Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-22

tents OF their baskets until they had paid
their solid TO the Camorra
=, ar. Seton divides tho Camorrists into
three GRADES -
!. The Garzone di Mala Vita DAD of bad
2. The Picciotto di Sgarro.
B.. The Camorrista.
-. The Camorrista are tho ruling povers
the oarzona di Mala Vita and Plcciotti di
ogarro arc the working members, who
carry out the DEGREES Of the council.
Whether they be robbery or assassination
Inc uarzone is the servant of the Canon
ristl--an artful dodge- who. having walked
up one morning in prison, is old enough TO
understand that he has but one choice be-
iore hlm' to be o victim or victimizer, and
JOINS the ruling body. Courage is the only
necessary quality for Garzone.
In the next grade the Picciotto di SCAR
TO (the word "picciotto" means IAN infe-
nor " IN the language Of the people: the
meaning OF sgarro" IS unknown) is the
henchman Of some Camorrista, but is
nevertheless of great importance, and is
the OBJECT OF much envy in his ward. He
Is initiated into the secrets of the CONTRA
ternity, publicly recognized as a member.
ana respected by all within and without
the body az man OF proved courage, and
the terrible executioner of the Camorra.
WHEN MURAT WAS KING
The hand with which Murat crushed
brigandage and filed the prisons which
were TO breed the CamoTra was that of
young Colonel Manhes. He was one of
those wonderful soldiers produced in the
campaigns Of Napoleon and had spent his
life IN camps and battles.
Manhes was then only thirty-two years
of age, but he had seen fourteen years Of
active service. He is described as beautI-
tul In person. and standing with his head
uncovered, with his blonde hair flowing in
ringlets about his neck, he inspired the
rude peasantry with singular reverence
as being more than mortal.
His lieutenant, Gerard, was stationed at
Sierra, on the sides of Aspromonte.
The wife Of Gerard, who was one of the
most beautiful women of her time, under
took to JOIN him. She was accompanied
10y hle OF troops. They were taken at q
disadvantage and all shot down.
lhe unfortunate woman, spared for her
beauty, suffered every indignIty and was
finally killed.
Not long after the briCands sent word
that they would surrender to Manhes at
night, In house agreed upon.
Gerard and the civil authorities accepted
the conditions, kept the appointment. and
were all murdered. Manhes resolved upon
summary punishment. With an escort
OF fifty lancers he set out for Sierra, moving
by the shortest roads, and arrived so sud-
denly that the blare of his trumpets gave
the first notice of his approach.
He rode into the public square, and the
hrst object that his eyes encountered were
some bloody human heads.
What horrible thing is this?" he asked.
General, said the bystanders, I'VE are
| friends of the civil authorities killed that
night. We have taken vengeance upon
some Of our neighbors who had part in the
treachery. Ask anybody. You will find
that these We're killed by our hands,"
The General turned away, sickened at
the spectacle and still more at the fierce
barbarity Of these avengers of blood.
-, He spent the night in a painful study.
Should he take vengeance for the murder
of Gerard as these mountalneeTs had
avenged their friends? To what purpose ?
Some other means must be devised
Manhes determined to outlaw the inhabi-
tants of Sierra, 10 cut them off from society,
to reduce them TO the level of brutes. He,
| a laYman, would excommunicate the place.
COMMUNITY OUTLAwKD.
He collected the villagers on the public
square and addressed them. He spoke
| Italian fluently, and the substance of his
address, delivered with pale face and barred
head. was as follows:
The sack of your village and the death
of you all would be a small punishment
| for your want OF faith and humanity.
| decree u greater punishment than this.
! From now forward i condemn you TO be no
| longer part of human society. You have
acted like brute beasts, and brute beasts
| you shall be. | degrade you from the
rank of mankind. take from you the
| comfort and aid of the divine law.
| order that your churches be closed
and your priests shut up in the prison at
Mazda. The communes around you will
have orders to draw a Gordon around you,
and shoot whoever shall attempt to cross
the line Your children shall be born with
out BAPTISM Your old men shall die with
women shall marry as the beasts of the
field. They shall have no magistrate TO
! unite them, no priests to bless them. And
this is my inexorable, implacable sentence
abandon YOU 10 your Infamous destiny.
The fright of this superstitiOus people
was terrible. The black cohort of priests
set off on foot. under convoy of the Ma
tional Guard. leaving tears, lamentations,
understandable distress behind them. SO
VIGOROUSLY was Manhes's order obeyed that
an old bed-ridden priest was carried on
the shoulders of the guard.
AS the General left the town he met the
entire population kneellng by the roadside
beating their breasts with stones and i'm
ploring any fate but this.
Kill us at once, but do not torment US
with eternal palns.n
The inexorablo Manhes put spurs to his
horse. The sentence was executed. Sierra
was cut OF from human and divine rela-
tions
One of tho proprietors in the city said to
"fbere il only one way of escape. You
know the brigands who murdered Gerard.
Capture or kill them, and Manhes Will par
don YOU"
Inspired with this hope, the whole pop
ulation gave chase on a given day, and did
not rest until every one of the 6sSasslns
had been killed or captured. Inc General
then revoked his sentence, and restored
the inhabitants of Sierra to the bosom OF
the human family. The entire population
went in procession to Mazda TO reconduct
their spiritual shepherds, and the reestao-
lishment of religion III the village was cele-
brated with imposing CEREMONIES.
Brigandage was extirpated from Sierra
forever.
COMING DOWN TO MORE RECENT YEARS.
The vast bulk of brigands whom Manhes
captured we're sent TO the already over
crowded prisons of Naples: There they
were enabled to ply at ease the trade when
they had learned In the mountains
and TINS. being transferred TO the city, the
evil grew even worse than IN the days
when Manhes went out. to smoke the
brieands from their rat-holes..
The prisons having been thus stocked
NTH br,oands. the work of the Camorra be-
gan. The number of the prisoners was SO
vast that they had to be assembled III great
common rooms called caB,eront, winch thus
became the propitious ground IN which
this vile weed grew. III.
n was Francis H., who. having recently
ascended the throne of Naples, deter
mined TO give the people a constitution.
But they did not want constitution /;
they wanted the Camorra. so the Ming
threw open the prisons. whence thousands IS
of amnested Camorrists rushed out - TO o l4in
their brethren Of the Camorra In the city:
It's agents were to be found In every part
of the capital, those who acted for It IN the the,
government and royal palace being known
as " Camorristi IN kid gloves"
Then occurred the great actot honesty
attributed 10 the Camorra. IL secretly
nroselytized the people, and made smooth
~ nav Tor the wonderful entry of Carl
bsldi. Knowing its. strength, King Fran
els abandoned without blow the corner
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