New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-25
MODERN FRA DIAVOLISM.
ALARMING RECRUDESCENCE OF BRlGAND-
AGE IN ITALY.

Rome. September 10.


Gently published British and Consular reports,
bring into this country and voluntarily leave
here the enormous sum Of so 700, 900 every year.
are likely hcnceforth to involuntarily de-
vote n still larger amount to the maintenance oil
| the Italians For not since thirty years or more
| has bricandage been rampant and so uni
versal as at the present time. This Is due partly
to the prevailing financial crisis which affects
all classes of the population partly to in)udcions
economy in connection with the Department OF
| tie Interior controlling the Provincial anthor-
ties notably the abolition Of the mounted
| pendarmcrie. who were intimately acquainted
| with the country, and partly also TO the 1act
that Government officials OF every kind are Just
now far more busy in preparing for the general
elections. which come off at the end Of next
| month"; than in attending to their administrative
duties If we are to believe the Secolo,' which
is tho most important and influential newspaper
in the Kingdom, the local offci'ls arc actually
| in frierdlv intercourse with the various criminal
organizations. in order to secure the support. poth
Of the members thereof and OF the people whom
thev terrorize at the forthcoming elections
One of the most characteristic cascs OF brlGahdas'
and which has attracted the most Widespread
attention is thai OF the capture ana ransom OIL
Baron Antonio Spitalieri. The latter lives az
Catania Tic other "ay he got out TO WISH one
Of his estates az some distance from the 'o"n'
lie was accompanied by his son. AS, however
there is malaria about the grounds OF inns
property of his, he did not sleep in the fe"da
CASTILLO which dominates his estate but wen' 10
pass the night al the house OF his mo'her-n-
law. certain Baroness Ciancio, who lives near
bv Tho rex. morning riding back TO his
rroncrtv IN arrange some meters win Ills
bailiG. he was attacked by nine splendidly
,oI ,-ith
and dangers. All were handsomely dressed
some in cloth. some in velvet They captured
tho baron. bound thc servants and demanded an
enormous sun "a a ransom. Tho baron declared
that bc had not 50 much money with him. where
npon the b,irands took him securely bound 10 inc
villa Of the baroness who. on seeing the approach
OF the band hurricdy boltcd ard barred the
doors and windows Of the house. demand YVES
mad. by tho hrigands for the ransom OF INC
baron. and after prolonged negotiations, in winch
the village nriost. who had made his appearance
upon the scene took part, the sum OF Si"OVo
was arreel upon and thrown out Of the windows
by the baroness TO the brigand leader. l"e
hrigands then let the baron GO The la'tcr ran
I'D the stairs and into the house, Forgetting 10
clos, the door behind him The brigands, taking
advantage Of this circumstance, at once ihVa"eo
the villa got possession OF all the weapons IN
she possessed. She declared that she had nothing
hut the $40 600 already given them. Bnf the
lrjcands did rot believe her, and. putting thcr
daqrers at her throat insisted that SIZE should
show them all hcy valuablcs she still resisted.
declaring that she COULD give them nothing more
The brigand chief then made her give nm 'hc
KEYS to the ground foor rooms whore he soon
found 10000 francs which he at once appro-
priatcd Finally. after the fatieucs Of the search
the brigands rested and refreshed themselves
drinking the baroness's champagne and smoking
her cigars For eight hours their victims had 10
endure their presence When they at Inst went
away they kissed the barons hand assuring MIN
that for the future his family would be safe. and
one Of them even turned back and gave tho baron
his watch and chain, saying that in the hurry OF
the departure he had forgotten 10 restore 1t.
No trace has yet been discovered OF the
brigands but spendidly mounted, powerfully
| armed as they were, it is evident that they were
no vulgar gentlemen Of the rood.' They were
obviously the representatives Of that "kid-gioved
and elazcd-booted Malta" that has influential re-
lations at "Court"-the law court, mean; men
who have perfect Knowledge Of the vie intimc Of
the landed possidenti who are aware OF how
much their captives are worth, and whose infor-
nation, as appears from the Baron Spitahei
operation is derived from better sources IMAM
either the clubhouse servant or the village priest
One charming trait of the operation" in question
was the request which the brigand CHIEF al
dressed to the baron-.o know what was his
favorite brand Of champagne. 50 that he might
he supplied with it during his captivity until
ahis ransom was paid The chief, who has some
thing of the Fra Davolo about him, assured the
"Signor Barorc" that he should have "ottlnlo
| pranzo" 1.-THE best of dinners and "exccIchn
sigarette besides the buon vino, 10 mitigate his
durancc, the reverse of VILE and though that dur
ancc was destined not to come 0il-thc baroness
Ciancio having furnished the required sum on
the spot-yet there was irdication wanting or
the brigond chiefs part that every consldera-
ton would be paid 20 50 distinguished captive
A few weeks ago another Slclhan eeh'H-
man. named Blotti, was kidnapped. lie had
| no rich ncighbOr to stand by him IN ms dls-
trcss, and was carried Of TO the hills. ransom
was required Of 81. 900, which his family could
not raise As fhe money was rot forwarded
within a fortnight, the miscrcants bntchered him
by way Of warning 10 tho relatives OF future pri-
oncis The body "horribly manglc1 and burnt
was insultinQly dispatched to his home
The other %Srnns wnS t asv c0 fro cave to
Zagarola (two country places not far from Rome
was its return Journey to CaSc with the mo-,
brieands, each armed with a, gun; They ordered
the coachman OF the box and made him open the
posbag, from which they took all the reg,st tnt
, inc from them ali their money and valuablcs.
Having done this they told the coachman that he
might proceed on his way, but he was to say moth
just as the diligenza had got of, smaller car
riage appeared coming up tic same road and on
The one who was driving, on seeing tho briSands,
tried to pass them, and, in fact, did So md got
on some way, but he was stopped by shot which
robbed the three brothers OF 100 francs. their
watches and two rcvolvcrs On the same. day,
and on the same road two other men on horse
back were also robbed of what they possesnrd
The next morning, the country road near vi
tcrbo, was found assassnated rich farmer, a
certain Domenico Marini. whose son ia the Syndic
or Mayor OF vitcrbo The body was found hor-
rihly mutilnted. It is supposed that he was muir