The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-25
@Sicily's Oily Bandit Kings


lied staff, or, to be correct, still have one for
the number caught represents but small per-
centage of his sympathizers the authorities
themselves admit that.
A strange parody on the sovereign state
Barsalona manages his subjects far more auto
cratically than Rome, but, unlike Rome, he has
no trouble about enforcing his DEGREES.
Five years ago he established for Palermo
and Girgenu an income tax based on the gov
ernments own tax lists, as corrected and aug
mented by the bandits personal efforts For
instance rich land owner at Prizzi cheats
the state out of 1900 francs taxes annually. Il
demand only one-fourth of what you give Gaze
sar," said Barsalona to him, 800 francs per an
But be to add to the amount the
1500 francs withheld from the Roman" That
six years ago, and Barsalona has collected
the 1000 francs with clock-like regularity ever
since.
The taxes are gathered in by the bandits
agents unless the taxpayer prefers to deposit
the gold at certain stipulated places. Cor con-
venience sake, Barsa1ona accepts yellow
boys on1y.) If the tax is not promptly forth
coming, Barsalona duns his creditors in per-
son. performing the agreeable duty in lenient
and good-natured spirit once or twice; If he
comes in vain the third time he usually takes
ear or part Of a nose along 'by way of
warning others"
A former boozkeeper acts secretary of
state to Barsalona, looking after his correv
spondence and also investigating claims for re-
duction Of taxes and things of that sort. I'm
necessary to say that the secretary" is an ex-
perienced blackmailer and thief Once, and
never again, he went so far as to steal
from his master. For that reason he has only
one thumb left. The other he ate at Barsa-
lona's dictation-frend in butter and 'smoth-
ered'' in onions and garlic.
1t is Barsalona's boast that he protects his
subjects far more radically and satisfactorily
than Rome ever claimed to do. In Palermo and
Girgenti not chicken be stolen without
Bersalona's consent, and if it happens to be
done he either gets the chicken part of the
thiefs skin.
Your correspondent interviewed some Of the
land owners and farmers under arrest all Of
whom acknowledged the bandits perfect man
agement of affairs.
HE made us pay dearly" said the Marquis
de Cordova, ''but then wives and children.
all of us, could not go into the forest or visit
the mountains without fear Of being held up
and carried off to disgrace and torture All we
had to do on meeting cutthroat was to show
Barsalona's pass or give the sign. If the gov
eminent could work such a boon it would be as
popular Barsalona himself is
Another prisoner said that Barsalona was
most unhappy about the life he was leading.
IF it hadn't been for that sip Of my brothers
blood that I took off his wound when he was
dying would have made peace with the gov
eminent long ago: But that mouthful OF fra
ternal blood still courses in my veins and eggs
me to deeds of violence.
1t is maintained however, that Barsalona is
not bloodthirsty tiger and that he kills and
mains only those deserving such a fate" or
when his safety calls for harsh meas
ures The above is hot-blooded, southern bandit
philosophy Of course. The Palermo states at
torney has records of over one thousand ears
and noses, wholly or partially removed by Bar
saona's own hands-he is very skilful with the
knife, they say-and some Italians shud-
der at the story Of his execution Of a traitor
and his wife.
The said traitor" had endeavored % win the
10000 francs the government offered for Barsa-
lona's arrest, but his scheme miscarried, and
instead of Barsalona two gendarmes bit the
dust When a week later, the traitor and
his wife were returning home from work they
were wounded in the back by bird shot and fell
to the ground. AS they tried to raise them