Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-04-24
MisCkllamenMs.
STORY OF THE MAFIA.

"Many years ago." said retired
physician at the club the other night,
II was practicing medicine in New Or
leans, and there first learned Of the
existence of the Malta Society. IL is n
strange story, and even now can scarce
ly realize that what { saw actually oc-
CURED.
"My office was near the Italian quar-
tors, and / had number of patients
among the residents of that notorious
locality. One of them was swarthy
native of Sicily, Antonio Bagnetto.
'tlIe lived in two little rooms on a
narrow alley, with bis daughter, dark
eyed handsome girl of twenty. Tho old
man earned scanty livelihood for him
self and daughter by pcddling fruit on
the streets. The daughter bad lover.
learned this by the gossip | heard in
the neighborhood when there on my
professional visits. gE
Zone night tho girls lover, Joseph
Masterio, was mysteriously murdered
The assassin crept up behind him and
Dluuktu " btitCLtO iItO buC hOetps
had call to the Italian quarter the
day after the murder, and overheard some
of the jargon the excited residents were
speaking | understood enough to know
that Masterio was murdered by order of
some secret society--the name Of it |
did not hear at that time.
"Tbe same day learned that Bag
uetto's daughter had reported the MUIR
der to the police, and had given them
the namo Of the murderer.
at was almost month before |
visited the Italian quarter again, and
then received u message asking me to
come at once to the bedside of Antonio
Bagnetto. fund the old man suffer
ing from the terrible malarial fever very
prevalent there ut that timo He was
delirious, and all his rawlings were about
the Malta Society and some order he
had received from the organization.
"At first l could not understand his
wild rawlings, but after had given him
a mild opiate he talked less incoherently.
Then | gathered from his mutterings
that he was member of the society /;
that some ono had been sentenced TO
death tho members had drawn lots to
see who should carry out the sentence,
and the lot had fallen TO him.
"For some reason he did not explain
in bis delirium, he had failed to carry
out the sentence Of tho society, and
seemed to have terrible horror Of dy-
ing with his work still undone. At
last he fell into troubled sleep; but
he dreamed Of the Mafa and his unfn-
ished work, and kept muttering: j
must | must! She must die ! IL is the
doom of the Mafan
when the sick man awoke, bis
daughter was standing by his bedside
AZ bis eyes opened and he saw her
sta aDding there he sprang half out and
uttered shrek tho like of which |
never heard from human lips before or
since. Take her away T he screamed,
and thrusting bis hand into his bosom
he drew a long, glittering stilstto. |
saw be was raving again, thinking
would be better able to quiet him with
his daughter out of sight, | led her from
the room.
"As passed through the door lead
ing out of it | glanced back at Bagnetto
and the face | saw will haunt me as
long as live. Two wild. cleaning
eyes, in which expressions Of murde
and fear seemed to struggle for the mas
terry, were watching every movement 0
the girl, and the weak. trembling hant
Of the old Italian still held the CLEAN
ing stiletto.
SIN an instant realized the truth
Bagnetto's daughter had told the polio
the name of the man who murdered he
t lover. The Malta had doomed the in
former to death. Bagnetto was mem
Der Of the Malta. Lots had been draw
+. to decide who should kill the girl, an
!, her father had drawn the black cross
: The old man loved bis daughter, br
4 feared the Ma6a more.
IS Il did not want 10 alarm the girl, &
i I told her to keep out Of the sick ROO
5 for while and would soon have h
father asleep again. | was not awl
from the beside more than two minute
: but when returned BsgBetto was dea
;" was accustomed 10 deathbed soene
but l could not shake off q strange, ne