Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-27

| NE. nowadays there ~ no NcHuGe OF
| brigandnge In the former continental
/ thing that occurs IN that way is simply
/ sporadic and limited to the rcmotest
/ parts Of Calabris.
But il Is not so on the other side Of the
straits. Sicily Is stil the thoater Of a
| thriving bandit trade and the combined
efforts of government aud public opinion
have not been to this day crowned with
success
Now Sclian brigandoec Tor better still
malandrnaggio has not even the paltry
excuse Of political preteXt. Never since
lSbO have the Bourbuns had pnrtlsans
among the Sicilians. neither ~ the local
clergy ut all intransigent. The buude
muster very limited number Of men
actually composing them. They recruit,
80 to speak. occasionally among the
rural population. and are headed by vul-
gar assassins. and robbers escaped from
prnsons.aud they are noted for their gross
Ignorance. Sicily never enjoyed good
government She passed from the SUI
pinely tyrannicul rule of the Bourbons 20
the s.crn command of men sent TO the
island from North Italy as to place of
1 exile. No link Of sympathy united the
iOyial Lombard, the bold and slow Pied
monIese, the willy aud quick Tuscan
officials with the reserved and resentfui
Sicilian. How could the rulers under
stand the rulodt Even the wide differ
fNtE III tue UuAAlUA NAUNtM an UtNAtAAlN ~
good administration. The Scilidn SOIL
Is divided into large feuGi; the small
landed proprietor who Is the backbone of
the northern population does not exist in
the beautiful island. Most of the big
lords are ubseutees and prefer town to
country life; many reside ON the CONT
nept
THUS the rural districts are left en-
tiruly in the hands of inefficient state
! officials aud OF local elements which rule
at will the weaker section of the broth
ron. The amount OF petty tyranny cx-
ercisCd by the powerful on the weak
is absolutely Incredible and breeds as
| natural consequence a thirst for revenge.
In this abnormal state of things any
| bold character may assume the role of
nrbitcr of power aud at the same time
thnt OF rcdresser of wrongs. This CA
plains the uubOunded popularity Of such
brigands as Antonio Leone, WHO found
acCOmplices Ia every village Of the prov
ince of Palermo, whom no one burst
botray, who could walk In the capital
and take his ice nc tie SWEETEST cafe OF
the city and enjoy the performance at the
opera house even when King Iumbert
| then crown prince was present This
| Antonio Leone. who succumbed In fair
| fight with carabincrei, was the bloody
flower of bad tree grown naturally on
the Sicilian soil
In order that handful Of men should
be able ~ exert such power over their
countrymen they must have much per-
sonul energy; but even that Is nor
| enough. They must b. at once the mas
tiers aud slaves of the populacc. Such
J Is always the ease Will the Scilinu brig
| and. His courage, cunning and want
| OF scruple single hin out from among
his fellow villagers who respect him
| accordingly. For these qualities they
! become his slaves. But he also wants
shelter, help, information and ammuni.
| ton; there he Is their slave Around
| him a net of interest is woven by the
deft hand OF the Malta.
Now one can understand the true ma
| ture of Sclian briganhism If the Malta
| Is ignored.
The Malta is an Institution pecul-
lar Co the island of Sicily and
which the Sicilii.n residents tried
| TO plant Oh American soil. As
Is well known the attempt re-
suited in the iynchiug % many persons.
! The Mahusi are the adopts of the sGtic.
| ~ which Is secret Their aim consists
| i'm oyerawcing al legal or moral power
| In order IN uunihiRte them. Whoever
rcsists or attempts 10 resist the viii Of
| the Malta fails victim ~ it. Nj
| means, however foul are considered fair,
! provided they insure final victory The
| Malta recruits its vOturies among all
| classes; even gentleman Ot exquisite man
| nrrs aud noble blood are known 70 be-
long 90 the association. Many Il bloody
decd committed In Sicily Is worsed up
by the Nnhu. for brlgaudism Is but one
of its many tools. II Is the Malta that
provides The rural brigOud with the
yaluabl" information about the designed
victim. Il Is The Malta that .nstructs the
Lighwnyman concerning the sum of mon
! Cy that TO be demanded FOR the release of
the captured traveller; the Mana hat
provides the means of convenient pay
ment The whole system is so peculiar
ly local that any foreigner. or indeed ~
mainland Italian may walk undislufDad
through the length and breadtl. OF Sicl-
~ and without meeting the least &c.
| dent; because being tOtei 1ner5 the Main
ignores thcm, because Il has not the need.
ml information regarding their hnanc nj
means: ana accordingly cannot hN on IN
| npedful sum for ransom.
But such is not the case with a m0n
belonging TO the nutlyc gentry. IN,
Muiiusi knows TO u frame what sum MS
family can raise in less than week foi
his release; they know the exact meas
ure of affection thcy bear TO this sequcs
tered member. This explains the fac
that no Sician bngmd ever caught ,
foreigner tMr. Rose though an Englisl
subject. H. constantly residing NJ IA
rmo. where b. 10 IN bnsneas) or u con
tinental ltnian Such captures woult
hrigand is the maud. An anecdote vii
Illustrate The link between the Maia an,
: biganaage.
Some few years ago Duke NOtarbar
,ulo di :. Giovanni, director of the baul
of Sicily, was captured a few miles iron
5 ltlcluo and brought 20 n grottO in th,
: mountains hard by, As Is customary h
such cases, heavy sum was fixed fol
his ransom and death threatened II no
paid within u certuin time. After hi
release the Duchess Nttprh0rtolo relate,
M a friends house how her husband haC
p been treated during his durance vile, no
only with the highest marks of respect
blu TINT the polite handitu chiettnu
begged him to mder for his meals what
{ ever lac desired II sounded strange M
decd to hear that the duke was able II
J this mountain cave e. eat his custonar!
/ ice after dinner as In his own home
The chicftain was laxative aud cola
i planned Of hard times and of depression
IN the trade. He gave that as q reason
4 for the eXarhtnnt sum demanded, al
/ ding with a sud smile that very little o
g ! that mOley came TO him and his com
E panious, their town friends sold the com
} mollties OF life az exorbitnnt prices TO th
( poor brigands.
g lfrom what has been said above con
e cciurg brgandugc IN Italy the reade
b may draw the following concNsiou
i That ii br,gnudnge Is strong, IL Is 50 be
3 cause 4 Is aiiod anF Allotted by soc
. tion of the people.
o Ia Nar2nmn and Sardinia bandiusu
Z does not az an cndeNpger social lfe
G | docs so on the contrary Ia Sicily, Wher
l.aN. Ink Al all