow countrvman whom he believed
instrumental in causing his defeat. lie
invited his victim to private apart
ment to have a glass Of beer, offered
beaker with one hand, and with the
other. by one stroke Of the razor, lald
the poor wretch'S face open from his
forehead to the point of his chin. When
the wounded man, almost by amlracIe,
recovered. and was able to leave the
Chambers Street Hospital, he was AFRAID
to complain against Arditl, who went
scott free.
In October, 1888, Antonio Flaccomio
was assassinated in the shadow OF the
Cooper Union building, II New I oFk
city. Flaccomio had been adjudged
traitor to the organization, OF when at
one time he was a prominent memoer,
and it 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.
justifable killing of Farach was one OF
the causes that led to Flaccomio's re-
moval, but the cause of his assasslna-
tion was the testimony that he gave
shortly before his assassination against
some of his countrymen, who were
counterfeiters, as well as brother men,
bers Of La Malta. Flaccomio was SEN
fenced to death. and two brothers, Carlo
and VincenZo Quarrara, were selected
to kill him. The former plunged the
stiletto into the doomed mans heart.
Signor Ratio, 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 SLIM, Sicily, where family of nine,
named Giavanni, of considerable Soclal
position. were murdered in as many
weeks. The father went first. being
found at his very doorstep. Seven days
later the mother followed. Her deao
body was found in almost the same To-
cation as that of her husband. The
authorities we're unsuccessful IN trac-
ing the murdererS, and several Gays
afterward the bodies Of the two eldest
children were found dead IN bed. The
others followed in regular order, until
the family was completely annIhllated.
A tough character of the town. named
Sipoh, was arrested on suspicion AMI
confessed. He revealed the existence
Of the order, and said that Glayannl
and his family had incurred the anger
of the band by betraying a criminal,
who was Malta, to the authorities.
Sigol had been Instructed, among
ethers, to commit the murder. He was
tried, and although the best counsel was
employed to defend him on plea ofin-
sanity by the Mafa he Was convicted
and sent to prison rife.
Several witnesses for the prosecution
were afterward murdered ny the Mana.
The government becoming aware OF the
lawless nature Of the organization, at
once took measures to havel 1t suppress
ed, but the efforts proved futile. La
Mafa continued to grow: A police
officer in 1868, in Milan, discovered
mark by which a member Of La Malta
could be known. It consisted of small
scar Immediately under the ear, caused
by burning. In this way great num-
Der Of criminals were afterward run
down and brought to justice. The So
ciety then gave up the mark, and the
police officer one year after was found
dead, stabbed to the heart.
La Malta is a modern organization |
based on medieval sentiment. 1t is re-
lated to the Camorra, of Naples. 1t is
a society confined not to Italians, but |
to Sicilians, the baser kind of Greeks,
who bring their national customs, tnelr |
secret societies and traditions Of niur-
der with them. If Sicilian believes
that be can provide for the protection
off his person and property without |
having recourse to law that person is a
MadoSa. He may be a bully, a black
mailer, murderer, but in whatever he |
does the public opinion of Sicily sup
ports him still. The code Of ethics
which maintains him is called somerta,"
or manliness-
Not long ago a wealthy proprietor |
was driving to his home in the neigh |
t0rnood of Palermo. Six bullets whiZ- |
zed by him. None of them hit him. No |
complaint was made to the police. Yet |
within a few months everybody who |
had taken part in the attempted assas-
sination was himself asSasSinated. 4 |
Malta had attacked Mafosa. He was
more powerful than his assailant. Sici-
lans justify these crimes. Everybody
knows the authors, yet nobody inter
feres. Said guide of recent traveller
in Sicily: "Yonder home beloI gs to 2
most respectable mana highly respec-
table man, Sir The other DAY he killed |
his cook. One Of the most respectable
men in these parts, sir"
Murder is the cornerstone OF the So
cial fabric of Sicily. a Sicillan wishes
to sell a farm. A Copo Mafia wishes to
buy it. Nobody dares to bid against