The record-union., 1898-11-11
A FAMOUS BANDIT.
Corbeddu's Career in Sardinia Like
Dick Turp1n's.

Corbeddu's Career in Sardinia Like
Dick Turpin's.
Not long ago described the death OF
the famous Sandman brigand, Cor
beddu, who was killed in fight with
the carabineers. A complete history
of his career is now obtainable. II is
interesting for it's Dick Turpin-like cpl
sodes. Corbeddu was no ordinary brl-
gand. He did not go about shooting
poor fishermen or muleteers for sne
sake of the few lire they might nave
in their pockets, but he carried on MS
profession in manner so distinguished
as to make him the king Of the Sar-
dinian outlaws. He was born IN 1914
at Oliena, in Sardinia, Of a weH-to-do
family, and until called to do military
service he lived an agricultural Ii1e
He took part in the capture OF Rome
in 1870, but while stationed with the
Bersaglieri regiment, which then form
ed part Of the Rome garrison, his pred
atory instincts awakened. Having
heard that a certain priest was wealthy,
he, with an accomplice, made false
key and entered the priests house. 10
the great surprise of the robbers, the
priest was at supper. They seized ana
bound and gagged him and stole l,5oo
lire from his bureau The authors OF
the crime were never discovered until
Corbeddu in after years boasted OF his
achievement.
After returning to Sardinia from his
military service Corbeddu was repeat
edly tried for cattle stealing, until one
day he failed to answer to summons
and took to the hills. At this point
began his celebrated exploits. First,
with an armed band, he stole a sum
of money from house at Lula in lSS2.
The same year he and other outlaws
killed and robbed a man at SanVero
Mills. In 1884 he fought and nearly
killed a carabineer at Fonni. In 1850
he. with some companions, killed
carabineer and nearly killed an inspec-
tor and another carabineer at Oranl,
and stole a sum of 14,OOO lire. Next
year he robbed the post, and deprived
Count Spadh, who was in the diligence,
of his watch, rings, gun and big boots.
The big boots Corbeddu afterward wore
in honor of his exploit. IN 1891 he
robbed and killed wealthy man at
Borore. Many other crimes were put
down to him or were committed by
minor brigands under his orders. Re-
wards amounting in all to $4,000 lire
were offered for his capture, but IN
vain
His most famous exploit was not the
capture, but the liberation of two
Frenchmen, NM. Pralle and Patty, who
had been seized and held to blackmail
by other brigands. Their capture gave
rise to violent campaign in the whole
French and Italian press against the
| condition of the Sardinian police, and
Signor Crispi, who was then Premier,
ordered the authorities in the island
to nberate the two Frenchmen at all
costs. All the carabineers were mobil-
ized and the telegraph officers worked
night and day, though without discov-
ering the prisoners. AT last sub-pre-
| feet named Marongin appealed to Cor
| beddu by means of one of his friends.
The sub-prefect and the brigand had
an interview, in which the official prom
| ised Corbeddu anything he might wish
ON condition that he would get the Ital-
ian Administration out Of a bad scrape.
Corbeddu at once accepted the task of
liberating the Frenchmen, and within
twenty-four hours they were delivered
safely into the hands of the authorl-
ties. Corbeddu's professional pride was
so great that he would accept neither
| the 10000 lire reward offered him nor
| a free pardon, nor any other compen-
sation, considering himself sufficiently
| paid by having done in twenty-four
| hours what Minister, projects and an
army of cara abineers had been unable
| to accomplish.
| From that time he gave up his mur-
derous expeditions and enjoyed in peace
| the fruits of his robberies. He kept
herds of COWS and pigs and fiocks of
sheep and goats. He lived in a cave
on an almost inaccessible mountain
peak, to which the path was known
only to himself and his brother. The
cave was separated from the path by
precipice, over which Corbeddu pass
ing the trunk after him into the cave.
On one occasion a daring thief discov-
cred Corbeddu's hiding place and rob-
bed him of a quantity of the stores he
had accumulated. He would frequent
ly surprise the mouf1on hunters and
show them the best district in which
to look for game. Though a Sardin-
ian, he almost always spoke Italian,
and manifested great disdain for the
other outlaws, whom he called guasta-
mestieri, or trade spoilers" Lately
he seems to have got into the bad
books of the carabineers, by whom he
was killed after hard fight some three
weeks ago.-Rome correspondence Lon
| don Post