Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-07-29
THE HIDDEN RANSOM,
ssory Of an Amorioan's ESpss,..os /.
italy.
~ ?. A. mitchell.

e1atiou.l
Rowland Hin, q young American.
was walking one morning on the VIA
Caraccialo at Naples. On one hand
was the park. teeming with trouacal
pants, statuary and fountains. On
tne other were the waves Of the Med.
nerranean, splashing against the oea
wal that protects the street frOmI
tnetr encroachment Far out ON thu
nay the sun was shining on the hare
enveloped island Of Capri, casting a
white light on the water directly BE-
meath 1t. causing 1t to appear a II
residing on q sea Of silver.
But Rowland Hill. though an artist
thought nothing Of this. Hia mind
was occupied with misfortune which
mad happened him several years be.
Iore and which had separated him
nom the girl he loved. His head was
bowed. and he did not notice either
the beautiful scene or the people he
met. But suddenly one OF those stranaa
mental influences for which we cannot
account caused him to look up. His
eyes met those Of a man he immedt.
ately recognized and who recognized
him. Hill started; the man scowIed.
ain advanced a step, and the man put
his hand under his coat az II for a
weapon. then said in Italian:
II you inform the police you dep
On the other side Of the street two
men In cooked hats (such as the great
Napoleon woreD and long military
eloaks emerged from the park. They
were government policemen. HIN
made dash for them, and as soon -
his opponent took In the situation he.
too, ran like a deer. He was too late.
Hill pointed to him, the officers gave
chase, and he was captured.
who Is hep asked his captor.
Luigi Binetti?'
Great was the surprise Of the gov
eminent officials when they learned
that the most desperate bandit that
had ever infested the envlrons Of Ma
pies had ventured into the city, had
been recognized and arrested. His
capture was most interesting to the
man who had brought it about Row
land Hill 1--WE years before had gone
from America to Florence 70 study
art. His father had recently left him
$4,000. In Florence the young man
had met SIgnorina Blanca Fayart Of
an ariStocratic family, dwelling on the
ParcO Marguerhita, which climbs the
cliffs back Of Naples. To Naples he
followed her. proposed and was ac-
cepted
Hill was fond Of roaming and one
day while walking on a lonely road
near the village OF Casoria. not far
from Naples. was taken by the bandit,
Luigi Binetti. carried to the neighbor-
ing mountains and held a prisoner.
Meanwhile the bandit went TO Naples,
learned the exact amount OF his cap
tive's fortune and gave him the ch06ce
between turning 1t in as a ransom o.
death. Hin arranged for the CONVEX
sion Of his property into gold and In
transfer to the bandit. He returned
to Naples a free man, but he had lost
not only his fortune. but his love. 81
gnor Favari declined to permit hid
daughter to marry a penniless man.
From that day till be met his cap
tor on the Via Caraccialo the Ameri
can lived a wretched life, and. though
he did not know 1t, Blanca was equal
" miserable. The bandit was exc
cuted. But this only satisfied HilPE
craving for revenge. Before the eye
cution Luigi Binetti told his jaileE
that he had hidden in the cliffs behind
Castellamare. some fifteen miles South
of Naples, a treasure that be would
give him provided he would secure
him a pardon. The jaIler did not Be
lieve his story. but passed IT on to HI
later on.
Now, when Hill had been liberated
by the bandit a bandAge was taken
from his eyes, and be found himself
on the high rocks overlooking Castella'
mare from the south. The description
OF the place where the robber bad
claimed he had hidden the treasurC
corresponded with the spot where Hll
had been kept a captive. He had
walked or been carried bltndfOlded FOL
half a day from the place before being
liberated. He believed that the hid
den treasure was his own gold and tina
II was located In the neighbOrhOod d
Castellamare.
Hill searched the heights about Cas-
tellamare for weeks, when one morn
ing in a gulch some distance behin<
and far above the town be came to a.
excavation In the rock partly built n
IN its front that be judged might nav'
once been q Roman peasants abode
Ike a dash It came to him that II hA'
been the place Of his captivity. Win
70 he found scratched on the rock
wan a rude drawing Of an anvil. Kron
which pointed an arrow In q north
easteriy direction and the figures lOl
SEEKING at once the idea that this va
J : KEY to the hiding place Of the treas
: ure. he proceeded-the distance va
] leo paees-to q rock which bore som
: resemblance TO the drawing. DgSinl
iat in base. be soon came TO q nat sson
} beneath which glittered every dolla
of h4a "a nsOIu