The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-03

The picciosto was already an important
man; he formed q part Of the sect; he en-
tered it formally as soon as he attained the
fFst rank. which, however, was not very
easily done. The conditions of admission
were originally rigorous, and signifed
even sort Of morality la the association.
It must be acknowledged that the Camorra
was not formerly despised among the peO-
pie; nor, indeed, is it 50 even now. The
CamoFra was respected and venerated in
the times when the only right recognized
was the right of might The Camorra, up
Admitted into her corporation only men
who were relatively honest. that is to say,
vagabonds and good-for-nothings endowed
with q certain degree of Loyalty. To be q
Camorrist one must belong to an honorable
family, that is. he must have neither wife
nor sister publicly given to prostitution:
he must. moreover, furnish certain proofs
OF morality, or must not be convicted of
crimes against nature. Finally he must
not be In any manner connected with the
police nor with the military Darines.
In later times many of the conditions fell
into disuse; but the chief requisition was
the more vigorously insisted upon. In or
der TO become pscciosf0 the aspirant must
undergo the test of devotion and courage;
he must prove that he knows how TO keep
. secret and that he has no fear of the
knife.
Looking into the life Of the sect it ap-
pears to Us with all that repuisive ferocisy
which belongs 10 the manners of bygone
time. The aspirant 10 the rank of picciosfo
must offer himself for the execution of
some bloody decree of the society as for
example 10 scar man with sabre cut. or,
ifnecd be, TO kill him. In case there were
neither = murder TO be committed nor
sword cut, the candidate must undertake
the test Of the tirata, which consisted In
drawing the knife against a picc:oae who
had been already received, and was desig-
mated for this purpose by lot A simple
duel Sufficiently free from danger. however,
was required in this case. At the first
drawing of blood the combstants embraced
each other, and the candidate was thereby
received into the novitiate
At an earlier time the test was different
The Camorrists stood in a circle about .
fye-sous piece lying on the grouud. and
all at once. at given signal, they stopped
forward to pierce tho coin with their
throw himself down among the knives to
seize the piece of money. His hand was
sometimes pierced by the knives, but he
had now become pscciotto.
The picciotto must pass through q noyi-
tiAte Of two or three, or even six and eight
years. during which he bravely carried all
the burdens of the society, without having
IA y Cidiau W lis advantages ne usually
belonged to CamOrrlst who laid all his
own work upon him, and who rarely
granted him, through charity, . handful
of sous. The rudest toll was reserved for
the pieciosto. and not only the rudest but
the most perllouA II there were blood to
ahed he vas Invariably chosen He must.
however. accept without murmur al the
fatigues. humiiiations and dangers of this
servitude; for he had aiways be-
fore him. at the end of his novi-
tiate, the supreme rank to which he had
aspired from his babyhood, and whose
irresistible seduction had drawn him into
a life of violence. He was rather inclined
TO hasten as much as he could the time
when he should change his name of picci-
csto for that OF Camorrist; and to this end
he not only shrank from no peril. but
even set himself in the way of danger.
When some sudden attack was TO be
made, all the picrsotfo would present
themselves 81 once 10 accomplish it, then,
the blow struck. each one offered to take
upon himself all responsibility for it, and
10 give himself mp TO justice instead of the
guilty man. To avoid jealousy they were
accustomed 10 select by ballot the man
who should bear the honor of committing
the crime and him who should have the
glory of expia;lng IL The picciosto who
was favored by fortune sometimes passed
SIX or even twenty years in irons, but he
became Camorrist.
The sirangest and most incredible thing
in regard 10 these piociotfi Is that they
were not vulgar malefactors doing vio-
lence for its own sake or for lucre. On
the contrary-and this is the crne,est
thing which can be said of them-they did
ii for honorss sake.
This is the testimony of prisoners Of
state who have passed long years with the
Camorrists; of magistrates who have oues-
- s,,sfs h nF L
Tended them-it is their own ayoyai that
the title OF Camorrlst WAS their most ar
dent, or rather their sole ambition They
were urged on in this dep-aved sentiment
by an uncomfortable alteration Of popular
conscience In Southern Italy; the terrified
masses Frustrated themselves in admira-
ton before the supremacy of the knife.
The sudden attack, however, or the
task TO be performed under risk of per-
sonal safety, were only extraordinary
means of rising to the rank Of Camorrist.
The psccsetfo might advance toward il
little by little, by dint of zeal and subnlis-
sion during long years of novifiate. add
vancing steadily in the confidence of his
chiefs, who daily initiated him further in
the secrets of the sect. II am satisfied
with him; have informed him more
completely" We're the words of Camorrist
regarding his piccietto in one of the orig
inal letters which were laid before N.
Marc Monnier. The novice might at
length demand the title OF Camorrist bv
means OF a petition addressed 10 one of his
chiefs. The latter would then assemble
the part Of the association which was sub
mIsted 10 him, and 3 long elaboration
would ensue regarding the morality and
the capacity OF the applicant In case of
his admission his reception was very cere-
moniousiy performed.
We are told that IN the earller DAYS a
sort of psendo-masonic phantasmagoria
formed 8 part of this ceremony The sec
tarlans were seated around = table on
which lay dagger. loaded pistol. a
glass OF water or of wine supposed 10 be
poison, and also n lancet fhe psecio,fo
was introduced. followed by a barber be-
longing TO The sect The barber. who was
a, the same time blood-letter-as were all
BARRIERS IN Naples-openei q vein in the
candidates arm and withdrew after per-
forming the operation The patient there
upon wet his right hand in his blood. and.
Offering IL 10 the tamoTrlsts. swore 10 keep
faithful until death the secrets OF the So
csety, and 10 execute hour by hour It's
commandments with Submissive IsSssiity.
he Their grabbed the dagger and PLANTED
II upright IN the table: he caught un the
pistol and raised the glass 10 his month.
he showed thus that he was ready al a
word from the chief 10 give himself M
10 death. The chief, however, woald ex-
tend his hand TO arrest the suicide. and
stepping from his place, after having or
tiered the candidate 10 Law down his glass
and pistol. would bid him kneel before the
dagger. Then he would lag his right
hand on the mans head and, with his
!eit, would discharge the pistol into the
air, then would change his hand and
would place his left hand upon the head OF