The record-union., 1891-04-05

In the year 1896 an English gentleman
visiting Massina conceived the idea that
raising sheep on the neighboring hills
would prove profitable industry. He
bought tract of land, stocked it with an
excellent breed of sheep and began ope-
ratlons. He shortly had trouble with a
neighbor about boundaries, and the Eng
lish side of the question was warmly
eSpoused by the Englishman's shepherd,
Slcilian. The troublesome neighbor
was one day found dead with couple of
dozen buckShot in his head, and at the
end of the same month, when the shep-
herd came to render his account, among
the items was one of $50 which the Eng
l1shman did not understand. Asking
1or an explanation, he was Mortified to
learn it was for shooting ''that Pietro
Sassi," who had made himself so trouble
some, and, furthermore, that the Matia
man who had done the deed was waiting
outside the door for his money. The Eng
llshman paid the bill and left the coun-
try.
A TRIP WITH THE MAFIA.
Like the Camorra, the Malta was al
ways hand i'll glove with the brigands,
who, availing themselves of the informal
ton furnished by their confederates in
town, often became very daring. In 1876,
an Englishman named Rose, connected
with mercantile house in Sicily, was
taken by a brigand chief named Leone
from the midst of large party of appar-
emily friendly Sicilians. The capture
took place in broad dalight, on a we'll
travelled highway, and in sight of Lercara,
a populous town. The brigands carried
their captive to cave, and there he re-
manned under guard for seven days; sud-
denly the bandits changed their quarters,
being apparently apprehensive of pur-
suit, and for some time made night
marches, travelling all night and resting
in the houses of the peasantry by day.
During this time troops were supposed to
be in pursuit, but negotiations were in
progress for ransom, as the bandits
threatened to kill their prisoner unless
the money they demanded was paid 1t
was paid, the sum being $4,000, but on
the urgent representations of the British
Government the matter was investigated
and some OF the outlaws were brought to
justice.
On the trial, however, it was clearly
proved that members of the Mafia per-
sonal friends of Mr.. Rose, had given the in
formation which led to his capture by the
brlgandS, and that the money paid for his
| ransom had been shared by the Sicilian
| detectives supposed to be on the track of
the bandits, by the police of Lercara, who
were paid 10 be absent when Rose was
captured, by the chief magistrates of sew
eraI country towns and villages through
which the bandits passed with their pris-
| several soldiers of the companies Of cav
airy sent to pursue the robbers, by a law
yer Of Palermo, who had given notice of
the intended visit of Rose TO Lercara, by
merchant who persuaded Rose to 90.
and by peasants, male and female, who
had provided shelter for the band and
given false information to their pursuers.
Rose, however, escaped unscathed, which
was more than German named Kutcher
did in the following year, for having no
one to ransom him. he was cut in pieces
and dispatched, q little at Il time, one day
an ear, another a finger. and so on, to the
residence of the German Consul the rob-
bers hoping that this barbarity would
lead TO a ransom. None came, and finally
the head of the hapless man was found
one morning at the German ConsuPs
door.
ATTEMPTS AT SUPPRESSION.
Both Camorra and Malta were tolerated
if not encouraged by the Bourbons, there
being, as already intimated, belief that
the royal family shared in the spoils of
both. Both were popular institutions.
The taxes they eXacted were not greater
than those demanded by the Govern
ment, and the payment being in small
sums, was made with greater convent
ence, and both. so long as payments were
punctual. protected their proteges from
other robbers. The army ard police were
>.
since many of the soldiers We're members,
and the Government, by availing itself of
the ready services of hired asSasSinS be-
longing to both organizations, often put
out of the way obnoxious persons, and
thus saved the police and army much
trouble. The prison-keepers liked them
because the CanOrra and Malta kept bet
ter order and enforced stricter discipline
in the jails than the guards were able to
do.
In more than one Neapolitan revolution
the agents of the Camorra We're engaged
to restore order and did it effectuaIly,
while in the conquest of Sicily by Carl
baldi, the Malta played no unimp0rtant
part. But after the Bourbons had been
driven out, and Italy united under the
rule of Victor Emanuel, the Government
looked with a jealous eye on the infiu-
ence of the two organizations. In both
Italy and Sicily the revenues which
should have gone to the Government
were absorbed by the societies. A strong
effort was therefore made to put down
both Camorra and Malta. In September,
1874, the first blow was struck in Naples
Nearly a hundred agents of the Camorra
were seized and imprisoned in the fort
resS, and the customs revenues, which
the day before had been less than four
francs, rose on the day following to
nearly 5000. Some of the Camorristi
were tried and executed, others trans
ported, others sentenced TO long terms of
penal seryitude. For weeks the police
and soldiers were busy all over the coun-
try arrestjng and bringing in suspected
persons. The prisons We're full, the courts,
though III constant session. could not try
the cases fast enough, and special com
| missions were appointed. The Camorra
seemed to be broken up.
Dealing with the Malta was much
| easier. Several regiments of troops from
the neighborhood of Milan and other
places in North Italy, where Camorra
| and Malta were almost unknown, were
sent to Sicily. The officers had their
orders, and carried them out to the
letter. They traversed the island from
end to end, and whenever they captured
| q Sicilian who seemed to be of suspicious
character they gave him the benefit of the
doubt and shot him on the spot 4
few were sent to Palermo and Messina
| for trial, but the larger portion
was disposed of in the way indicated.
The Government never made public the
report of the officers who administered
| justice in this rough-and-ready way, but
rumor asserted that between 500 and 600
suspicious characters in Sicily were thus
! dealt with.
| Three years later it was discovered
that the Camorra had been revived in
Naples, and on August Both and for
several days following numerous ar
rests were made, while another
raid was instituted in Sicily against the
Malta. Many members of both societies,
becoming convinced that their absence
would be very precious to the Govern
| ment, emigrated, and little more was
heard of either organization until the re-
cent discovery that the Malta had become
| naturalized in New Orleans.-GLo5e-
! Democrat.
HOPE IS A FLOWER.
Hope is n flower, the bloom of an hour,
W hose petals expand like q wave on the sand,