The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-25
IN THE HANDS OF THE MAFlA.
From the Traveller.

COPAS VIII tel you LIldl the days or
romance are gone, never to return; but
my strange experience in Venice. in
| the winter season of 1894, changed my
| opinion on the subject once and for all.
l had at that time a business COM
mission in the larger towns of Italy,
and from Verona I was going on to
| Venice. In my compartment was n
| young Italian-a rather nasty looking
| fellow, clad in a curious green travel
ing cloak. We did not speak to one
another, and as Il was very cold,
curled myself no in my corner and
went to sleep, wishing inwardly that 1
hai had the forethought to bring
nice warm overcost with me like that
of my companion.
When l awoke we were apparently
nearing Venice, and I was the only &C.
| cupant OF the carriage. Where the
| Italian had got out 1 did not know,
Lut, curiously enough, he had left his
| cloak behind him. 1t was a new gar
nient, warmly lined and 1 slipped it
over my shoulders, intending to hand
IL over to the officers at Venice. Ten
minutes later the train steamed into
the station, and / tumbled out to look
alter my luggage. There Were a good
! many people in the train, and in my
eagerness l quite forgot that I was
wearing cloak which did not belong
10 me, and which ought to hand over
forthwith to the lost property office.
| OUTSIDE the station there were the
usual crowds of persuasive gondoliers
plying for hire, and the whole scene
was one of hustle and confusion. 1t
| was now late at night, and the lights
OF the station, reflected in the inky
black water, had wierldly picturesque
! erect. Presently a gondolier came
toward me, gave me searching glance
which took me in from head to foot,
and then inquired, with a courtly bow,
II, he might have the honor of taking
the signor to his hotel. I signified my
assent, and in few moments my few
belongings and myself were more or
less snugly slowed away. With a few
deft strokes my gondolier drew clear of
the crowd at the station, and we were
presently gliding down the broad
! bosom of the Grand Canal.
| The night was cold and there was a
kind of damp freshness in the biting
| wind which sighed across the lagoon,
1nstinctively / drew my cloak closely
round me, and then realized with a
| jerk that I had quite forgotten to de-
liver it up to the railway officials.
How forgetful of me-" thought. But
never mind! I will send a messenger
from the hotel with it tomorrow morn
ing"
The ancient palazzo. now turned into
a plebeian hotel, at which / had en-
gagged rooms, was situated on a side
canal some little distance from the
Grand Canal, and we were presently
threading a maze of narrow waterways,
lit only by twinkling lamps which
threw struggling lines of light across
fx,1v1 Ali.
lutely quiet, for Venice is indeed a ST.
lent city when night falls on the scene.
| Occasionally, but very rarely, gon-
dola would cross our path, and every
now and then there came the monot-
onous chant of my gondolier, as we
neared point where the canal branch
ed off. "Sa sta!" he would chant as
we turned to the right; "sa premi!"
as we dived into some devious water
way to the left; while, if we were
keeping straight on, 'lungo chi" rolled
across the waters from his lips.
| It seemed to me that we were taking
rather a long time to reach the hotel,
| but as had not been in Venice before,
did not like to say anything. Pres
emily, however, the gondola ran along
side a sort of decayed stone quay, above
which lowered a closely shattered
house, evidently of considerable an
| tiquity.,
Surely this is not the Hotel --?"
| cried, in surprise: 1T looks more
| like some dungeon"
The gondolier bowed low. cit is not,
signor." he said; "the hotel is down the
| passage to the left, and I will do my
self the pleasure of conducting your
excellency thither."
He stepped off the gondola, tossed a
| loop of rope over a stone projection,
and led me toward a narrow passage,
which I had not noticed. At the far
end of this alley l saw a twinkling oil
lamp, which my guide assured me was
the light of the, Hotel -. Inwardly
1 cursed the friendly Italian merchant
at Verona who had recommended me
to such a miserable place.
Suddenly, without the slightest warn
ing, I felt something slipped over my
head. I heard a few muttered COM
mands, and then felt myself being
carried by strong arms.
| l could not see, l could hardly
breathe; but I realized at once that I
was the victim of an outrage. And the
memory of all the crimes which have
occurred in this vast network of silent
| waterways and ancient houses surged
into my brain until felt sick with ter
ror.
Presently I was laid down none too
gently, on a bench. Then came the
shutting of door, and silence. tried
to rise to my feet, but during the
brief period 1 had been carried along
my captors had contrived to bind me,
so that 1 now found it impossible to
move. My thoughts at this time
were none too pleasant. I realized
that If / never left my prison no one
would be very much the wiser, and the
reflection did not make me feel any
more comfortable.
I was not left to myself for long.
Presently I heard footsteps close to
me, the cover over my head was torn
off, my footstraps removed, and l was
led from the room by a weird looking
figure in a mask and hood. He bore an
uncomforta BILE resemblance to a men,
Der of the Spanish Inquisition.
We, emerged into brilliantly light
ed room, filed to overlooking with
men, all clad in the same somber garb
of mask and hood. AS my gaoler drew
me in a kind of muffled roar went up
from the assembly, and those nearest
to me shook their fists in my face.
Suddenly a tall man at the far end Of
the room moved toward me, the others
making way for him respectfully.
For a moment he gazed earnestly
| into my face. Then he turned angrily
to my gaoler. What, in the name of
! heaven, does this mean?" he Kissed.
You have brought the wrong man."
Instantly CONSERVATION reigned in