The Echo register. (Echo, Umatilla County, Or.) 190?-1909, 1909-08-06
THE HIDDEN RANSOM,
Story Of an Americans Experience In
Italy.
BY =. A. mitchell.

iterranean, splashing against the sea
wall that protects the street from
their cncroachmcnt Far out on the
bay iie sun was shining on the haze
envelopcd island Of Capri. casting a
white light ON tho water directly bc.
meath IL. causing Il TO appear as If
resting on sea of silver.
But Rowland Hill. though nm artist.
thought nothing OF this. His mind
was occupied with Il misfortune which
had happened him several years be-
fore and which had separated him
from 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 strange
mental Influences for which we cannot
account caused him 10 look up His
eyes met those Of man he inmedl-
ately recognized and who recognized
him. Hill started: the man scowled.
Hill advanced step, and the man put
his hand under his coat as IL for a
weapon. then said In Italian:
IF YOU inform the police you dier'
On the other side OF the street two
men In cooked hats (such as the great
Napoleon worel and long military
cloaks emerged from the park Thcy
were government policemen. Hill
made dash for them, and rs soon as
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 WINS captured.
"Who is he?" asked his captor.
"Luigi Blnettir
Great was the surprise Of the gov
ernment officials when they learned
that the most desperate bandit that
had ever infested the environs of Ma
Piles had venturcd into the city, had
been recognized and arrested. His
capture was most interesting to the
man who had brought It about. Row
land Hill five years before had gone
from America TO Florence to study
art. His father had recently left him
$4,000. In Florence the young man
had met Signorina Blanca Favari Of
an aristocratic family, dwelling on the
Parco Marguerhlta. 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 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 prisoner.
Meanwhile the bandit went to Naples,
/ learned the exact amount Of his cap
tive's fortune and gave him the choice
between turning Il In as ransom or
death. Hin arranged for the conver-
sion Of his property into gold and Its
transfer to the bandit lie returned
to Naples free man. but he had lost
not only his fortune. but his love. 81.
gnor Favari declined TO permit his
daughter TO marry a penniless man.
From that day till he met his cap
tor on the Via CaraccIalo the AmerI.
can lived a wretched life, and. though
he did not know II. Blanca was equal
iy miserable. The bandit was exc
cuted. But this only satisfied Hlll's
craving for revenge. Before the exc
cution Luigi Rlnctti told his Jallcr
that he had hidden In the cliffs behind
castcllamare. some fifteen miles south
Of Naples. treasure that he would
give him provided he would secure
him pardon The jailer did not he
lieve his story. but passed 1t ON to Hill
later on.
Now. when Hill had been liberated
by the bandit bandage was taken
from his eyes. and he found himself
on the high rocks overlooking Castella-
mare from the south. The description
of the place where the rObber had
claimed he had hidden the treasure
corresponded with the spot where Hill
had been kept n captive. lie had
walked or been carried blindfolded for
half day from the place before being
liberated. He believed that the hid
Zen treasure was his own gold and that
Il was located In the neighborhood Of
Castellamare.
Hill searched the heights about Cas-
tellamare for weeks. when one morn
Ing ia a gulch some distance behind
and far above the town he came to an
excavation Ia the rock partly built up
In Its front that he judged might have
once been a Roman peasants abode
Like fash Il came to him that II had
been the place of his captivity. With
IN he found scratched on the rocky
wall rude drawing Of an anvil. from
which pointed an arrow In a north
eastcrly direction and the figures 100.
Seizing at once the idea that this was
a key to the hiding place Of the treas
ure. he proceeded-the distance was
ie0 paces-to rock which bore some
resemblance to the drawing Digging
at Its base. be soon came to a fat stone
beneath which gllttered every dollar
OF his ransom.
Returning to Naples. he reported his
tind 10 Signor Favari. who withdrew
his opposition 20 the match between
the young American and bis daughter.
and there was a brilliant wedding up
IN the Parco Marguerhita. at which
the best citizens were present.
The story Of Roland Hili's achieve
ment reachisg the ears Of the king Of
Italy. the American was invited TO re-
organize the detective system Of the