Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-08
CLEVER RASCALS.
Robbers of Naples as Daring as They
Are Resourceful.

tor DOlchinetu, and he was most In
Rome. For a scholar with a degree
he enjoyed his meals rather unre-
STRANGELY, but after the spaghetti and
capretto had disappeared he used to
slow his pace over the finocchio con
vino and to straighten his back, wipe
his mustache and begin his stories.
''Napoli? ST. ST. Naples? Bella cit
ia, beautiful, beautiful! And what
thieves are they in Naples! 1t is the
one city where you cannot lead don
key through the streets"
There did not seem to be much con-
nection between these, and our puzzled
looks said SO.
"Perche? You dare not lead. You
must take him by the tail. for when
the unsuspecting peasant leads an ass
laden with pann1ers or onions or wood
into Naples before long he happens to
glance back, and, behold, all is gone
produce. panniers, pack saddle. all
filched. Thereafter he takes the ass
by the tail and steers him through the
streets that he may watch constantly.
"Poi-it is all organized. Some years
ago the leader of the robbers was the
captain. Everybody knew him. When
anything was stolen from one, one
went not to the police, but TO the cap
tain.
There was a little music master
came home one day and found his pi
ano gone, a whole piano. and no one in
the house could say how, when or
where IL went. The little man was
distracted.
''Then he took heart and went to the
captain and stood before him with his
hat in his hands. He was Just a poor
music teacher. His piano was all he had
in the world. He Co. said the cap
tain. AT 6 this evening you have your
piano And about the time of the
service that afternoon a wagon came
to the little mans door, and four men
heaved out n piano. which they set in
its accustomed corner: then they drove
off without word
Poi. the music man, went again to
the captains house and began to thank
him and to tumble about in his peck
cts, saying that he did not have much.
about 20 lire. all his savings-22 lire
perhaps. "What-twenty-two nrep'
yelled the other. I, who am rich,
whom men call the captain-22 lire to
ne, You poor And he kicked him
down the stairs.
But the most remarkable robbery
was done not by the band. but by a
Nea politan single handed.
zone day there drove up to a church
prancing horses and a liveried coach
man and halted before the big win
dows full Of precious finery. A beau
t1fulIy dressed little signor alighted
and asked to see the proprietor. He
said he had a cousin who would the
next day be ordained bishop and he
desired to purchase appropriate gifts.
First he would see a croZier. The pro-
prtetor fetched a superb crozier of sill
yer, the crook of 1t gold. wonderfully
chased and overweight with carving.
"'How much" asked the well dressed
man.
Five thousand lire, signor.'
"'Goodl Tie it up and put it in
the carriage. And let me see .also q
inter. And again he chose the costli-
est, one frosted with silver arabesQues
and beaded with pearls. He sat
down to write a check for 5000 lire
altogether. But, no; he would see also
a bishops ring. How much was this
one"
1.-TWO thousand lire, signor.'
"'GoodI And that. too. went into the
carriage with the inter and crozier.
Finally this princely customer would
buy a complete vesture and decided on
a figured alb broidered with cloth of
gold from shoulder to foot. Only he
doubted, will it fit? But stay he
said to the shopman; you are a big
man, almost as large as my cousin.
See If the garment will at you So
the proprietor put it on and stood
clothed in magnifcence from cravat to
ankle.
"'Goodi Beautiful Only the waist.
My cousin happens to be enormous Of
girth. Suppose you put your arms at
your sides. and I shall fix the girdle
to include them. That will about equal
my cousins waist So he buckled the
belt tight about the proprietor's wrists
and moved back to survey the effect
'Boun! Bellissima! Most beautiful" he
cried. And now, signor-buon giornov
He skipped through the door. into
his carriage and whirled downtown.
"At that Good day the proprietor
let out one awful yell and bounded
into the street. Thief he screeched
He crashed into astounded people,
tripped in his golden skirts. rolled and
could not get up again.
"People would not touch him, kick
ing and frothing and trying to point
Thief. thief-would not even look in
the direction Of the vanishing carriage.
Finally the police grabbed him, dis
covered that he was insane and a rob-
Der and hustled him to prison. Poi
they Yet him go next morning.''-Phila.
delphia Ledger.