The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-04-12
THE coRsIcAN VENDETTA.
Where 1t Is Considered Praiseworthy to
Wipe Out Insults in Blood.

where 1t Is Considered Praiseworthy to
Wipe Out Insults In Blood.
Should Corsican, in revenge for in-
Jury done to him self or his relations, or
even to his dog or his horse, kill another
with knife or coup de Justt, public sympa-
thy sustains 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 a ban
dit" and has 10 take refuge in the
macqui, as the natural bush is called
that clothes the mountain sides. Well
informed Corsicans tell one that there
are at this moment in the island over
1000 in hiding But please understand,
the bandit is no brigand. Should you,
defenseless, happen to fall in with him
he will not take your purse, but on the
contrary, offer you food if he has it 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 de-
fense, with the gendarmes. These lat
cern as a woodcock. And yet though
the Corsican will not rob you, it is not
because he does not love money For a
very few francs, both Corsican gentle
men and English residents aver, you
can find 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 of the employees of the
former proprietor. fancying he had some
grudge against the new owner. made
himself Objectionable by breaking down
fences, driving goats and sheep into the
gardens, and annoying Captain G.. in
other ways. Captain q. happened to
mention the fact of the mans enmity,
and deplored it as unreasonable, both to
q Corsican gentleman, Il neighboring
proprietor, and also to a shepherd with
whom he was on friendly tern..
me KNOW IL IL tOlGlHUtS. Suiu
tho gentleman, land | will have the
man taken over to yonder rocks and you
won't hear of him again"
81 will arrange for a little cospde .tusH
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
nj ,,tf1np a wool thnnnh
these outrages are so hushed 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 French paper lie Raillement,
the only one, | think, in AjacCio, but
this proves nothing, for there was un-
doubtedly one atrocious crime commit
ted in the village of Bocognamo, about
twenty miles off, while We were at Ajac-
clio, for particulars of which | vainly
studied the columns of lie Raillemcnt.
The official whose duty it was to inyes-
tigate the matter had wanted to rcquisi
tion from the livery stable keeper the
carriage had bespolien, so | heard tho
story from the mans own mouth. The
victim was an Italian who had married
and settled at Bocognano. The Italians
arc called ucquas by the Corsicans,
and come from Italy in large numbers
They are very industrious, and do a
great deal of the hard work OF the
island. Their example of industry eX-
cites the Corsicans jealousy, but not his
emulation; hence there is little love
lost between them.
1t appeared that the pig of a Corsican
wandered near the open cottage door OF
an Italian, and to drive it off the latter
threw stone, whereupon the wife of
the Corsican indignantly demanded OF
her husband if an Italian was TO throw
stones at Corsican pig with impunity.
The Corsican at once went into his
house, and returning with his gun, shot
the Italian dead on the spot. The muir
derer escaped to the n'atQW, and is, |
presume, there still, unless the eXtenu-
ating circumstances of the victim being
McqHd has enabled him to return un-
molested to the bosom Of his family
National Review.