Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-22
How Italy Has Tried to Stamp Out
The Dreaded Secret Societies
GROWTH OF THE OUTLAW BANDS
,oAl,s Forced 10 Recognize the Banditti as
Men and Brothers,
SOME LEAVES FROM HISTORY.
sunn,ary Treatment of sioiiinn Drignnds
Nv General Manbes When murat
Was RIng-EIcommunicati
the People OF Sierra.
New York world.l

A.. Italian Minister from the United
$50 and the suspension of all diplo-
80. norotiations between the two gov
"-.,cspts. owing TO the lynching of mem
1T che Malta in New Orleans, makes Of
..,rlsr interest. the following article,
ENC the growth of La Malta in Italy
,r3 sicily, and the efforts made by the
c,rrromcut TO suppress its outlawrv.
T.. rsf0 Signor Rizzotti, Sicilian dra-
',.s, wrote a comedy OF prison life. He
it-".r,,.raUslv described q league between
.ilcre and the strongest of the prison.
.s XIV ihe terms Of it the prisoners were
,,t.'r order and levy blackmail on the
Lev inmates Of the iails, and the jailers
',.p, 10 share IN the profits.
TSc dramatist called this play La
1aaTWbat does the name signifyg" asked
.,sr ,be most erudite Palermitan critics.
.Tt ID a bit Of prison slang" wrote Rlz-
,.,G Il heard II while visiting the Jail.
Illnesses the covenant made between
isrs and prisoners
ll,s was the first public use ofthe name.
rtr7 nothing in common with the Flo
.,.ye Malta poverty. IL was Just a
- NJ thieves coinage, such as one
,rlt pick from the pages of oliver
H,,G tho prison system which il described
merely q transplanting of the Camorra
I'm. Naples 20 Palermo.
TINE. there are vast robber unions in
50. which. 4" says Mr.. Seton, "are con-
.ri like the links of a chain, and ac-
..gI.Fre a certain ill-defned obedience
... chiefs. or rather, influential men,
rsnf the same in Palermo and the Conca
rlr," And these are now known under
,rs generic name OF Matia." Slgnor
l.. L q III -,
,'s,fR gardener who was shot because
mad Obtained his place in preference to
Ian recommended by the Malta Nillari
,.#s.f A landed proprietor who had not
ss.u his estate TOR ten years, as they are
.l,r,ui.tcrcd by the Malta, which regular
transmits his rents.
Ian, as a matter Of fact, the Sicilian
Vta of to-day is merely the aggregation
AL tre criminal classes on the Island.
Irf nobody suppose that 1t has any TO-
r.gt,c or patriotic origin. 1t is merely as
,t-urh tho police of New York should refer
IN the " Forrth-Ward gang" or the police
M Chicago To the Market-Street tOughs."
In the middle of the most beautiful re.
ron Of Sicily. nesting IL orange groves
and far superior IN architectural splendor
'lNaplrs, rises the superb metropolis OF
Palermo. This is the theatre of the Matia,
The c4pital of SIcllian crime and brigan-
ss fine country about Palermo is called. are
assembled from the brdci of the Old feudal
families Of the capital, and have, besides.
much Arab blood IN their veins. This is
Presumed 10 account tor their lawlessness.
TIE RIGHT OF MIGHT.
Asno law Is recognized except that of
tFr.troucrst-aud il i even held dishonor-
able 10 appeal 20 the law of the country for
rratoction-it Is uoccsa ry that the pro-
motors OF the great estates Cor td'JOndll
az the Conca dOro and interior should
ind protectors for Their persons and Their
possessions. Their possessions are gene
raIly guarded by eX-br,gands, who, under
the name OF Campicri, make the best
Guardians against their old comrades of
fhe road Their persons are protected 10y
their friendship with one or more noted
ana influential bandits Of their districts.
Thus q systcm of client aud patron Is
established. BY which the proprietor con-
rraIs the bandit ifpursued by justice; gets
INN cleared If under trial, or helps him TO
escape if condemned 10 imprisonment. In
return for this the brigand VOWS eternal
gratitude 20 his protector. and becomes his
nn.. or man." IL the old feudal signlh-
cation.
The moral influence Of the hriCands is so
enormous IN Sicily that the friendship of
proprietor with one OF these men lnsures
perfect safety and respect for the former,
AMI the want of il an utter impossibility
o. .n ten wards from his house without
danger ~ being shot. There is no choice.
Agry4t proprietor must be either o friend
Crau enemy of the dominant class, and
tie dominant class in Slcilyls the brlgands.
From these conditions OF patron and
client arise inuumerable associations,
which ARE subdlYded into many moro as
they eo down the scale There Is that OF
tHr outlaws. whose chiefs are the clients
10 some Tsat landowners these clients
a. tar. I-0Wuer are in turn tue patrons
g other lesser lights in the robber world,
md 81. 90. In tins way all the vast unions
.. persons, IF every profession and grade
. lie. are intimately united, from the
-.wn.r of FariIment and LAWYER IN the
capital 20 the professional bandit or petty
'..ai u the interior. Every man that tllls
Oh. land, and is not o day-labOrer, must,
E"la way or another, be carried by the
..r within the vortex of these asSOcla-
l-, whose great object Is to promote
...r mutual interest, irrespective OF the
lows ut justice or pubic order. The poor
-ag is left alone unless he happens 20
uysrt the interests Of the malefactOrs, In
N.lcl case he is summary disposed OF
Ig the interior, when a brigand rides up
'at-gm or villa. the gates are thrown
open aud the best Of everything is at his
V.N one is suddenly stricken with stu
ls..y. aud fails to understand whom the
authorities are seeking, though he is often
D. Pie next room. The miha CdUdNO, or
'Hl'.dCarIblnCers, are the main protec-
l.A " the island hut. though physically
-.1 mentally well adapted for their ardu-
.-' work, being often oX-handlts them
-.'.,, they DO not always care to be too
Lal uu gu old friend; and thus the worst
sai most formidable highwaymen laugh
a. l.t Government and its police.
i-' NIc'hau briGands are very popular
AMONG their COuutrymen of all classes, ana
i''a t.r proprietor, who through them IS
ta' 90 expense or perhaps IS the loser OF
snHy bead of cattle. feels a kind OF pride IN
r'eIutH. the cXplOitsof the Robin Hoods
p. .as island. The brlSauds are well aware
p la'.f character amOngthe country toiiks,
a| orc i-'DIailv dover some poor glrl OF
'.'a come unlustly treated peasant. to
t'fi.eT prestige as protectors OF thepoor
tl HTr.s.T5 only Of the rich. Therefore;
NE not .lly fear which aids the Mana ana
-.'' p the great moral authority II wieIds.
Do s tar custom Of taking the law into
D., oWu hands ana making IL dishonora-
ID. q t1 otherwise. A nobleman OF the
f.'i Who IS wrOnged by another'
W. .a'r Ac be noble or bandit, does not ap-
l-t. i1 the law he would be laughed at IN
-.> instinct, aud entirely abandoned Dy inc
..f g'hclgat protectors he has. But no
.'4.- 20 the Malta, and repels force with
There are parts of Sicily where
g...e c'nmunes are under the protection
% '~-s potent association.
TGE CAMoR8A.
N.T pass 20 a far moro formidable IN
'.'-aYa. the Camorra. The moral eondl-
.l o. the Neapoltans is illustrated by me
.iat this system OF organized extor-
l.i raiued far stronger position IN
country than that possessed Dy tue
on Government.
zoe tamorra consists (for il is impossible
"HIe Of II IN the past tense) OF an asso-
.-..'n among the people by which the
.'Nf Cypress the weak, and in exchange
~ H lection collect a regular tax upon
'-p.ess classes. IL originated in the
1o-s rs leaders have usually been con-
,1lgd criminals. ITS court was held III
uald dungeons Of Naples.
aAI yet, from the depths Of prisons,
.4 theT hands and feet bound Ia CHAINS.
..,.e chefs frightened honest men who
,ts hUns IN full liberty. and the timid
,1...N Them 10 pay regularly their monthiy
re Camorra had chiefs in each Of the
a a L.. Nal