The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-29
Blot Out Brigands
Fierce Men in
Sardinia Settled.


try. For years lawless men have ter
rorized peaceful residents in Sardinia,
but now they are practically exterminat-
ed, and it is believed that in a very short
time the last one viii either have fed
from the country or will be safe under
lock and key in Roman dungeon.
The leaders of these men were Michele
Moro, nicknamed ''Torracorte.' and Lib
erato Onano. Clever fellows they were,
as jovial as Robin Hood and as astute as
Mephistopheles. They plundered and
pillaged whenever an opportunity offered,
like any other vulgar cutthroats. but
/ they did not go out Of their way to kill
persons, and thus they managed TO pur-
sue their lucrative career for many years
undisturbed. The authorities went after
them in half hearted fashion on var
ious occasions, but they never succeeded
in entrapping the old bandits. Nay, IL is
said that the latter cunningly disguised.
acted as guides TO the soldiers on more
than one occasion, and led them more
than one wild goose chase.
Not until they captured a Frenchman.
NJ. Patty, and held him for ransom, did
the phlegmatic guardians OF the peace
really bestir themselves, and even then it
was not very difficult task for Moro and
his colleague 10 persuade them that they
were innocent as unborn babes, and that
the real culprit was one Corbuddu, an
other notorious robber. who came to his
deserved end recently by being killed in
battle in the mountains of Orgosolo
The outrages, however, increased so
much Of late that the authorities finally
determined 70 put a stop to them, and
as a. result Moro and several Of his col
leagues were captured and the district
which they had so long infested was once
more rendered habitable for law abid-
ing persons. A motley gang of male
factors they were. There were the two
chiefs themselves, sturdy. low-browed.
defiant fellows, not gigantic. like the
bandits of myth and legend but Of me-
dunn size. They took their capture
calmly-nay, they referred sardonicany
TO the great expense which the govern
ment had undergone for the purpose Of
trapping two very inoffensive men like
themselves.
Almost Of equal notoriety are the other
captured robbers. There is Francesca
Rubomo, a big, stout black bearded
ruffian, whose claim to distinction lies in
the fact that he is charged with having
killed five men and committed several
other crimes which are not sanctioned in
civilized society. He posed before the
court as an angel Of light, but his pleas
were Of no avail, and ne was promptly
convicted.
There is Giocanno Serrittu. a magister-
ial, infiexfble looking man, and evident
ly one whom no lover Of peace would
care to meet on a dark night. How many
crimes he has committed his Maker and
himself only know. His accusers tried
hard to find out, but finally they satisfied
themselves with bringing against him
two charges of homicide and one Of as
sault Then there IS Antonio Congiu.
dapper fellow and evidently a bit of a
dandy. Though yonger than the other
fellows. he has not been idle, as the court
records shows. From it we learn that
he has been charged with three rob
berries. three homicides, three assaults
and nine attempts at murder.
Next comes Ra:aeIe Gusai, a wild look
ing man with dishevelled hair and queer.
titanic countenance. He is charged with
having killed man, and, like the others,
he is now pursuing some peaceful avoca-
ton behind stone walls Two women
next claim our observation-disclosures Sierra
and Giuseppe Lunesu. Not very attrac-
tive looking ladies. though on the other
hand not very wicked looking. Antonio
is sister of the famous Serra-senna
brothers, who were also Bandits and who
were killed in battle some time ago. and
the charge against her is that she partici-
pated in the misdoings Of her brothers
and Of the other robbers Giuseppe IS
the sweetheart Of a bandit named Primo.
and, so far as can be judged. she is per
sonally innocent Of wrong-doing and is
only blameworthy because she associat-
ed with a gang OF malefactors.
Though Sardinia IS not a very rich
country these bandits made plenty OF
money. Moro and Onano. it is said. had
handsome bank accounts and also owned
large herds Of cattle. The others also
found the hazardous profession very lu-
crative. though they viii not gain much
in the end, as the authorities have natlIr-
ally swooped down on their fl-gotten
spells. Many have asked. Why did the
authorities not stop brieandase in Sar-
dina long ago7 To this question no ade-
quate answer has vet been given. but an
incident which occurred some years ago
throws some interesting light on this
point.
There was al that time in the Nuorese
district an INSCRIPTIONS brigand who ter
rided everyone for miles around. At last
his tyranny became 50 unbearable that
ten or a dozen young fellows determined
% capture him and 10 land him in jail
So they started in pursuit, and 1t was not
long before they found him. 4 stout re-
sistance he made. but It was ~ no avail
and. as he would not be taken alive. they
promptly killed him. Now. one would
think that these young men would have
been hailed a. heroes by their neizhbors
but exactly the contrary happened. In
meiiately on their return home they
were arrested by order az a rnseistrata
and n DE time were tried and con
demue5. Fortunately for them. there
were persons IN Rome who appreciated
what they had done and who saw ne
in-ouity Of their sentence and they
brought ne matter 20 the attention OF the
King. with the result that they were
Immediately nardoned-
This incident, even Il there were not
Others pointing n the same direction
shows as thai the hrigands have many
friends in their own district. and this
fact explains. az least in q measure. why
previous ATTEMPTS 10 caatrra chen, ts,a
been, as a rule futile Robin Hood. in
England, never ga AIRY harm 90 MS peo-
nelChhors neither did the Sandman