Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-10-10
CONSCIENCE MONEY.

CONSCIENCE MONEY.
During my residence at the Villa
Medicis-from 1871 to 1S74-we were
constantly hearing Of highway robbery,
and even of downright brigandage, out
on the Campagna and up in the noun
tains. Sometimes rumor would bring
the marauders to the very gates of the
city, and at last the bandits were re-
ported to have ventured into the town
itself. The report did not exaggerate the
reality.
Happily none Of our party fell vic
tim to these attempts save one, who
was stopped in open day by the side of
Santa Maria Maggiore, forced back to
the wall and held up" with half a
dozen knives cleaning in a semicircle
around his throat
He was relieved Of his watch and
gave up his purse, but beyond the loss
Of these articles suffered no injury. The
watch he subsequently recovered, and
the purse contained only few francs
Simon Backer always was a lucky dog
There was at this time, in the noun
tains near Cervara, bandit whose ac-
tivity and audacity had made him a ter
ror to the district for several months
past. Emboldened by the smiles with
which fortune favored him, he grew
daily more daring. He had yentured in
to Subiaco and carried off prisoners un-
der the walls of Tivoli. The peasants
never failed to cross themselves when
they spoke of Fontana. He was said to
be not more than 20 at most, of strik-
ingly handsome presence, and to a cour-
age that was indomitable he added the
strength of Hercules.
For nearly half year this fellow and
his band of cutthroats held possession
Of the Campagna The attempts made
from time to time to take him always
came to nothing. Now it would be the
royal and now the pontifical gendar-
merle that would 60 after him, but the
carbineers seemed never to arrive in
time. There was always something to
delay their departure or obstruct their
march.
The Campagna is veritable land Of
Goshen for brigand who knows his
business. Everywhere there are grottoes,
caverns, grass grown ruins, abandoned
quarries and broad belts Of forest, un-
trodden for generations. A few villages,
lost in these solitudes, are united to the
outer world by track which is un-
worthy the name of road and bound to-
gether by footpaths only recognizable by
those accustomed to use them.
The child trotting from one to the
other with cheese for the grandmother,
or returning with water from the dis
tant fountain, would frequently fall in
with the "wolf
This "wolf" was Fontana disguised
With some cheap trinkets. perhaps a
necklace of beads or a silver bracelet,
he would entice the child to chatter,
wheedling out Of her who sold his
beasts or disposed of his crop; inquir-
ing if this one had received the bequest
expected or that other been paid the
legacy left him. And how could the
frightened child refuse to answer when
the "wolf'' suddenly transformed him
self into handsome gentleman, with
soft manners and hands filled with
pretty things?
In one of these villages lived a man
named Beppo Guerra. 1t was he him
self who told me this story. He filled
the triple Office of notary, apothecary
and mayor.
At the close of the winter fairs held
in Rome and the neighborhood Guerra
had committed the great impudence of
bringing back with him a large sum of
money-several thousand francs. Fon-
tana got wind of this
One evening, when everybody in the
village was asleep and Beppo was fin
ishing his pipe down stairs, some shots
were fired at the door. No warning had
been given; no noise had been heard.
Before Beppo could recover himself
ball crashed through the window and
tore a long splinter from the ceiling
joist, the door was burst open, and Fon-
tana entered, followed by several mem
bers Of his band.
Terrified by the noise, Nine. Guerra
rushed to the room to save her husband,
and the children ran to seek protection
near their mother.
Unmoved by the entreaties of the
wife, the ruffians leveled their pistols
at the heads of the affrighted family.
Twenty thousand francs is what we
want of you, shouted Fontana. "Come,
there's no time to waste. don't want
any blubbering, and I'm not going to
listen to any tale pitching. Hand it over
quickly. I'll give you five minutes to
make up your mind. .
Resistance was useless. To call for
help was to seek sudden death and
bring down vengeance on the heads of
little ones. Beppo understood the situ-
alton exactly.
II have not such sum, said he cold
ly.
"Then give MS what you have. The
rest can be sent after you. We shall take
you with MS as security for payment,
but no harm will befall you if your folks
don't make fools Of themselves and
wake up the gentlemen in frogged coats
and cock s feathers. When the last sous
paid, you'll be set free. =
They rummaged the house, turning the
place upside down, but found no more
than the $4,000 francs Boppo had given
them.
Guerra was Immediately bound and
gagged, bandage was placed over his
eyes, and they were going to lead him
away, when his wife, throwing herself
at the feet of the brigand chief, cried
in accents of terror and despair:
"Agostinol Agostino r'-it was the
Christian name of Fontana ''have
Don't take him away. Yon