The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-10
THE MALTA IN ITALY.

| The case of PaliZZilo, the Deputy iron
Palermo in the italian parliament, wht
is now on trial at Milan charged will
completely in the ASA ssination of Sig
nor Notarbartolo, President Of the Banl
of Sicily, may not, after all, bring tt
light the entire working machinery Of
the famous Malta of which Palizzolo Is
one of the leaders But, while waiting
for the final developments of the trial
it is interesting to look at the Malta as
4 it stands.
What is the Malta? Well, in Sicily
it is substantially the same thing as the
Camorra in Naples. That is to say, II
is a vast association of criminals of all
ranks who live by extortion, robbery
and assassination and who also during
their leisure hours take a hand in the
political campaigns. To a certain extent
the thing may be set down as the free
masonry of evil The mafioso, who hap
pens to be an influential voter, works
sometimes for the Conservative candi-
date and sometimes for the candidate
of the opposition, provided the latter
pays the larger sum.
The strength of the association form
erly lay in the weakness of the Ital-
ian Government, which until now did
not dare to attack the formidable en-
trenchments of the Malta. Hence the
series of crimes of all sorts that. as a
rule, remained UNPUBLISHED. 1t is an
open secret that the Malta recruits it's
| followers even among the high placed
in the police. The other day police in
spector was arrested in court at Milan
Immediately after giving his testimony
in the Notarbartolo case. He was ac-
cused of destroying all the documentary
evidence proving the completely in the
crime of the Deputy Palizzolo. Exam
Piles of this sort have been frequent
enough in Sicily, especially during the
past twenty years.
The origin of the Malta is very an
cient, but like everything else, it has
gone through an evolution, In old times
the mafioso obeyed faithfully the fun
damental rule of the Malta enjoining
the protection of the weak especially
women But that is not the case to-
day. Generally speaking, the mafoso
is thorough bandit, living upon rob-
berry ready for every crime and all the
more to be dreaded because he believes
that he is certain to escape punish
ment. 1t frequently happens in Sicily
that men who have seen a murder COM
mitted remain practically silent before
the courts. The reason is that the Malta
Is concealed in court, and is bound to
punish every imprudent talker. From
time to time a member of the Malta
suspected of treachery is made away
with, and the police, the relatives and
the friends of the victim do not dare to
touch the case. 1t is simply put on
record and that is ALL
The deplorable poverty of Sicily has
a good deal to do with the extension of
the Malta. There is great distress in
the country and wages are extremely
low. The suffering is greatest in the
rural districts AS Prince Alexander
Tasca recently said, Italians join the
Malta for two reasons.-fear and per-
sonal interest '-fear on account of the
fact that the individuals who acquire
name In the Malta manage to surround
their careers with a legend of Grimm
al heroism sufficient to deceive the
masses, and interest because of the
condition of the Italian work
men. The peasant and the mechanic |
in Sicily can slave nothing of their |
earnings. They join the Malta in the !
hope of getting a share of the goods
that belong to others, and of obtaining /
stock in the syndicate of oppression |
and robbery.
AT the present moment the Malta is
90 powerful that it stands on equal /
terms with the Government in the add
of Justice. It's members
,ra recruito6 a,ppoo oil c1ovcoe of Sooio
~ 1t numbers among it's adopts mer-
,hants, Magistrates, landed proprietors,
Government officials, police officers,
high and low, and members of the Ital-
an Parliament. All this constitute
What is called the yellow Gloved Ma
Ia"
Recently Sicilian Deputy had the
mpudence to tell the Treasurer of Pa
ermo that the Malta was "a respectable
IT is not respected, it is
It least feared and that is all it cares
or. The police, unfortunately, when
lot actually enrolled in the association,
ind their hands tied by the Yellow
iloved Malta, including the Deputies
Who protect the thing. A yew years
go at Palermo the residence of a rich
'awnbroker was sacked Shortly after
ward the pawnbrokers establishments
we're robbed to the tune of ten million |
rancs. An investigation was made
which brought out that fact that the {
hief of the band of robbers was high {
unctionary in the Police Department. t
mother queer case occurrerd recently. [
he authorities of Palermo, after many {
distractions and difficulties, managed /
D capture a band of criminals and /
orgers, all, of course members of the l
Iafia. Their leader turned out to be a t
government official. He was simply q
uspended, but Immediately afterward '
e was appointed to another office. The |
candalous appointment naturally made L
ome little noise, but the thing was soon c
Everything is quickly for t
often in the happy land of Sicily. c
1t is notorious in Palermo that most q
the robberes in Sicily are committed
y the police, and Signor Felice, a S
icilian Deputy, only the other day re- j
erred to this lamentable fact in the c
allan Parliament. This shows the sx- o
mt of the moral malady which RACES |.
Sicily 1t is said that the Govern a
tent of Gen. Pelloux is at last deter .
lined to act with energy and to put b
n end to the crimes of the Malta This t
lsk will be difficult. The Malta will h
Ut go down without resistance. 1t is .
rong, thoroughly organized and COM e
i