Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-07-17

Musolno is known to have stood up
to an enemy. as in all ether cases he
attacked by surprise and treason. Two
days after the duel at sunrise, while
ZocColi was opening the door of his
stable. he was shot at from behind a
fence. the ball whistling past few
inches from his head. His relatives,
who rushed out on hearing the eXplo-
sion, fired in their turn in the direc-
tion OF the fence, obHsing the assail-
ant. who was not alone, to escape to
the woods. but before disappearing he
cried, 1T will be for another time!
Every one recognized the voice of
Musolino, while his hat was found
near by. For six months he and his
principal accomplice, certain Fflasto,
were not to be found, but ultimately
they were arrested at night while
sleeping in a nelghboring village in
Musolinos aunt's house.
In September 1898, he was tried
but contrary to his expectations, prob
ably at the instigation of Zoccol his
companions in the Picciotteria did not
observe the rule of "omerta,' and wit
messed against him. Musolino was
furious at each new piece of evidence
brought forward, and when the SEN
tence, condemning him to 81 years of
hard labor, was pronounced, the mo-
ment was altogether tragic The sis
ter of Filasto, who was condemned
also, fell dead before the court and
MusOlino. in a paroXysm of rage,
shaking the bars of the dock, cried:
II shall come out and not a traitor will
remain. and then the flesh of man will
be sold like that of pig"
To those who may consider the
sentence too severe for an attempt at
murder it must be said that Musolino
had been already condemned seven
! times for different crimes, so that aC-
cording to the theories OF modern
| criminologists, he should have been
isolated for life to prevent further
evil doing.
Less than four months after the SEN
! tence, on January 9, 1899, before sun
! break he and three of his companions,
! including Filasto, succeeded in escap-
ing from prison through hole made
in the wall the three protective walls
about the Jail being scaled by means
of ladders made of sheets and the
Stats of their beds. His three com
panions were Eecaptured almost at
once, but Musolino walked 20 hours to
reach the thiCkest of the forest, where
he felt himself master and safe. His
| revenge began Immediately. Twenty
days after his escape he shot a woman
who was perfectly innocent, and seri-
ously wounded her lover, the latter
/ having witnessed against him. Twelve
days later he stabbed to death an old
companion, who had passed into the
employ of the police and was trying to
have him arrested. At short intervals
he fired at three spies" killing one,
and, as he said, warning" the others,
by wounding them in the legs, and
murdered the guard who had arrested
him
All these ferOCious crimes, accom-
plished within six months with great
r.
among the admiring people, so, It was
said, that he could count on the sym
patty of 100000 Calabrese against the
ever failing attempts of 500 men TO re-
capture him. AS is easily understood
Musolino's bitterest hatred was against
his capital enemy, Vincenzo zoccoli
He once tried to blow up his house
with dynamite; another time he set it
on fire with coal oil, destroyed his cat
tie and burned his crops, and never
succeeding in touching him personally,
killed his brother.
So he went on for two years and
eight months, giving proof of extra
ordinary resistance, as his safety con-
sisted principally in his ubiquity,
which, at night, meant changing cover
every two hours He would enter a
hut close the door, and, placing his
shoulders against it, sleep on the floor
with his gun between his knees, and
after two hours would change quar-
tiers, and so on. The police Carabfneers
and soldiers, were, however, in an even
more unenviable condition. as they
had to deal with the hostility OF the
population. When they approached,
the mountaineers shot their guns in
the air, the women sang refrains which
! echoed from mount to mount, and the
| dogs were made to bark, so Musolino
was informed of their presence several
| hours before his pursuers were near
his hiding place. The government
| promised a reward of $4,000 to any
one who arrested him, besides special
favor, decorations, help in local cleo
tions, etc, to nave assistance in iso-
lating the brigand, but without result
| Musolino demonstrated a considerable
| intelligence, which is why, according
| to Prof. Lombroso, he shows so few
| Of the physical characteristics Of the
| criminal, and proved what an exact
and profound knowledge he had Of the
| feelings of the people. whom he con
| quered entirely by a succession of ap-
parently generous actions, which con
, tributed to make him almost inyuIner.
able.