The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-12-18
TAUGHT TO STEAL.
How Young Neapolitans Are
Turned Into Thieves.
Animal Street Fights Between
Bands of Young Rogues.

An interesting account of the way
in which young children are prepared
to enter the Camorra is given by Dr.
de Blasio, Neapolitan physician who
has been studying the habits Of
criminals. The Camorra at Naples,
like the Malta in Sicily, is an organi-
zation OF criminals that is centuries
old. The Csmorra begins its work
with the infants who are abandoned
by their parents, or who are lent ont
to the impostors who beg in the
streets of Naples. These children,
for the most part those of persons in
prison, are taught to beg for the end
of cigar or soldo, and infest the
cafes. In winter they sleep in holes
and stables, in summer on the church
steps, under archways, or on the
benches in the pubic gardens.
When they are six or seven years
old they are instructed in begging and
thieving by older children. At ten
years of age the little Camorrista, or
little thief. becomes singer. He must
know how to improvise song to the
girls and reply with an extemporane-
Gus verse to the verse of a companion
or an antagonist. In Naples there
are two armies of cantatori, one be-
bnging to the streets in the older
part of the city, and one to those OF
the west end. They constitute the
neophites of the Camorra, and com
pete in public, passing their examina-
tions by nights in the streets. They
choose for the subject of their chants
anything that happens in the city, and
very often the object of derisive songs
is an old man or poor idiot
The better class hear these SCOTS
but do not interfere, and often laugh
at the wit which is scarcely ever miss
ing The two bands are naturally
great rivals, and once year at least
they defy each other to series Of
battles in which stones are the weap-
ons, and at tho close of the fray
knives too often come into play. This
practice of battles with stones among
boys can be traced back as far as 1925
for at that periodthe Duke of Alva
caused thirty "stone throwers" to be
arrested IN Naples. The war cry of
the boys is "Aniella, Aniella," the
derivation of which is not certain.
After the war cry comes the challenge
in the form Of a verse, to which the
enemy responds likewise.
Then the young boys commence the
attack. The passers-by flee, but ut
no great distance stand old and young
men, who incite the rival bands, and
if Unnecessary rescue one or the other of
them from arrest by the police. Two
years ago there was famous battle Of
this kind in Piazza Mercato, which
ended in fight between the police
and the stone throwers, during which
the horse cars were stopped for some
time. This duel ceases at the first
drawing of blood-a slight scratch re-
ceived by one of the members Of the
two parties puts an end to the battle.
The wounded boy is surrounded by
his friends and taken to his mother,
real or adopted, to be bound up and
nursed. The songs sung by the boys
have always chorus. aud generally
there are two soloists, who sing a
verse in turn, which is ended by re.
frain sung by the chorus, mere "Ah
oh! All OIL" In poetical form these
youths express the knowledge they
have of the worst evils and vices of
human life, but the verses are realistic
and without the least CLEAN of senti-
ment. London News