Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-01-30
POLITE AND CLEVER.
Such 1t Is Declared, Arc the Characters.
tics OF the Italian BrIgand.

Such 1t Is Declared, Arc the Characters.
tics of the Italian Brigand.
The brigands of Italy, Spain and
other foreign countries are not repre-
sented in America by any picturesque
class. The outlaws of this hemisphere
are more properly classed as bandits,
carrying off the booty instead of the
person. At the present time the cow
boy of the plains comes the nearest in
his makeup to the jaunty briRands of
history, who ran down their native
mountains like goats, had eyes like
cats, being able to see as well by night
as by day, and whose hearing was as
acute as that of fox, so that a rustic
of the leaves, however slight, served
them as a warning. Added to this was
trained intelligence of distinguishing
people at long distances, of knowing
the gentry and their movements by
system of communication as complete
as that of the telegraph, and cunning
that baffied detection. These are the
brigands of Italy, of Spain, of Cuba, or
of any country where brigandage is the
offshoot of despotic power, the trained
army of outlawry
There is always leader to those
bands of mountain robbers who live in
despoiling the rich and stop at no crime
to achieve their ends, believing that
personal violence indicates true
prowess- The leader is usually an edu-
Gated criminal, who, surprised in some
deed of crime, hastens to the noun tains
and calls around him a horde of desper-
ate men. They at once assume dress
that is display of bravado-the gaudy
colors of the peasant combined with a
part of the costume of the noble, with
4 a gypseyish lot of jewelry and a desper.
ate hardihood of demeanor. A ral<ish
{ hat or sombrero completes this barbar.
| Gus costume.
| The women-for there are always
| women found to wed these mountain
| ruffians-are often handsome, and fire.
| quently interfere to save captive fol
| whom no ransom is offered from o cruel
death. They live idly, wearing rich
| clothes wrested from travellers, and
their hands are covered with rings
twenty-four being no unusual number
besides variety of gold chains, some
as thick as their fingers.
The capture of a rich victim puts the
whole band into high spirits. There i:
really q certain code of honor observed
in this high-handed project. The cap
tive is treated fairly well if he does no
make too much trouble. He is allowed
to communicate with his family through
members of the band, and as he knows
that treachery will cost him his life h
Is careful to observe the laws set before
him. The utmost caution is used b.
the bandits while they are negotiating
the ransom, and when the money i
paid over a receipt in due form is given
1t happens often that the captive ant
the captors part like the best of friends
even exchanging mcmentoes of the 90
casion; this is due to a grateful feeling
on the part of the captive that he ha
I escaped a long confinement in mountain
4 caves or a cruel death, and to a livel
7 appreciation of the ducats on the par
of the captor. The brigands themselve
gamble to such an extent that the ma
jority are always deeply in debt to
few of the successful ones. Bad bloc
is kept fermcnting. and at times the
l do for each other what the soldiers ar
unable to do-exterminate a Who'll
band by demoraiizing fights over thei
| ill-gotten gains-Detroit Free Press.