The Sunday globe., 1901-07-07
AN ITALIAN SPY
Tells a Thrilling Story of a Prince
Who Was Crooked.
HIS RELATIONS WITH BRIGANDS
Led The Police 10 Tho Lair, but The AuthOrl-
lies Bungled The Business and the BrgandS
Succeeded in EsCaplng-An Interesting
Storh Which Details Crime, Romance,
and Many Startling Disclosures.

Antonio Princi, who a few days ago
was brought to a hospital in Naples
suffering with sciatica, is notorious as
having been once the companion of,
and afterwards a spy on the notorious
brigand Musolino, and for having been
wounded in an encounter wilA the car
abineers in Calabria last February.
AS boy he lived with his widowed
mother at Africo, near Reggie. He
served in the army in 1897, and return.
ed home in 1899. He is now twenty
four years old. A reporter on the Cor
riere di Napoli visited him in the hos
pital the other day and learned the
following particulars;
Princi was acquainted with a police
constable named Weuzel One day
they began to talk Of the brigand, of
whom Weuzel was in chase. Princi
knew Musolino well, ana told the con.
stable that the brigand had been
good saver, that his father, two sis
ters and a brother formed the family,
and that Musolino had rather stoop-
ing shoulders Weuzel told him that
he might be of great service to his
country, and proposed to HIM the Office
OF spy. Princi consented; they went
| to the prefect at Reggie, and he receiv-
eu the sum of fifty francs for current
expenses, with the promise of 10000
| francs and employment after he had
| fulfilled the task. The next day a ru-
NOR was spread at Africo that Antonio
Princi had been arrested, and was be-
lieved by every one.
Meanwhile, with the so francs and a
| revolver in his pocket, Antonio went
| by rail to Melito, and thence on foot
/ to RocCaforte, place often freQuented
/ by the brigand, where he liyeu well,
and his confidants and subordinates,
who practised camorra in his favor.
| Not finding Musolino at Roccaforte Ut
was on February 14th last), Antonio
| went back toward AfricO. There he
met with the brigand. Now, however
/ he almost repented of his task, and
suddenly asked Musolino whether he
had really been wrongly condemned.
The bandit coldly answered: "Of the
two attempted murders am innocent
only of one. Later on, wanted to re-
venge myself on those who bore wit
ness against me without ever having
seen me commit a crime. | want to
shed blood" The two then parted,
with the promise to meet again soon.
! Antonio went to Weuzel, assuring him
that the brigand would soon be cap
! tured, and, a few days later, kept the
| appointment he had made with Muso-
! limo. This time the latter was armed
with a rifle a revolver, and a dagger,
and was accompanied by one of his
men, also fully armed. After a short
conversation Princi left them, and the
| brigand went straight to Roccaforte,
| where he shot at a carabineer, whom
he believed to be a spy, and wounded
him slightly in the leg.
On March 18th, Princi again met the
brigand near San Leo, and made an
appointment to meet next evening in
the grotto of Mingivia, near the ceme-
terry of Africo. He then wrote to
Weuzel asking him to be on the high
road with a sufficient force at 8 p. M,
on the appointed evening. 1t was mid
night however, before Weuzel, accom-
panied by four detectives and three
carabineers, arrived at the spot, where
the spy was waiting for them. IF you
have enough courage" he said, "let us
go on" The others followed him, but
they gave sucn signs Of timidity that
he was obliged to reassure them by
saying that Musolino, after all, was
not a supernatural being, They reach
ed the grotto, and Weuzel told Princi
to go in and entice the brigand out
This was against the wish of the spy,
who thought it would be easier for the
whole party to enter the grotto and
| capture the brigands there. But he
had to obey Weuzels orders, and mean
while the latter placed his men in two
| parties, one on the high road and the
/ other behind a wall under an oak tree
Princi had almost reached the grotto
/ when he heard the cooking of guns,
and then perceived Musolino and an
other man aiming at him, he called
out, telling them not to fire. Musolino
( recognized his voice, and all went into
me grotto, the brigand reproaching
| him for coming so late. A little later
| the three came out and directed their
steps toward Africo, Musolino walking
| first. They passed the first party in
ambush, who did not move, and had
nearly reached the second party when
one Of the carbineers called out,
N, 40 goes there?" Musolino immedi-
ately fired, his companion followed
suit, the carabineers replied, and some
two hundred shots were exchanged.
Princi was wounded in the leg, fell,
rose again, emptied all the chambers
Of his revolver, and then ran away.
Musolino escaped with slight wounds
in the face and one hand. His com
panion also got away free. 1t was a
fight in the dark and among trees,
Princi was taken to the hospital at
Reggie, and in the course Of a few
weeks was dismissed cured. He de-
manded his reward, and received 1000
francs With this money he went to
America fearing, no doubt, the veng-
eance of Musolino, and returned quite
lately because of an illness he had con-
tracted. He says he is certain Muse
limo will always escape, for he is al
ways informed Of the movements OF
the police and troops, and will not
easily allow himself to be trapped.
And in fact. the "slim" brigand has
not vet been arrested