The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-01-12
POLITE AND CLEVER.



tics of the Italian Brigand.
The brigands of Italy, Spain and
other foreign countries arc 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 briqands 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 rustic
of the leaves, however slight, served
them as a warning. Added to this was
a 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 a cunning
that baffled 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 a 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 mountains
and calls around him horde of desper-
ate men. They at once assume dress
that is display of bravado--the gaudy
colors of the peasant combined with
part of the costume of the noble, with
a gypseyish lot of jewelry and a desper-
ate hardihood of demeanor. A rakish
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 for
whom no ransom is offered from 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
le capture Oh Il rlcIl victim puts the
whole band into high spirits. There is
really a certain code of honor observed
in this high-handed project. The cap
tive is treated fairly well if he does not
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 he
is careful to observe the laws set before
him. The utmost caution is used by
the bandits while they are negotiating
the ransom, and when the money is
paid over a receipt in due form is given.
1t happens often that the captive and
the captors part like the best of friends,
even exchanging mementoes of the oc-
casion: this is due to grateful feeling
on the part Of the captive that he has
escaped a long confinement in mountain
caves or a cruel death, and to lively
appreciation of the ducats on the part
of the captor. The brigands themselves
gamble to such an extent that the ma
jority are always deeply in debt to
few of the successful ones Bad blood
is kept fermenting, and at times they
do for each other what the soldiers are
unable to do-exterminate whole
band by demoraiizing fights over their
ill-gotten gains Free Press.