The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-10


selves TO this cruel servitude, and saw all
their money taken away, sou by sou, by
the indefatigable perseverance OF these
scamps, who, however. protected their
IN case of need. nght for them after having
stripped them of their last rags.
When q prisoner Of high rank was
brought 20 the Castle Capuana, he very
frequently received, not from the jailers.
but from members Of the sect. permission
1t was thus that N. Michele Persico and
the Baron Carlo Poerio were accosted by
companion on their arrival at the Vicaria,
who bowed low before them and presented
them each with q stiletto.
1t must still be repeated that the ca
mora made its greatest gain from the
poor. The society felt a certain awe for
the rich, and had least hold upon them,
being unable to coerce them either by
urgent need or by ignohle vices; while the
INDECENT were obliged to depend in every
act of their life on the interested assistance
of their companions Thus many of the
prisoners sold to the camorrists for . NOM
inal price, not only the clothing, which
was given to them twice yearly, but even
half OF the soup and bread which were
daily distributed to them. The camorrist
sold this food and clothing back again to
the purveyors of the prisons, who profited
IN this manner, and who would sell them
back to the prisoners without the slightest
scruple. The wretches would sell their
food and their clothing for the sake Of
smoking q cigar or drinking q glass Of
csprino. ana still more frequently for the
sake of gaming-the sole distraction pos
slble for them Tobacco, WINE and gam
ing were the perquisites Of the camorra, 30
that the money which the sect had paid in
return for the new clothing or food of the
prisoners fell Immediately back into the
hand of the society, who speculated on the
pleasures of the prisoners after having
specuIated on their needs. The camorrista
went SO far as to force the prisoners 70
gamble, obliging them 20 accept the distri-
button of cards The unfortunate men
were required to amuse themselves under
penalty of bastinado.
Zone of the ordinary recreations Of the
prison was the tocco. IS it il called at
Naples. All Italians and many foreigners
also are acquainted with this popular
amusement. Two players lift each : closed
INST IN the air. and st the same instant
drop their hands, opening each one . NUM-
Der OF fingers. according to his fancy and
at the same time calling any number he
may choose The number spoken by each
one of them should correspond to the sum
OF the fingers opened by both If my guess
Is found to be correct-if, for example.
say hye, opening three fingers myself while
my adversary opens two--I have gained =
point. The arms are raised and lowered
at the same instant. the two num-
very quickly, which renders the game
singular to one who sees il for
the first time and is unable to understand
it, The tocco occupied the leisure OF the
prisoners. They would play for q few
TASKS of wine sold to them by the CAM
ORA. who monopolized this trade After
having paid the camorra for the wine they
paid the society two sous for each game
played. The result was that within short
time the players had not . sou left I'm
- <<I<e -
they sold back to the tyrants the wine
which they had first bought from them.
but the money which the players won re-
turned straightway into the pockets Of
the camorra. who, not content with hav-
ing thus received twice over the price of
the wine, drank it now before the faces OF
their thirsty aud thrice-robbed victims.
There were, however, occasionally pris-
oners who did not give themselves up
with so good grace for the benefit Of tho
camorra, but who forcibly shook of il
yoke with marvellous success. There
were two. among others, who, having been
imprisoned under the bourbons for their
political opinions, offered 20 steady an op-.r
position to the first the camofrists who -
sayed to raise hand against them that they
brought the cowardly beasts to their feet.
To see them so full Of submission and hu-
mility il might have appeared for . mo-
ment that they had taken the newcomers
for their chief. 1t was nothing Of the sort.
But the camorrlsts were the first to bow 10
the law which they themselves had set up:
right of might A CalahriAn priest,
accosted by . camorrist on his
entry into the prison, was unable
to give him anything for the lamp OF the
Madonna, for the simple reason that he
had not sou in his possession The
and lifted his staff "Ah p said the priest,
who, being Calabrian, was q man Of
courage, Il should not find you 50 pre-
sumptuous If were armed"
such an obstacle as that shall NOT
stand IN the way" exclaimed the COM
panion. touched in his honor
He Immediately went into aneighborinx
hall and asked two knives Of his chief rs
should be said in this connection that in
all the prisons the society had its stock OF
arms so well concealed that the turnkeys
or watchmen were unable to discover
them. This deposit was in the keeping
and at the disposition of the chief The
companions applied to him for q knife
when they needed one, for they RETAINED
nom carrying them on their person in
prison. for fear of being searched and dis
armed by the gendarmes
The camorrist returned quickly with two
knives precisely similar to each other, Of
fered one TO the priest and retained one
for his own use. 1t has been said, how
ever, that the priest was Calabrian: he
Was 1NS0ittiASA1 tAS lllofC SAiilIul Oh tho
two, and slew his IMAM. When at length
he paused to consider he Was seized with
fear, for he felt himself doubly threat
ened; by the sternness Of justice and by
the anger of the sect. He supposed him.
self At once TO lie under two sentences Of
death, but to his great surprise he es-
capped both perils in some mysterious man
ner. Not only did the occult power con-
ceal the affair~-perhaps in order not 70
compromise its own authority-but when
the priest went TO rest that night he found
upon his bed large heap of sous. 1t was
his share In the camorra, which had been
awarded him as to newly accepted
brother. He received il weekly from that
time during the whole of his imprison-
menf.
But such examples Of revolt are very
rare, especially in the prisons, where Il
was virtually impossible to escape the on
preston of the camorra- The prisoners
submitted the more humbly to this
tyranny for the reason that they were
obliged even TO invoke it as a projection.
Where innocent and guilty prisoners were
thrown together without distinction.
where hberal-minded men lived with as.
sasslns, this protection was necessary 20
shield honest men against the brutality Of
their companions in punishment II n
even probable that in the beginning the
camorra was established in the interest az
the prisoners and as a safeguard to them.
1t Is certain that even under the bourbonz
the sect maintained . sort of tranquility
and security In the prisons. The brother.
hood extorted money, but brought robbers
II, ir1<tfee. fbev sd Epfvas hzxx