Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-19

OF the socict- we're ir eyeT-- market collect
ing toll from the butchers, the fruit ven1-
ers, the vegetable Te!disrs, the flower
girls. The men OF the CaClOrTa stood on
the quays when the fi@hboats came in and
collected toll on every ca1oh. At the Gus
tom houses when goods kece entered they
demanded and received bIackmail on ey-
cry package. They called daily at tho
wineshCps TO collect q percentage on the
days business, and WOO TO the innkecpcr
who sought to conceal the amount of his
daily receipts, for the spies of the Camorra
were everywhere, and an attempt to de-
fraud its collectors meant death from the
stilettO. They watched the gaming houses
and demanded their dues az the end of ev-
cry game. The houses Of III fame did not
escape 4 daily exaetion, for to this infa-
NOUS organization the price OF dishoEor
was as valuable rs any Other ElaCkTal.
So extensive became its operations, so
dreaded were is agents in Naples ard
Rome, that il was greater than the gov
eminent. All classes belonged to iu, the
entire population contributed TO its treas
ary, ard 50 powerful was it that more
than orce in political emergencies the
Ncapolitan kings employed its agents 70
restore public order when the legal force
OF the state was not sufficient for the task.
1t was even asserted that more than one
king belonged to it, and there was 10
doubt that among the cOUrtiers there were
many who were either mclnbors CT tho
order or profitcd by its exactions.
Between 1910 and 1873 the society be-
came 80 bold that simple blackmail was
too tame. and its members resurteG TO
open robbery and murder. Every street
Of Naples and Rome was beset day and
night by the CamOrr;l, the mCmber5 hay
ing code of signals by which they COM
municated with each other. They worked
in gangs. y new like n cat indicated the
approach of the police, q COCK crow that of
Il benighted pedestrian, long sigh showed
that IL was NOS safe to attack the stranger,
a snceze signified that lie was not worth
attacking, and the chanting of an Ave Ma
ria was "A signal TO pOunce upon the prey.
Robbery il the streets by day As well as
night became the commones6 of occur
rencos. The finding of dead body III the
morning was hardly noticed, saye 10y the
police. The society became so bold that
in pure shame the government was COM
PEELED to make some effort at its suppress
sion. The disturbed condition of politics,
however. throughout Italy from 1913 I'M
til 1860 prevented the success of the weak
and tremulous efforts at the suppression
of the society, and until 1862 it was an
open question in Italy whether the Ca
mora or the government was the stronger.
\ vigorous pursuance of the policy of sup
preston mas put y Stop ia ii!S SiTCtJ opera
tons and house to house visitGtions, al
though the society survives in the prisons
of the peninsula, and occasional assassina-
tons, otherwise unexplained, are still Go-
credited to its agents.
The Malta is Sicilian society, institut
ed, like the Camorra, foT purposes OF rob-
berry, hlackmail and muir The Malta |
owes its existence to the misery, ignorance |
and yiciousress Of the Sicilian population.
Z If
been the victims of q merciIeSs system of |
alien and nonresident landOwneriSm.
Landowners residing IN Rome, Naples |
and elsewhere in Italy iEtrus6 the man |
agement Of their estates 20 local CverSeers |
or agents, who extuTt from the miserable |
renters every possible penny in the way of |
rcnt; q government equally greedy takes |
most of the remainder in the shape of taxes, |
and, work as he may, the Sicilian peasant |
is unable By inccssant and artluous toll to |
accumulate enough to leave the country. |
The present organization is said by |
HCckcthurn to be of no earlier origin than |
1889, when Mazzini made his appearance /
IL sicily as an a2itatOr and formed secret |
societies among the banditti and drcgs of |
tho popuiacC, calling these organizations
OhiOniCa, from two Latin words-oSelus, |
A spit. and nice. bcckon, the word mean
ing i bCckon with spit" the spit of
course being the dagger. In this society
here was al inner circle, which Mazzini
organized fer purposes of government and
lcuominat..l its members the Malta, from
The initial letters of the following words:
Mazzini autorizza furti incen0i avvclena
meuti" (Nazzini authorizes thefts, arson.
So powerful d:d the Malta become with
In the next ten years after Nazzini's or
ganization was perfected that it was the
real government of Sicily. More feared
han even CamCrra, 1t VAS all powerful
in the island An idea Of the oxtont OF
is membership may lie gained from the
testimony elected at al investigation by |
The government in 1876, made in conse-
luCnca OF the abduction Of an English
gentleman uarnod Rose. who was carried
If into the interior by bandits and fo-