The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-22
Dread Name Profitable.

DICttu 1<d1llC TTOl1lStUlc.
Mr.. Speranza said that except this
| society of Palermo there are none of
any consequence, and what these are
might be included in a few scattered
and unattached gangs Of thieves and
! cutthrOats. In other words, he main
tanned that there was no such thing
as the Malta outside of the band Of
criminal politicians which he de-
| scribed. Perhaps there is not, in the
strictest meaning Of the word. But it
| is certain that there are operating in
the United States and in other coun-
| tries bands of criminals who use the
word Malta to terrOriZe and who find
the employment of it very profitable.
One who has seen the Italians in
their native country or has seen them
in the tenement districts Of the east
side of the metropolis, can understand
the reason for such an institution as
the Malta. The origin of such a
band is not difficult of cOmprehen-
sion. The southern Italian is pc
culiar. He Isl passionate and flares
up when insulted. But the anger does
not cool with the day, nor the month,
nor the year. If the insult cannot be
punished, or the wrong righted at the
time given, he waits He does not
seek simply justice, such as might be
obtained thru the courts, but he wants
revenge. Hence he bides his time,
and some morning his enemy is found
dead.
| Among the people at large there is
a spirit of the Malta in that they hest
tate to recognize the law. The origin
of that spirit dates back to the wrongs
Of the native Italians thru centuries of
injustice. Ruled for centuries by
foreign powers which oppressed and
despoiled them, the Sicilians came to
formed rude societies for. their own
protection. Being unable to gain a
livelihood in legitimate way, or to
raise sufficient money to WELD inf1u-
ence they SO sorely needed in those
terrible times, they robbed and plum
: dered and murdered and applied the
torch until the name Of their band
spread terror.
Sustaining a Reputation.
The criminal class may be com.
,, posed of low foreheads which con.
ceal slowly operating minds, but
these same men are quick to under.
word which, like 1.-The Black Hand,
or '"The Malta" intimidates. There.
, fore the criminal Italians in many
lands have adopted these strange
signs and with them pursued their ne.
farious work, trusting mainly to the
fear Of their victims, but being bruta
; enough to make way with them ir
case they disobey the imperative de-
/ mands for money. Such murder serves
t a twofold purpose; it is punishment
, for the offender and it increases the
fear of the order.
When the word Malta became cur
( rent is problematical. Some say |
comes from the word "mafusia,
: meaning perfected, and others that i
Y had it's origin in the cry Of the Sicil
[ians in 1882 when some French wer,
f killed at Palermo, "Morta allie Fran
) cese Italia anello!' death to tn,
< French, Italy's cry.) The initial let
Y tiers spell Malta
Like the Nihilists.
4 Very like the Malta, the Anarchists
: the Camorri, the Nihilists and othe
8 old-world secret societies, exist in tn
z same lawless way. In Russia ever,
= ment is invariably accompanied by al
3 extraordinary number Of fires. Thu
: in one summer alone $500 were of
!, ficially reported to have occurred ii
: ST. Petersburg, Orenburg, KosloM
= Irketsk and Urlask destroying prop
! erty to the amount of $4,000, 90
: roubles. Only 900 of these fires wer
: properly accounted for and the re
manning 1900 were proved to be Q
incendiary and, in many cases, Q
nihilist origin. The police were un
: able to prevent these fires. Sma
:, wonder then that when two wealth
~ st. Petersburg merchants receive
i anonymous letters from the terroris
n executive committee demanding som
8 forty thousand and fifty thousan
Il roubIes respectively, and threatenin
s, them with the destruction of thei
~ nr0perty bv fire and even with deaf