The morning times., 1895-11-08
NEAPOLITAN THIEVES.
How They Are Trained Almost From
Baby hood.

An interesting account of the way young
children are prepared to enter the cam
ORA is given by DR.. de Blasio, a Neapoli-
tau physician who has been studying the
habits of criminals. The Camorra at Ma
piles, like the Malta in Sicily. is an organi-
zatiou OF criminals and associates OF
criminals that is centuries Old
The Camorra begius its work with the
infants who are abandoned by their par
ents, or who are lent out to tue lmpostors
who beg in the streets Of Naples These
children, for the most part those OF parents
in prison, are taught to beg for the end of a
cigar or a soldo, and infest The cafes In
winter they sleep in holes and sta bleS, in
summer on the church steps, under arch
ways, or on the be nches in the public gar
dens.
When they are six or seven years old they
are Instructed in begging and thieving by
older children. At ten years OF age tile
little Camorrista or little thief, becomes a
cautatore (singer). He must know how TO
improvise a song to the girls, and reply
with an extemporaneouS verse to the verse
of companion or of an antagonist In
Naples there are two armies of cantatori,
one belonging to the streets in tue older
part OF the city, aud one to those of the
west end.
They constitute the neophites of the
Camorra, and compete in public, passing
their examinations by night in the streets.
They choose for their subjects anything
that takes place in the city, and very. often
the object of dersive songs is an old man
or a poor idiot. The better class hear these
scoffs, but do not interfere. and often laugh
at the wit which is scarcely ever missing.
The two bands are naturally great rivals
and once q year at least they defy each
other to a series of battles in which stones
are the weapons. and at tue 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 period the Duke of AIva
caused thirty ''stone throwers'' to be ar
rested in Naples. The war cry OF the
boys is Amelia, Amelia the deriva-
tion of which is not certain. After the war
cry comes the challenge in the form of a
verse, to which the enemy responds in
like wise. Then the younger boys commence
the attack. The passers-by flee, but at
no great distance stand old and young men,
who incite the rival bands, and If nee
essary, rescue one or the other of them
from an 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 trans were
stopped for some time. This duel ceases
at 'the first drawing OF biood-a slight
scratch received 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 al
ways a chorus: and generally there are
two soloists, who sing verse in turn.
which is ended by a refrain sung by the
chorus, a mere"Ah, oh, All, OH In DoeticaI
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 gIeam of sentiment