Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-16
Ths Story Tel'er.
VALSAVOIA
The Story Of a Sicilian
Bandit.

The journey from Palermo to Cir
genti Is one Of the most beautiful rides
in Sicily. For miles the road runs be-
sides long forests Of dark green trees
lighted by red and yellow lanterns oi
lemons and oranges.
And It Is as much feast for the
mind as for the eyes, this fabulous
NEUROLOGICAL country Of Virgil ano
Ovid. In the crevices Of whose noun
tains Vulcan forged his thunderbolts;
a land where the gods carried away
their goddesses and where giants, con-
cealed in grottoes, lay In wait fol
strangers whom they might devour;
country where brigands, worthy OF the
name, still live.
"The truth is," said my neighoor
an engineer on his way to Girgenu
whom / had questioned on the subject
of the reputed brigands Of Sicily, tine
truth is that there are malefactors here
as In every other country. Misery Is
terrible in Sicily here as elsewhere II
is a bad counsellor. There are plenty
of poor devils who will not stop al
anything to get hold Of little money
But there are
"Bandits?"
IF You choose to call them so; but
isolated bandits. They do not work to-
gether, nor are they any longer the re-
doubtable chiefs Of former times"
Nevertheless, at Palermo" replied,
/ heard a great deal Of a certain VAL
savoia-"
1T Is not the same thing" said my
companion. Besides, what you heard
OF was the Mafia.
"The two are not to be confounded'
The people of the Malta are those who
place no confidence in our judges and
consequently become their own law
makers. 1t is justice made more just
more speedy.
Every man, whatever his situation.
may have in his life an injustice or an
insult which he burns to revenge. Ger
tain men are so constituted that they
are Obliged to satisfy their vengeance
Immediately. This depends on the tenn
permanent, the climate. the race and the
blood.
Now, supposing the man who has
taken his revenge is suspected. accused
and arrested, he will, be glad indeed,
will he not, to find witness who Will
testify before the magistrates that at
the hour Of the crime, the accused
criminal was somewhere else?
Accordingly, service for service.
Sooner or later the murderer in his
turn will furnish an alibi for the man
who formerly helped him. And as
these people who thus aid each other
belong to all classes, you can easily
understand that the foundations OF
the Mafia, are laid in the very heart OF
society, which is the reason that moth
ing has ever been able to destroy the
association.
"An the stories which you may have
heard at Palermo of private revenge.
kidnapping and captures in the noun
tains, are merely instances OF the Ma
fla. But the foreigner has nothing to
fear, although, Of course, realize that
the Mafia is made to take the blame OF
certain outrages committed by the iso-
lated bandits OF whom / spoke just
now. It is inevitable that such should
be the case"
l listened with deep interest, and as
the stranger paused asked eagerly:
But did not this Valsavoia kill q
foreigner not long ago. Danish gen.
tleman, the Baron de Sehrdrupp?"
"Yes, know it." he admitted. but
the baron's pocketbook was found un-
touched, which proves conclusively
that the murderer did not kill to rob,
but that he acted, in this instance
again. for private vengeance"
Does any one know who this Valsa-
voia is?" / persisted. Some say that
he is a brigand by profession and 9TH
ers that he is an ex-oficial who has
been the victim of much injustice"
81 have heard" and my companion
spoke as If scoring each word. Il have
heard that he was an inhabitant Of
Caltagirone, and that he suddenly dis
appeared from there about two years
ago. after serious domestic troubles.
What others have told me on the sub
ject would suit this hypothesis very
we'll.
1T is long story, a story full OF
brigands, as they say in your country,
and one that would not interest you.
What? Certainly, II you really care
about 1t.
"Armando Nitopi, the man who dis
appeared, lived in a pretty little villa
between Caltagirone and San Michele
di Ganzarria. He was about forty
years old, kind hearted, held in much
esteem by his neighbors and comforta-
bly, wealthy.
"He had been married for ten years,
a marriage Of love, for his wife,
young girl Of Lentini, had brought him
no dowry but her beauty. They had no
children.
"Signora Niopi had two brothers
named-wait, what were their names?
-ah yes, Filippo and Vincenzo. They
were bachelors and lived a free and
easy life at Catano without working at
any particular business. 1t was said
that they acted as guides for tourists
who wished to ascend Etna, during the
summer season.
1T happened thus that two years
ago they were attached to a rich tour
ist, whose money they were expert in
spending. All of Catano was known to
them. every haunt where a foreigner
might be induced to scatter gold freely
"One evening when they were agree
ably employed in this manner the man
whom they were with demanded to be
presented to the young woman he had
seen with them on the Piazza Stesi-
coro. The two guides refused. The
woman was a relative-was, in fact,
their sister who had come with Ar
mando to make some purchases in Ca
tano.
The stranger did not insist. He
continued to live gayly with the two
young men, playing heavily and induc-
ing them to play also. One night Fill