The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-21
SICILY'S BRIGANDS.
THOSE OF RECENT YEARS MERELY
BANDED ASSASSlNS.

Twenty Years Ago Brigandage Had n Fla
vor OF Romance-Later the Bands were
Composed Chiefly of NIurderers and Other
Observation-Disclosures OF Record.
1t has been the fashion Of late years
among Sicilians to speak of brigandage as
thing OF the past, says Soipio SiRhele In
the Archives d'Anthropologie Criminelle
but as matter of fact one band of Sicilian
Drigands has hourished in tho district of
San Mauro for the past six or seven years
and Is not yet quito destroyed. This band
perhaps tho last Of tho long line of Sicilian
Drigands, Is simply an association Of assas-
sins without any of the romance attached
to some OF the profession.
Sioilian brigandage of 90 years 400 had
about 1t tho flavor of romance. For OK.
ample, Baron Sigardi, riding out ono day
In 1874 with somo friends, was suddenly
surrounded by u larger body of horsemen
under the brignnd Capraro The baron
ana MS party were courteously told that
they wero prisoners, and tho whole cayal-
cade proceeded some distance until tho
baron was singled out and politely re-
quested to permit himself to be blindfold-
ed. Some hours later no found himself in
an elegantly appointed house, where he
dined sumptuously at table furnished
with beautiful linen and handsome silver,
oil tho luxuries of the season, and even Ice.
being served. After tho payment of a ram
som OF $50, 900 the baron was again put in
possession Of his watch and bank notes
and escorted almost to tho railway station.
AT parting with him his escort begged the
honor OF being permitted to kiss his hand
Hoe
and Fl from Ccfalu. Tho latter place Is
reached by rido of six hours In dill
gence over rough mountain roads The
people of San Mauro are mostly field la
borers and almost 5000 In number. A
band OF brigands infested tho region from
1871 to 1875. They wero Is in number,
under tho leaders Rocca and Rinaldini.
Ihey wero clad In q uniform of blue vel
vet, riding boots and distinctive hat.
Each wore upon his finger q ring with tho
initial TX, i'll honor of tho leaders. They
were armed with double barrclod carbines,
rovolvers and poniards. They had fine
horses and many masks and other devices
for disguises, including uniforms of the
local gendarmos. 1t was thoir pleasant
way, on meeting tho servant Of some rich
proprietor, to say:
~ saw your master yesterday on horse
that pleased me. Have 1t at - tomor-
row. And tho horse was usually deliv-
cred according to demand
Rocca died by his own hand rather than
yield to the soldiers that had besieged him
in house for two hours Rinaldini was
killed In an encounter with tho troops In
August, 1876, and the band was dispersed.
Fourteen years later now band of San
Mauro brigands suddenly appeared In the
haunts of the old band. Tho leaders were
hlelchiorrc Candino and Placido Rinaldini,
n relative of the other brigand chief The
newcomers with their chiefs numbered IL.
They wore almost the samo uniform as
their predecessors, though tho blue velvet
was sometimes replaced with reddish
brown, yellow or black. They had the
spurred riding boots and good horses. but
not tho multitude of devices for disguise.
as handkerchief covering part of tho face
served thoir purpose. Candino is peasant
OF San MaurO. He took tho fold In MAY,
1889, after having done four murders.
Within year Rinaldini and nine other
brigands all from tho region of San Maui
70, had Joined him. Within tho next two
years the band assaSsinated moro than 90
persons.
This now band of San Mauro flourished
by reason of deep seated principles Of the
were dono for the private revenge of indi.
vidual brigands. Others were by way of
punishment for what tho brigands esteem
trcachery, the revelation of tho movements
of tho band to the soldiery or the bearing
OF truthful witness in court against cap
tured brigands or their friends. Revenge
Is primo principle of the Sicilian, and
silence in court is another.
An injured Sioilian does not testify
against his enemy In court, because he Is
too proud to have tho government attend
to II matter that should be ono for private
revenge. 1.-The truth to tho confessor and
to no ono else," is Sicilian proverb.
Louis Mazzola, one of the San Mauro
band, killed in 1884 ono Cassataro, the
husband OF his mistress, and through the
courageous testimony Of the murdered
mans relatives was found guilty and SEN
fenced to 10 years imprisonment. He es-
capped in 1890, and, regardless OF the dan
ger of detection, went straight to his old
homo to revenge himself upon tho brother
of his former Victim. He found that the
safest thing to do was to enter tho band Of
brigands, and the band made Mazzola's
vengeance Its own. Cnssataro, being in his
garden with his wife and children, was ap-
preached by three men who represented
themselves as from the local military COM
mander and commissioned to fetoh him
away. They hurried him off, but the wife,
suspicious, sent to the military command
or and learned that her husband was not
In tho hands of the authorities. Searchers
hurried into the mountains and found the
dead body of Cassataro with three bullet
wounds in the heart. This occurred In
1899.
The chief newspaper of Palermo, In
commenting on this crime, called for tho
suppression OF tho brigands. About three
weeks later the editor received from Can
dino note for publication saying that,
while 1t was true that Mazzola had taken
his revenge, tho band was not made up Of
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