Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-28
ALWAYS CRIMINAL.
BLACK RECORD FOR CENTURIES OF
A ROMAN VILLAGE.
Artens Infamous For the Crimes of Its
Inhabitants Seven Centuries Ago aud Out
iawed By a Pope--crime Hereditary In
Some Of the Families.

Professor Schelc OF tho University OF plgn
entities his article on Ariona, an italian
village In q recent Issue Of Archives Il An.
thropologie. The province OF Rome has
long been famous for crime and Arizona, a
Roman village OF about 1000 inhabitants,
is tho most strongly criminal community
10 tho province. Tint has been It's repuin.
tion since the middle OF the twelfth con.
tury.
Artcns, or Montctortino na II was m.
cieutly called, stands on hill 400 feet
above sea Lowell and IL on tho edge Of
mountain rangu. The inhabitants nro
mostly farmers, and they till rich soil,
80 that there Is 10 deep poverty in the re.
gion. The conditions and surroundings
are such as TO encourage tho rugged vir-
tues Tho place has, from n military point
Of view, an almost imprcguabo site, and
Its earlier name COMMUNICATED this fact,
| Perhaps the earliest mention Of the place
I In Italian history occurs In 1855 when tho
/ frequency Of crime Is noted Pope Paul
| ~ issued IN cdlot against tho place Ia
! 1857, describing Its inhabitants as Of mo-
torlously OWL liio. lie ordered that tho
castle "a nest Of robbers" DO destroyed
and that oil the mnlo Inhabitants he ban
/ ishcd, and decroed TINT any man who met
them might kill them. Tho cdct was. In
fact ono Of outlawry against the male
population. His holiness named among
the crimes OF Montciortlno not only rob
berry, but also murder and assaults upon
the papal soldiery.
The pope's tremendous cdict did not de.
populate tho place or greatly change tho
character OF its inhabitants for any long
period, for tho crimes OF Montofortlno mp.
pear and reappcar In Italian history from
that day to this, Professor Slohcle sketch.
as the criminal history uf Montcfortlno for
tho last half century, DnrlnF that period
tho vendetta has reigned there unchecked
From 1851 TO 1868 tho courts wcru power
less TO deal with the accused, because II
was impossible TO obtain evidence TO con.
Wet. An official report In 1879 described
tho place us u stronghold OF murdernrs
assnssins, cxtoriioncrs md inoendarirs,
notiyo night md day. II was declared that
the criminals OF that day were tho children
OF criminals who Ind persisted In the gal.
lcys or on tho scniHold, and that they had
organized monopoly of the profitable In
dustry Of crime II was about this time
that tho village ns n anxious TO forget its
pnst, changed its DamN 10 Artena. But
crime has since Increased rather than d.
unfinished, and the criminals Of today bonr
the same names az the hereditary crimi-
nails OF more than 30 years ago. Tho
assizes Of 1879, 1881 and 1888 wero fruit
less, as no ono was convicted of serious
crime, though thoro were many indict.
monts. Between 1879 and 1886 Arizona
had four mayors and the life Of each was
attempted One was actually nssassi-
mated, and the other three were wounded.
Ono WINS shot In broad daylight In the
market place but tho would be assassin
was not punished.
Between 1868 and 1879 tl.cre wero ~
murders and assasslnnilons Mt Artena
This would DO at a mean annual ratio Of
b9.5 pur 100, 600. Tho rate throughout
Italy has varied In recent years from 7.Ts
TO 10. so per 100, O0O, and tho mean annual
rate throughout Italy is OBS per 100, 900.
The number OF murders aud nssassiuntlons
at Artona between 1873 and 1858 was "a,
or nc tho ratio OF 81 90 per 100, 600. The
mean annual number OF such crimes pcr
100, 900 throughout thu whole province Of
Rome is 25.A0. In othnr words, the rate
ct Arizona during tho last period named is
mora than double that OF tho province.
Tho rate for various European countries
IL 0. "a TO 1857.
Artenn is equally notorious for lighter
crimes. Between 1868 and 1879 there were
1914 assaults with attendant wounds. THIS
would DO ut tho rate OF eO6 por 100, 900. In
the same period there were SO highway
rubbcries, or at tho annual rate OF 80 per
iOn. 900, Tho annual rate for assaults
throughout all Italy ID IL per 100000,
and for highway robbery 8.67 pOr 100, 600.
Arizona had between 1853 and 1879 ilo
thofts, or at tho rate Of l45, o annually per
100, 600 and between 1873 and 1855 laI at
tho ratio of ell 0 per 100 900. Tho ratio for
all Italy between 1879 and 1887 was AUG
por 100, 900.
At tho recent nsslzes at Artena 81 per
sons were accused Of crime, There were
charges OF highway robbery, OF murder
and Of assassination. There wero more
J than 10 persons strongly suspected OF
crime but the numbUr OF accusations was
reduced in order that Tower persons In the
community might DO Interested against
tho administration VI Justice. Tho old
names again appeared among tho accused.
II seems that crimo is hereditary In COM
paratlyoly iow families. One of these fam
lilies is tho Pomponl. They have been 10
nous for generations. Tho father has
served long torn In jail tho mother was
imurlsonod for 80 years; three OF tho son'
have been sentenced to long forms, hnd
, tho fourth, lad Of 10, escaped conviction
> because OF his youth. Pnsqunle VILLAIN,
famous rogue, called himself the mirror
OF tho country" meaning that no WINS
: model Of virtue Francisco Bucci, on bo
; ing reminded from tho bench by tho pro
siding Judge that lie had sought to draw
an acquaintance into criminal affair,
. proudly replied
, "wlat need havo TO ask aid In com
: hitting u erimeS am equal TO piliagint
q whole village single handod."
Tho prisoners had no shame In their en-
rocr, and there was great competition as te
!, which Of them should havo his picture
mado for an illustrated paper OF Rome.
The characteristic RI these people undo
accusation is usually an absolute silence
J, Witnesses nre rcticcnt md tlmid. one nn
}; willing witness, however, let drop tho In
eliminating word parnnzn. The usua
meaning OF panama. IL a subrroup OF tn
Italian criminal society called cainorra
. This last has great chief, while the pa
rnpza is a group under a small chief, witt
: treasurer, secretary and other officers. u
;. a supposed that tho camorrn does not OK
/: Isl as such at Artena, but that the parauH
r Is a small. independent organization o
!. local criminals Tho law OF the parnnz'
0 n, ,+rnn as OF the cafnorrn elsewhere, u