The western recorder., 1898-07-21
Gorxc NoRru.
rwo ROMAN sRIoAND rALEs.
~ vssses q rival a.d shs ssrDsas,
Of s1enor Ronann.


~ vssses 81 Tsvsai sad shs ssrDsass
Of s1gner Itsmann.
PrigRnds have begun to appear again
n fhs Roman Campagna. and reports
Of the robbery Of persons taking trips
autside the city walls are becoming
common. A young widow. well known
n society at Rome, has been the VIC
fiTr Of an embarrassing adventure In
Consequence. She went for days out
ing to Tiyoli. accompanied By . gal
Innt .cayairy oflcer. who had been
sho lost the last train back to Rome
After hunting around for some time
hcr companion succeeded In finding On
cad,fnshioned postchaise and man to
drive. fhey started late at light. but
after = few miles were stopped on the
highway by flve men, who demanded
.fheir purses and watches. Unfortu-
hpteiy the oficer undertook to resist.
This langored the brigands. and. after
qverpowering him. they stripped tho
two travellers Of every scrap Of clothing
and put them In the chaise ard ordered
them to drive on. They reached the
city gates at O'Clock at night, ana
there wsro inspected by the custom
house oficers, who. after making sure
that they were coucealins nothing con-
traband on their persons, kindly pro-
vjced them with q few Indispensable
garments. Gossips got hold Of the
story. and now the unlucky widow IL
known In Rome as the Venus Of IT,
Eoli." A different story comeo from
Grosseto. In the swampy lands near tho
soa. on the railroad between Rome and
Leghorn. Grosseto lately had water
works and an aqueduct constructed. but
differences arose between the town a'i-
thorities and the contractors ms to the
quality Of the work. and commission
vas appointed to settle the difficulty.
with 6isnor Romanin, deputy In pariia-
ment. as chairman. signor RomanIn.
with the other commissioners. two an
Einecrs. and some 1aborers. the party
OF thirteen persons, set out
one nne morning to inspect the nque-
duct. They had entered path six feet
ride running between the aqueduct
and the River ombrone. when they no.
aja)sRfy-7la1au " n n. -dnuhle-har-'
relied gun some distance ahead. When
they got near him he brought the gun
to his shouIder and quietly asked them
to get together 1000 lire at once or he
would IRE. The commission nearly
tumbled over backward. but as no ono
showed any inclination to fight. diplo-
macy was brought into play and an Of
far Of 400 lire was made. The brigand
eoyeyer, treated the offer with scorn.
''fou are very flne gentlemen" said he
10 Romanin. "one Of the deputies who
steal miIlions. Fork out what you have
about you. otherwise wont give you
time to say Hall Mary" The depu-
" hastily poured out the contents Of
his pocketbook on the path and was al
lowed to go to the rear. One commits
pionsr after another was then called out
70 do the name. but the laborers were
spared. The party then withdrew q
fey hundred yards back and. turning
around. saw the robber shake out their
pocketbooks and take the money. "Not
even 1000 lire (szoo) in the whole pack,
barely 75p. am ashamed to have had
anything to do with you'll" he shouted
At them. turned his back on them and
Foon disappeared in the swamp thick
fts. The commissions then wnnt back.
picked UP Its emptied pocketbooks. and
returned to Crosseto. refusing 10 con-
iinue the inspection of any more OF
that aqueduct.