The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-04
SOLDIERS FIGHT
WITH ROBBERS
OF THE DEAD
Martial Law in Earthquake
Stricken Italy
THEIR MARSHES AT ROME
Return for Needed Rest After Accom-.
plishing All Possible in Devas-
tated Territory.

Rome, Jan Sit has been neccs
sary to proclaim martial law Ia tue
earthquake district, as it affords the
only means of dealing effectively wlth
the players and marauders i'm Mes
sina, one OF whom was discovered
with bank notes TO the value of l00-
600 lire in his possession. For two
days, however, the scum of the pOpu-
lation was in command and both dead
and dying suffered at their hands
Several of them were shot at sight by
rescue parties.
1t was only on the arrival of troops
from the outside that the authorities
got the upper hand of the bandits. who
even so late as Friday night engaged
In a pitched battle with sailors, sold
iers and customs officers. One man
was shot while In the act oil tearing
rings off the fingers of dying woman
Stories of incendiarism are also cur
rent, in which human ghouls are stat
ed to have set fire TO the ruins In
which the victims they had despoiled
were still alive.
are having difficulty in protecting the
survivors and the treasures in the
wrecked buildings from the bands Of
robbers that swarm everywhere. Six
Russian sailors were shot by Messina
leoters and sixteen robbers have been
killed at the same place within the
last twenty-four hours.
Six hundred pillagers have been
arrested since yesterday. At Reggie
in battle between the police and ban
dts, two of the police were killed.
The Minister of Justice telegraphs
to Premier Giolitti as follows:
The service continues against the
pillagers, who Saturday night came in
conflict at Reggie with the police for,
ces, resulting in the death of one Der
saglere and one Customs guard"
A Russian sailor shot a thief upon
whom was found yaluables to the
amount OF $4,000.
Some rays of hope now struggle
through the dark cloud of despair
that hangs over the Siclian and Cal.
ADRIAN coasts. One good sign is the
lengthening of the list Of officials who
escaped, many of whom were at first
reported TO be dead. From Calabria
comes news OF groups OF fugitiyes on
foot still struggling into the towns
and villages far from the scene of the
disaster.
These and other indications lead
one to hope for some reduction in the
final death roll. though, indeed at
the best it cannot be other than enor
| nous.
The establishment of order has not
been effected without difficulty either
| at Messina or Reggie The excitable
lower classes of Calabria, Sicily, are
difficult to deal with in a mass at any
time, and when driven half frantic by
| fear of hunger they are naturally of
ten beyond control In Messina the
difficulty was complicated by the es
cape of many condemned prisoners
Happily in Reggie, the promptitude OF
the police commissary prevented theil
escape from the prison there. The
only serious lawlessness was the in
evitable plundering of food and drink
stores. Even this has been stopped
by the establishment of regular dis
tribution OF provisions. The distri
button was effected by four commits
sions. made up of citizens of Reggie
for four districts into which the towr
mas been divided. Each is accom-
panied by five police officers and q
soldiers.
The work of extricating the bodies
goes on, but the number Of living res
cneG IFS now very small.
King Victor Emmanuel and Queer
| Helena, who have been lgGoring nigh
and day among the earthquake suffer
prs in CalabTia and Sicily since Mon
day, stole into the capital yestreda,
afternoon, wishing to avoid a demon
stration. They are seeking rest Tn,
news Of their arrival spread quickly
however, and crowds gathered out
side the Quirinal and cheered until thu
king appeared on the balcony of tn
palace to bow his thanks, BY thei
untiring efforts their majesties hay
created a new and strong bond be
tween themselves and their subjects
Prior to his departure from Gala
lbria the king telegraphed to Premie
CGiolitti, saying that fresh troops wer
arriving on the scene, all their relic
services were being gradually organ
fAad and the situation was improving.
premier Giolitti confirms the king
statement saying the local authorltie
have the situation well I'm hand, De-
pite the superhuman efforts made tn
hare necessities of life, food iigh
water. clothes. and shelter, are sal
to be still wanting for the unin1ure'
while many of the wounded are sti
unattended, owing to the insullicienc
of doctors and nurses.
The authorities as yet have bee
unable to bring order out of chao
Throughout the whole district thel
| Is hardly drop of drinking water u
water pipes being broken For u
same reason there are no electr
| lights. no telephones, and no tel
graphs.
Queen Helena was not greatly inju
| ed in the hospital panic which she G
deavored to check. She was on
bruised.
When the panic started everybo'
was in a paroXysm OF terror al
made a mad rush for the doors or Y
hospital amid cries Of fly! ny. Il
another earthquake. The building
falling" The queen commanded
n ence and called on the panic strick
ones to keep their places. Some CD,
ed but others, mad with fear trl
" ITO rush out. II was one OF these i
80, u,ho etrucI, the queen so violent