Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-07-16
SICIL'S BRIGANDS.
THOSE OF RECENT YEARS MERE
LY BANDED ASSASSINS.
TWENTY YEARS AGO BRIGANDAGE
COMPOSED CHIEFLY OF CRIMINALS.


the Archives G'Au;hreF a,asic Criminelle,
but as matter e fact ouy LAID = Sloilian
brigands has flourished in the district OF
San Mauro for the past six or seven years
and is not yet quite destroyed. This band,
perhaps the last Of the long line Of Sicilian
brigands, is simply an association of assas-
sins without any of the romance attached
to some of the profession.
Siclian briGanGase OF 20 years ago had
about it the flavor " romance. For ex
ample, Baron Sigardi riding out one day
in 1874 with some friends, was suddenly
surrounded by larger body of horsemcn
under the brigaud Capraro. The baron
and his party were courteously told that
they were prisoners, and the whole caval-
cade proceeded some distance until the
baron was singled out and politely re.
quested to permit himself to be blindfold-
ed. Some hours later he found himself in
an elegantly appointed house, where no
dined sumptuously at table furnished
with beautiful linen and handsome silver,
all the Injuries OF the season. and even ice,
being served. After the payment of a ran.
som of S30. 0G0 the baron was again put in
possession of his watch and bank notes
and escorted almost to the railway station.
At parting with him his escort begged the
honor of being permitted to kiss his hand.
San Mauro lies So miles from Palermo
and 81 from Cefalu. The latter place is
reached by ride 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 the region from
1870 to 1876. They were Is in number,
under the leaders Rocca and Rinaldini.
They were clad in a uniform Of blue vel
vet, riding boots and a distinctive hat.
Each wore upon his finger ring with the
initial r, - in honor Of the leaders They
were armed with double barreled carbines
revolvers and poniards. They had fine
horses and many masks and other devices
for DISCUSSES, including uniforms of the
local gendarmes II was their pleasant
way, on meeting the servant Of some rich
proprietor, to say:
Il saw your master yesterday on a horse
that pleased me- Have 1t at - tomor
row. And the horse was usually deliy
cred according to demand.
Rocca died by his own hand rather than
yield to the soldiers that had besieged him
in a house for two hours. Rinaldini was
killed in an encounter with the troops in
August, 1876, and the band was dispersed
Fourteen years later new band Of san
Mauro brigands suddenly appeared in the
haunts of the old band. The leaders were
Melchiorrc Candino and Plaeido Rinaldini
a relative of the other brigand chief The
newcomers with their chiefs numbered IL
They were almost the same uniform as
their predecessors, though the blue velvet
was sometimes replaced with reddish
brown, yellow or black. They had the
spurred riding boots and good horses, but
not the multitude of devices for disguise,
as a handkerchief covering part of the face
served their purpose. Candino is a peasant
of San Mauro He took the field in May,
1889, after having done four murders.
Within year Rinaldini and nine other
brigands, all from the region Of san Mau-
70, had Joined him. Within the next two
years the band assassnated more than 90
persons.
This new band of San Mauro flourished
by reason OF deep seated principles Of the
Sicilian nature Many of their murders
were done for the private revenge eff indi
vidual brigands. Others were by way OF
punishment for what the hrigands esteem
treachery, the revelation of the movements
of the band to the soldiery or the bearing
of truthful witness in court against cap
tured brigands or their friends. Revenge
is prime principle Of the Sicilian, and
silence in court is another.
An injured Sicilian does not testify
against his enemy il court, because he is
too proud 10 have the government attend
TO matter that should be one for private
revenge. The truth TO the confessor and
to no one else" is Sicilian proyerb.
Louis Mazzola. one Of the san Mauro
band, killed in 1854 one Cassataro, the
husband OF lis mistress. and through the
courageous testimony of the murdered
mans relatives was found guilty and sen
fenced TO = years Imprisonment. He es
capped in Is90, and, regardless of the dan
ger Of detection, went straight TO his old
home TO revenge himself upon the brother
of his former victim He found that the
safest thing TO do was TO enter the band OF
brigands, and the band made Mazzola's
vengeance its own. Cassataro, 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 fetch him
away They hurried him off, but the wife,
suspicious, sent to the military command
er and learned that her husband was not
in the 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
1892.
The chief newspaper of Palermo in
commenting on this crime, called for the
suppression Of the brigands. About three
weeks later the editor received from Can
dino a note for publication saying that,
while it was true that Mazzola had taken
his revenge, the band was not made up of
indiscriminate assassins. Disguised with
the unjust abuse to which they were sub
jected, the brigands had withdrawn from
San Mauro to the heart of the mountains.
The letter closed with salutations to the
editor and assurances of esteem. Accom-
panying it was 1. five franc note to pay for
its insertion in the newspaper. The earlier
band of San Mauro had also issued proc
lamation, posting it on the church door in
1876, but Candino, more modern in his
methods, had reached his public through a