The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-18
THE DREAD malta.
Eow The Members Wreak Vengeance
on Their Betrayers.
From the Baltimore Sun.


f,nnded by an Italian cutthroat named
Malta at Palermo 100 years ago. The men,
bars are for the most part criminals and
o9nnterfeiters, and hesitate at no atrocity.
NJ inhuman cruelty OF some of the Ma6a
cents is almost beyond human credence,
md savors of the brutal barbarity Of the
-iddle ages. VincenZo Arditi burned a
rictiu's house in New Orleans, hoping to
bnrn The owner at the same time. He was
cent TO the penitentlary, organized branch
~ the Mafa-for housebreaking purposes
onlv-among his fellow prisoners, got out,
vent to st. Louis and murdered foe Of the
Malta there.
He went to Chicago, opened a saloon, en-
tread an obnoxious fellow-countryma into
i and stabbed him in the back with knife
- long that it struck out on both side OF
tbe diving man as he fell to the floor. He
want to New York, opened a store, fired it
m get the insurance, and was unsuccessful.
He vowed vengeance aud La Malta on a
sIlow-countryulan whom he believed in
strumeutal in causing his defeat He in
vired his victim TO private apartment to
have glass of beer, offered beaker With
one hand. and with the other, by one stroke
of the razor, laid the poor wretchs face open
from his forehead 70 the point of his chin.
When the wounded man, almost by
,,ircIe recovered aud was able to leave the
complain against Arditi, who went scot
free
In October, 1890, Antonio Flaccomio was
essassinated in the shadow of the Cooper
Union building, in New York city. FLAG
comic had been adjudged traitor to the
organization, of which at one time he was
nr0minent member, aud it was said that
Carmello Farach, who was murdered in the
Staten Island woods four years before, had
been enrolled in the same society. The un-
unsuitable killing of Farach was one of the
causes that led to Flaccomio's removal, but
the cause of his assassination was the testi-
monv that he gave shortly before his assas-
sjnation agalsJ some of his countrymen,
VINO were counterfeiters as well as brother
members of La Malta. Flaccomio was sen
fenced to DEATH and two brothers, Carlo
and Viucenzo Quarrara, were selected to
kill him. The former plunged the stilett o
into the doomed mans heart.
Signor Ratio of New York city, the
Italian consul, is authority for the state
ment that the first that was really known
Of the order was at the beginning of the
DR. sent century, in the town Of SLIM,
Sicily. where a family of nine named Cha
yanni, of considerable social position, were
murdered in as many weeks. The father
went first, being found at his very doorstep.
Seven days later the mother followed. Her
dead body was found in almost the
same location as that Of her husband.
The authorities were unsuccessful 10 trac-
ing the murderer or murderers, and
several days afterward the bodies Of the
two eldest children were found dead in bed.
rhe others followed in regular order, until
the family was completely annihilated A
tough CD aracter Of the town named Sipoli
was arrested on suspicion and confessed.
He revealed the existence of the order, and
said that Glavanni and his family had in
CURED the anger of the band by betraying
criminal who was Malta to the authori-
ties. Sipoli had been instructed, among
others, to commit the murder. He was
tried, and, although the best counsel was
employed to defend him on a plea
of insanity by the Malta he was convicted
and sent to prison for life.
Several witnesses for the prosecution were
afterward murdered by the Malta. The
government, becoming aware of the Iawless
nature Of the organization, at once took
measures to have it suppressed, but the eff
forts proved futile La Malta continued to
grow A police officer in 1888, in Milan,
discovered mark by which a member of
La Malta could be known. 1t consisted of
small scar Immediately under the ear,
caused by burning. In this way great
numbers Of criminals were aflerward run
down and brought to justice. The society
then gave up the mark, and the police Of
stabbed to the heart
La Malta is modern organization based
on medieval sentiment 1t is related to the
Camorra of Naples. 1t is a society confined
not to Italians, but to Sicilians, the baser
Kind OF Greeks, who bring their national
customs, their secret societies and tTaditio
OF murder with them. If Sicilian believes
that he can provide FOR the protection of
his person and property without having re-
tn q hot IL. hTnR Il.
may be bully, blackmailer, murderer,
out IN whatever he does the public opinion
OF Sicily supports him still. The code of
etnlcs which maintains him is called
"omerta," or manliness.
Not long ago a wealthy proprietor was
CRYING to his home in the neighborhood of
Palermo. Six bullets whizzed by him.
None OF them hit him. No complaint was
mace to the police, yet within few months
everybody who had taken part in the at
tempted assass nation was himself assassin
ated A Malta had attacted Mafiosa. He
was more powerful than his assailant.
Sicllans Justify these crimes. Everybody
knows the .thors, vet nobody interferes.
SAD guide of recent traveller in Sicily:
ohder home belongs TO a most respecta-
Die man, Sir. The other dav he killed his
cook. One Of the most respectable men in
these parts, sir"
murder is the cornerstone of the social
fabric of Sicily. A Sicilian wishes to sell
5arn A Copo Malta wishes to buy it.
Nobody dares bid against him. If any
6ody Is so foolhardy be would be shot next
gay from behind a wall or the corner of a
II Copo Malta runs for the mayoralty
VI village nobody runs against him. He
INVARIABLY has unanimous election. His
pahds may be red with dozen murders and
MS POCKETS filed with blackmail Not
servant can be discharged without reference
70 the unseen Malta. The Mafiosi rule their
uls1rlct as despots. If they have rivalries
SIe knife decides 1t. The Camorrista of
naples live in Italy and thrive, just as the
MaiioSi of Sicily.a
me political power Of the Commoras is
broken, yet it maintains an underground
existence, and has three grades. A novice
~ the trst grade is called "Gazzone di Mala-
VIA, "a youth of bad life.) The more ad-
SEanced pupil is styled "Plocciotta di
9garro." The finished scholar is the Com
00IIlSta. The novice marks out the victim,
19llows him and plays detective on him.
aue Flcclotto is initiated into the secrets of
SoI nIfaternity. He merely gets handful of
sous from the Camorrista. He lives in
aaoles OF reaching the third grade, and some
uay' by means of an artistic stab or an I'M
usually long term in prison, he is advanced
70 the sacred band He takes the oath on
crowned knives with his hands immersed in
us own blood. He is then licensed to muir