The morning news., 1897-06-06


So much for pathological theories AS
matter of everyday practice crime -four
ishes in Artena as If the town were one
immense brothel or bagnio, and It's 1000
inhabitants, many graduates from the
galleys, set free on a lone island to mas
sacre and rob each other at will. As al
ready stated, , per cent. of all deaths In
Artena are the outcome of murder direct.
Persons dying of wounds received in as
saults or by the action of incendiarism
are not included in the list. Thefts, street
robbery burglary and assaults with still
etto or revolver are matters of such or
dinary occurrence in the town and in the
valley belonging to the people that to in
vestigate them all. according to the mayor
of the city, the number of police officials
and judges would have to be increased out
of all proportion to the total of inhabi
tants, The authorities take notice only of
the most atrocious of crimes brought to
their notice by the press of the capital, or
when no inhabitants suffer. This COM
placent official is the eleventh successor Of
a mayor mysteriously murdered In Artena
in the beginning of 1873. All these mayors
We're elected for a period of ten years.
Three died under the hands of assassins,
two in broad daylight and on the open
market The rest received such wounds
as 20 cripple them for life and make them
leave their post in haste. The present
incumbent of the office aspires to the dis
tinction of outliving his term. and to that
end goes about his business with ears
securely plugged and eyes shut. As
piece of general Information he told me
that the number of crimes against life ami
property brought to official cognizance In
Artena is fifteen times greater pro ratio
of Inhabitants. than in any other place
OF district of Italy. Mark the words, ''of.
fetal cognizance,"
Everything tends to show that almost
the entire population of the mountain
town is imhued with criminal propensi-
ties so intense and so perverse as to
break out almost at any moment. There
is an irresistible temptation abounding In
cruelty that wishes its victims to feel the
bitterness of death, In passions, In want
of paternal and maternal affection, In ven
geance nursed at the bosom of ALL in ma
niacal sentiment. In deliberateness of
criminal purpose and in obstinacy of de-
nial that finds no equal on the face of Eu-
rope save, perhaps. i'm some parts domi-
mated by the unspeakable Turk.
Since the old name of Montefortino was
erased from the map after the fan Of
Rome and the end of the Papal govern
ment in 1870, three entire families, some
of the Oldest in the city. have been com
pletely wiped out-grandparents. parents
brothers and sisters, cousins and nieces
nephews and uncles and aunts-the Scar
himself on neighbor i'm the fields on the
street or IN mans or woman's castle
the home, and all houses are provided with
means of fertilization, secret corridors and
trap doors
Victims of hatred or the prizes of rob
berry are killed, MANNED or tortured. A
house goes up In flames and half dozen
urchins with it-who cares? Next day
friend of the murdered family shoots
tho nQrnptra Tors
wherever he finds them or traces them.
The authorities are powerless for no citi-
zen of Artena will bear witness against
another. Vengeance is nine" says the
mountain hero or heroine, and no matter
how convincing the proof furnisher, his
or her obstinacy of denial Is greater.
have Just attended a session Of the assizes
at Artena. The whole town knew that
young Ottavi saw his father murdered by
Jegado. Did he bear out the public prose-
cutor? Not a word from his sealed lips.
His sisters, his mother, also direct or in
direct witnesses, were equally silent but,
having returned 10 Rome. ! read In the
Trbuna a dispatch saying that Jegado' $
house was broken into night before last,
and that the murderer and family of three
small children were bound to the bed,
drenched with kerosene and slowly roast
ed to odeath-perpetrators unknown.
Murder is avenged by murder In Artena,
as was uOHe LOT centuries past IN MONTE
fortino. Whoever testifies against red
handed scoundrel risks his own life. Ha-
tired. Jealousy. petty squabbles lead TO
new murders, for the citizen of Artena is
Unstable, excessively vain, morbidly irrita-
BILE, and loves revenge above all things.
After 1870 the new government resolved
60 break up the time honored robber nests
and Mortefortino in particular was given
a strong judicial administration. Schools
were erected and the greatest severity was
exercised in carrying out the existing laws
and enforcing respect for them. As a con-
sequence few hundred of the inhabitants
had to be taken In charge at once and
shipped to the county seat. where they
were confronted with their judges, a cage
having been bbilt FOR every twelve prison
ers. Whole families were then deported
but crime did not diminish in the least.
The new city OF Artena soon had as bad a
name as the Montefortino of old.
Just before Pletro Accirito heaped new
criminal renown upon his native city by
taking a hand az regicide, a royal official
was fouliy murdered in Artena, and
though many are undoubtedly In the se-
cret of his taking of II Is impossible to
gain one particle of evidence assuring con-
viction. 1t happened in this way: About a
year ago the letter-carrier of the city was
deposcd aud another. younger man, sent
from Rome 70 take his place. The wife Of
the former, ~ hne-looklng woman, went
about the city bewailing the misfortune
and Offering proof that her husband had
been unlawfuly dismissed. Finally she de-
clared that she had made a vow 10 the
Holy Virgin to wear black dress In the
Easter procession, which meant certain
death 10 the new letter-carrer. or course
the people Of Artena saw the point OF this
talk. and when the young woman appear
ed, April 1s. among 300 others clad in white,
and singing and praying In the process
sion. behind the cross and holy vessels. no
body in town doubted that the government
would soon have 20 send a second post
man 20 that district.
The blasDhemous woman not only wore
the unconventional dress. but instead Of
the candle and flowers carried an unlight-
ed torch IN her hand. wound with Grape
The following Monday, April 26, the let
ter carrier was found dead In the road
leading from VolmontOne 10 the mountain
town. He had been shot through the head
and dagger stuck in his heart All
money aud valuable letters carried were
gone. There are only surmises as 10 the
murderer or murderers. and these say
that the man was shot down by Maria's
lover, and that she, to make sure or fol-
lowing an impulse Of cruelty. plunged the
knife into him.