The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-18

As9 oA II u hDA / NON
/ BANDIT OF THE cAMPAoNA.
| Tibursl, Like Robin Hood, Has tho People.
! Love and Oedes Capture.
Italy at present is more occupied
than ever by the exploits of the far
famed Tiburzi, who has for a consider
! able period terrorized with iinpunit,
on the borders of Etruria and the
Roman Campagna, and whose authori
ty there has possibly had more weigh,
thnn that of King Humbert himself
Priests, mayors. minor officials, and
other inhabitants. numbering alto
gether two hundred and fifty souls.
| have been arrested and imprisoned as
| his abettors, and are now being tried
| in patches of twenty-five at a time at
| Viterbo. The calendar of assize re.
1ating to the two hundred and fifty &C.
| cused will extend to four series Of
trials, the first of which has just term
| mated in various sentences of i'm
| prisonment and fines. The remaining
! three series will be taken in turns
shortly at specified times.
Tiburzi himself, who is still free and
| laughs at the efforts of the carbineers
to capture him, has been assisted in his
band of followers, who have almost all
disappeared, one after the other, llav-
ing either been killed in pitched battle
with the carbineers, or secured, tried
and executed or sent to the galleys.
He has now but one solitary follower
his faithful lieutenant-whod evotedfy
helps him to rule the district, whose
inhabitants either wink at or favor his
misdeeds. A price of four hundred
pounds has been set ON his head, and
he takes his revenge in killing as many
of the kings soldiers as he possibly
can.
The country-folk for thirty miles
round act as his scouts; they warn him
if the carbineers are in sight; they
shelter him and supply him with food;
and If questioned as to his where
abouts. they affirm that they have seen
him take to the left as fast as his heels
will carry him, when in fact he is dis
appearing leisurely and lnconcernedly
to the right. 1t is said that the fair
sex especially show great ingenuity in
devising elaborate plans for his escape;
while in due course of time, and leisure
permitting, he repays the obligation
by making them some nice presents
and showing them much hattcring at
tention.
Tiburzi's happy hunting ground is
known the Macchia. It is a wide
spreading tract of land. over-grovn
here and there with extensive patches
of thick underwood-a kind of tree1ess
to anyone except Tiburzi, who knows
every turn and corner OF it, and where
he obtains the willing assistance of
shepherds. who supply him with pro-
visions when he has to remain there in !
hiding sometimes for several DAYS to- |
gether. Any gendarme who feels s,lffi- !
courageous to venture within ,
the limits of this fastness in the delu- !
sive hope of capturing the brigand is ,
sure to be awarded with a rifie-bal for !
hts pains. Tiburzi leads the life of a
grand seigneur, provides for his par ,
ents, travels first-class incognito to
Rome and frequents the theaters.
During the summer in 1889 the au-
EhOrlties determined to surround the
and capture Tiburzi, dead or
alive. Gordon of gendarmes formed
! circle, and a body of carbineers pene-
'ounding villages the Inhabitants all
greed that he had been seen at various
'pots early the day before the expedi-
ion. They abounded in useful hints
md Indications; and all the time
riburzi was in Paris, spending his days
S Ii beral, and even generous, to all who
Iford him assistance in evading pur-
uit and capture is only to state what
S perfectly true. He robs strangers
My, or those whom he thinks are rich
nough to pay for immunity from his
'CtdChS 1AcIe1n lies tine secret OF his
afety; for what interest can the Door
ountry folk who benefit by his gen
rosity have in betraying him? This,
indeed, is the kind of medieval moral
ty still ext;nt in many Italian rural
If" said one of the accused to the ;
residing judge during the recent trial,
your police arrangements were more !
erfect, we should probably not have
0 compound with Tiburzi.'' The wit !
ess proved that he could not help as
sting HIM to escape, and was acquit-
ed. And now during the interregnum | :
trial, while the second batch of {
risoners are waiting their turn, 4
loving column of carbineers is beating {
p the Macchis and its hiding places !
l the hope of successfully tracking this
airing bandit, but it is ten to one that i
e is not to be found amid the solitudes (
etween Viterbo and Civita Vecchia.
'r anxious as he may be to escape n
ON the kings troops, he is still more t
nxious to avoid the malaria which at | v
lis season of the year is at its worst r
that locality. The proba bility is t
lat during this exceptionally hot s
Gather Tiburzi is either taking it | i:
lsy in some secluded villa in the a
cinity of the lake of Como or won s
,ring peaceably in Switzerland from t
lie summer resort to another.-St d
ines Gazette. S