Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-10-04
CONSCIENCE MONEY.

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 a 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 i'll 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 a few francs.
Simon Backer always was lucky dog.
There was at this time, in the noun
tains near Ceryara, a bandit whose &C
tiyity and audacity had made him 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 ventured in
to Subiaco and carried off prisoners I'M
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 a strik-
4ngly handsome presence, and to cour-
age that was indomitable he added the
strength of Hercules.
For nearly half a 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 pontifcal gendar-
merle that would go 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 a veritable land Of
Goshen for brigand who knows his
business. Everywhere there are grottoes,
cayerns, grass grown feins, abandoned
quarries and broad belts of forest, un
trodden for generations A few villages,
lost in these solitndes, are united to the
outer world by track which is I'M
syorthy the name of road and bound to-
gether by fcotpaths 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 "wo1f. ~
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,
wheeling 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 a handsome gentleman, with
soft manners and hands filed with
pretty things!
In one of these villages lived man
named Beppo Guerra. It was he him
self who told me this story. He filled
the tr1pls 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 CAD Reppo was fin
ishing his pipe down stairs, sosae sI,qttgs
were fred at the door. No warning had
peen given; no noise had been heard.
Fefore Reppo could reeovaf himself
pail crashed through the window and
tore long splinter from the ceiling
joist, the door was burst open, and FOn-
pana entered, followed by several mem
pers OF his baud.
Terrified by the noise, Msne. Gnerra
rushed to the room to save her husband
and the children ran to seek protectiol.
pear their mother.
pnmoYsd by the entreaties of the
wife, the ruffla4ts leyeled their pistols
at the heads of the affrighted family,
f'Twepty thousand francs is what we
ssvant of yo.a, - siiontad Fontana. "Come,
there's no time to waste. / don I 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 aal
pring down vengeance Oh the heads Of
iittle ones, Repro understood the sitg-
alton exactly.
u have not such sum, - said he cold
~.
"Then give US what yop have. The
rest can be sent after you. We shall talSs
you with us as security for payment,
put nc harm will befall YOU if your folks
don't mako fools of themselves and
wake up the gentlemen in fregged coats
and cocks feathers When the last sous
paid, you'll be set Free
They rnmmaged the house, turning the
place upside down, bit found no more
ffhan the II, 900 francs Bcppe9 bad given
Shem.
Guerra was immediately bound and
gagged, bandage was placed oger his
eyes, and they were going to lead him
away, when his wife, throwing herself
at the tees Of the brigand chief, cried
in accents of terror and despair,
"Agostino! Agostino pit was the
Christian name of Fontana = thave
mercy. Don't take him away. You
know us g7eH Take the money, but
leave us Beppo.' -
ono, no! Impossible! Go to the
devil"
But the poor creature chung to him
the tighter. Selling the folds Of his cloak
with both hands.
"AgostlnoE' she cried again. ''You
remember me. Many's the time played
with yon when you We're little. ~
$50 to the devil, say Make up the
sum required and you shall have back
gour husband. In four days come alone
20 the spring by the marble quarry and
we'll settle the account, -
And in less time than liz fakes To