Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-08-22
ROBBERY HIS TRADE.
Long Career as. a Bandit OF TTle Late
King of the Craft in Corsica.

Mr.. BellacoScia is dead. For the
benefit of the benighted who never
/ heard of the gentleman, it may be
we'll to say he was a CorSican who
broke all the records in the bandit
business. He was loved by the Cor
sicans, f0r he managed to mix with
his exploits as a brigand many ro-
mantlc incidents. Besides for FORTY
years he defeated all the powers o.
gendarmerie, and this also helped his
popularity. Just as in Ireland no
tourist receives consideration who
has not kissed the Blarney stone, so
/ in Corsica no traveller was esteemed
who left the island without shaking
hands with BellacoScia. Edmund
About was his guest, and on parting
presented a big knife to him in token
of friendship. The French papers de-
scribe him as mild and cordial old
gentleman, not very communica tive.
He spoke queer sort of jargon, but
managed to make himself understood.
His criminal record is long. In Feb
ruary, 1913. he was sentenced to penal
SerVitude for life for kidnapping. In
1854 he was sentenced to death for
murder. In 1857 he received another
death sentence for another murder
In 1877 he was once more sentenced
to death for murder and attempt to
murder, and in 1873 he was sentenced
to two years Imprisonment for eX-
, tOrtiOn. OF course, all his trials were
conducted and all sentences were pro-
nounced during the gentleman's alb
sence. Such ceremonies are common
enough under the French law He
was % years old in 1913 when he
killed by mistake the deputy mayor
of BocagnanO, and from that time ne
lived the classic life Of bandit, con-
staptly tracked and pursued by the
gendarmes, with whom he had many
skirmishes
In 1870 Gambetta gave him con-
ditional pardon, and he and his
brother formed a company of free
shooters to operate against the Prus-
slams. 1t was a business for which
they were singularly well trained. At
the close of the campaign they were
to receive a full pardon. But peace
was signed before they had Il chance
to try their hands at long and short
range at the enemy. Then they re-
turned to the maquis, the famous
jungle which is the refuge of the
COrsican bandits. but they were no
longer troubled by the gendarmes. At
last, old and worn out, he determined
to give himself up. He went to meet
the gendarmes that were looking for
him, threw down his gun, told them
that he was tired and that he was
their prisoner at last. The policeman
at first 6hought that he was playing
a trick upon them, for they could not
imagine for a moment that Bella
cOScia would surrender. But he was
perfectly serious, and so he was taken
a prisoner to Bastia. On the road the
populace gave him an ovation. The
route was a triumphant march, and,
indeed, it is said that if at that time
he had been put-up as a candidate for
the chamber of deputies he would
have been elected by an immense ma
jOrity. He was tried at Bastia on
July %, 1892, but the power of the
press is great in Corsica, and it may
be said with truth that it was the
newspapers that acquitted him, for
acquitted he was. AS a matter Of Sc
curity, however. he was banished
from Corsica, so he established him
self at Marseilles. He had a notion
of going to Paris, where the shOwmeD
were watching for a chance to get him
for their exhibitions. but public life
did not suit him. His long existence
in the maquis had made him hate the
town. He had dreamed Of his old
home in a jungle, and at last he re-
turned thither in spite of the authori-
ties. There he has just died at the
age of 70.-New York Sun.