The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-01-29
THURSDAY EVENING, JAN. %. 1891.
La MALTA, THE DREADFUL.
A SECRET ORGANIZATION OF iTAL.
IAN oUTTHRoATS.

|
The Order that Is Now Doing Sue,
bloody Work In New Orieans--Tow I'll,
Members wreak vengeanc, -Organixe,
100 Years Ago.
The La Malta Is secret organlz,t or
composed almost entirely OF Sicililns
and was founded by an Italian cutthroa,
named Ma Ia, at Palermo, 100 years ago
The members are, for the most mart
criminals II d count erfeiters, and hest
tate at no atrocity. The inhuman cru
city Of some Of tho Malta agents Is
almost leyond human credence, an
savors of the brutal 'barbaritv' Of tre
middle ages. Vincenzo Arditi burned d
victims house in New Orleans, hoping
to burn the owner at the same time. He
was sent to the penitentiary, organized
a branch o the Mafia-for housebrcakinp
purposes only-among his fellow pr s.
oner', got out, went to st. Louis and
murdered a foe OF the Malta there.
He went to Chicago, opened saloon
enticed an obnoxious follow countryms Il
into IL and stabbed him In the back wi b
u knife so long that it stuck out on DO, b
sides OF the dying man as he fell to I he
hoor. He came to New York, opened n
store, fir d 1t to get the insurance an
was unsuccessful. He vowed vengeance
and La NJ fla on n fellow country,gUn
whom he believed Instrumental in caus-
Ing his defeat. He invited his victim ia
O private apartment to have glass of
beer, offered beaker with one hand,
and wit the other, by one stroke of the
razor, laid tn poor wr tchs face open
from his foicicad to the poin. of is
chin.
| In October, 1855 Antonio Faccomio
was assassinated in the shadow Of ha
Cooper institute bull Ling in New York
city. Flacc0mio had teen adjudg,l a
traitor to the organization of wlich at
ono time he was a p ON nent member,
and it is said that Carmello Farach, who
was murdered in the Staten Is ANA
woods four years before, had been en-
rolled in the same society. The unjust;-
fable killing Of Flrach was one of the
causes that led to Flaccomios remova
but the cause of the assassination was
the testimony that he gave shortly
before his assassination against some OF
| his countrymen, who were counter
| letters, as well as brother members of
La Malta. Flaccomio was sentenced to
death, and two brothers, Carlo and VIM
cenzo Quarrara, were selected to XIII
him. The former plunged the stiletto
into the doomed mans heart.
Signor Ratio, of New York city, the
Italian consul, is authority for the
statement that the first that IS really
known Of the order was at the beginning
Of the present century in the town OF
SLIM Sicily, where a family nine
named Giovanni, Of considerable soci Il
position were murdered in as many
weeks. The father went first, being
found at his very doorsteps. Seven DAYS
later the mother followed Her dead
body was found In almost the same loca-
tion as that Of her husband. The author i
ties were unsuccessful in tracing e
murderer or murderers, and several
days a,terward the bodies of the two
eldest children were found dead in bed.
The others followed in regular order,
until the family was completely annihil-
ated. A rough character of the town,
named Sipo:i, was arrested on suspicion
and confessed. He revealed t. e exist
ence Of the order, and sail that Giovanni
and his family had incurred the anger
OF the band by betraying criminal, who
was Malta, to the authorities
Several witnesses for the prosecution
were aftefward murdered by the Malta.
The government, b coming aware of the
lawless nature of the organization. at
once took measures to have it suppressed,
but the efforts proved futile. La Malta
continued to grow. police officer in
1858. in Milan, discovered mark by
which member Of La Malta could be
known. 1t consisted of small scar
directly under the ear, caused by burn
ing. In this way great numbers of crimi-
nails were afterwards run down and
brought to justice. The society then
gave up the marH, and the police officer
one year after was found dead, stable
to the heart.
La Mafil is a modern organization
based on medieval sentiment. 1t is re-
lated to the Cam ira of Naples. 1t is a
soc ETY. confined not to Italians, but to
Sieiians, the baser KIM of Greeks, WHO
bring their national customs, their
secrets societies and traditions of MUIR
der with them. II Scilan believes
that he can provide for the protection
Of his person and property without
having recourse to law that person is
Mafiosa.
Not long ago a wealthy proprietor was
driving to his home in the neighborhood
ofPtlmero. Six bullets whizzed by him.
None of them hit him. No complaint
was nude to the police. Yet within
few months everybody who had taken
part in the attempted assassination was
himself assassinatei. A Malta had at
tacke Mafiosa. He was more power
full than his assailant. Sicilians justify
these crimes. Everybody knows the
authors, yet nobody inter eres. Said a
do - %,.,, -,
YonGer home belongs to most re-
man, sir. The other day he lie his
i'll these parts, sir.
Murder is tie cornerstone of the soc |
fabric of Sicily. s Gillian wishes to
sell a farm. Capo Malta wishes to buy
it. Nobody dares bid against him.
If a Capo Malta runs for the mayoralty
If IA village nobody runs against him.
H Invariably as un nimous election.
His hands may be red with dozen MUIR
ders, and his pockets filled with black
mail. Not a servant can be discharged
without reference to the unseen Malta.
The Maflosi rule their district as des-
rots. Ii they have rivalries the knife
decides 1t. The Camorrista of Naples
live in Italy and thrive, just as the Ma
fiori of Sicily.
The political power Of the Cammorals
is broken, yet it maintains an under
ground existence, and has three grades.
A novice in the first grade is called
"Gazone di Malavita, youth OF bad
life. The more advanced pupil is styled
"Picciotto di Sgarro." The finished
scholar is the Camorista. The novice
marks out the victim, follows him and
plays detective on him. The Picciotto
is initiated into the secrets Of the con-
fraternity. He merely gets handful Of
sous from the Camorista. He lives in
hope of reaching the third grade, and
some day, by means Of an artistic stab
or unusually long term in prison, he is
advanced 10 the sacred band. He takes
the oath on crowned knives with his
hands immersed in his own blood. He
10 then licensed to murder whomsoever
he pleases. The Camorista has two
degrees of punishment-one is the