Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-18
KNOWS THE BREED.
A Secret Service Man TaIks
About the Malta.
RrGINNING OF THE ORGANIZATION.

revolutionary Movement Which Has
I.psed. as 1t Were-Its Acts in Amer.
ics Generally Directed Against Ital-
ians-Illustration of Its Workings--A
Bad Lot Generally-News from New
Orleans-A Threat or a Hoax-The Mob
Defended-Senator AIlison's Views.
WASHINGTON CITY. March 1S.-"1he
Malta does not exist in America as an or
yspization," was the opinion of an off GER
the government secret service who has
had as much experience in dealing with
the foreign criminal element as any other
man in this country. 81 have in my
possession" he continued, 'letters from
two men, who We're perfectly familiar
with the workings of the Malta. Their
stories agree IN every particular, not
outstanding the fact that one is n
Scilian, a member of the Malta, and q
crook who is now doing his term in The
pententiary, while the other is Roman
By birth and a man of education and of
frst-rate standing in this country. In the
first place the Malta is Sicilian organi-
zaton which was started as a revolu
tonary movement against the Italian
government All the best men of the
island allied themselves with it. and il
had nothing of the low or selfish about il
Later on the lawless element got the up
per hand, until there was no crime that
was not charged up in the category
against them.
The Society in This Countrx
"A band OF Sicilians come over to this
country, for instance, and settle down
some in one city, some in another. Az
first they may not even know their com
patriots, but soon they come together.
joined by common bond of interest. Two
men find that they are from the same dis
trlct in Sicily, and later on that they are
both members of this secret society, and
before long little coterie get together
They are not members of society band
ed together against the American, but
SIMPLY representatives of Sicilian organ
cation that is hostile to the Italian gov
ernment Their enmity as rule is d.
rcted against the Italians with whom
they are thrown in contact in the town of
their adoption When any enemy is to be
put out OF the way it is Il simple matter to
iraw lots, aud one of the little set can do
tde business IL quiet, gentlemanly way
A Specimen job of Cutting.
The man Scoifedi, who was one of
those shot to death in New Orleans on
saturday, was involved in an episode of
that character in New York some time
ago, One Carracci was suspected of civ
Ea ~f IL
was nominated for vengeance. Scoffedi
met Carracci on the street and, graspin-
him earnestly by the hand, cried out: All.
JGhna, so glada to see you. Hope YOU
wella,' and he held firmly on to Johns
hands while third party stepped up be-
hind and rev long dirk-knife caress-
lngly mp and down Caaraccis face, lay
Iag it open from top to bottom. Scoffedi
was the one who caught Carracci as he
fell, saying as he did so: oh. da poora
mani
Carracci Basied of Vengeance.
And it was owing to his intervention
that the third party slipped away. John
recovered, and ever since then he has been
after ScOtfedi with much enthusiasm, but
unfortunately he himself fell from grace,
and his term has not yet expired. He in
tended to kill Scoifedi as soon as he was a
free man, but the people of New Orleans
got in ahead of him, and there is nothing
left for him TO do in the matter. OF the
foreign element in this country who are
arrested as criminals, IS per cent of those
That have come in contact with the secret
service are Italians.
They Are Expert Counterfeiters.
All Sicilians are Italians. and there is
no record to show what portion of this So
per cent hailed originally from Sicily.
The secret service of the United States
has been aware for several years of the
operations of the Malta in this country
Counterfeiting, which is their diversion
as we'll as part of the duties of their
profession of crime, could not fail sooner
or later to bring them before the eye of
the government detective force If a
Sicllian were brought before me charged
with counterfeiting, concluded the secret
service officer, Il should ask first if he
was member of the Malta, and l should
be very much surprised if he should say
that he was not. He might possibly be
telling the truth, but l would hardly
think he was