The Ocala evening star., 1910-12-16
CLEVER RASCALS.
Robbers of Naples as Daring as
They Are ResourcefuI.
SCHEME OF ONE LONE THIEF.

PuTniShsn9 ohop ana NoroSo Up ks
Too co"fidins Proprietor.
His name was Signor Domenico Doc
Rome. For scholar with a degree
he enjoyed his meals rather unre-
strainedly. but after the spaghetti and
capretto had disappeared he used to
slow his pace over the fnocchio con
vino and to straighten his back. wipe
his mustache and begin his stories.
"Napoli? 81. 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 panniers or onions or wood
glance back. and. behold. all is gone
produce. panniers. pack saddle. all
filched. Thereafter he takes 4 he 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, whole piano. and no one in
the house could say how. when or
where it 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 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 wagon came
to the little mans door, and four men
heaved out a piano, which they set In
its accustomed corner; then they drove
OF without word.
"POi. the music man, went again to
VIC NoPN0AA uOuoC ouu OCeoA ~ lAohn
him and to tumble about in his pock-
cts. saying that he did not have much
about 20 lire. all his savings-22 lire
perhaps. "What-twenty-two lirev'
yelled the other. 4. who am rich.
whom men call the captain-22 lire to
me! You poor And he kicked him
down the stairs.
.sRnt tho most roma rl hle robbery
was done not by the band. but by a
NeapOlitan single handed.
Zone day there drove up to church
furnishing shop an equipage with two
prancing horses and q liveried coach
! man and halted before the big win
dows full of precious f1nery. A beau
tifully 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 q crozier. The pro-
prietor fetched q superb crozier Of sill
yer. the crook Of 1t gold, wonderfully
chased and overwrought with carving
"'How much?' asked the we'll dressed
man.
| "'Five thousand lire, signOr.'
"'Good! Tie it up and put it in
| the carriage. And let me see also q
miter. And again he chose the costli'
est. one frosted with silver arabesQues
and beaded with pearls. He sat
down to write q check for 5000 lire
altogether. But, no; he would see also
4 bishops ring. How much was this
ane:'
1.-TWO thousand lire. signor.'
"'Goodv And that. too. went into the
carriage with the inter and crozier
Finally this princely customer would
buy complete vesture and decided or
4 figured alb broidered with cloth OF
gold from shoulder to foot. Only h<
doubted, will it ft? But stay ht
said to the shopman; you are bil
man, almost as large as my cousin
See If the garment will f1t you 81
the proprietor put it on and stoo(
clothed in magni1cence from cravat t.
ankle.
"'Good! Beautiful! Only the waist
My cousin happens to be enormous O
girth. Suppose you put your arms a
YOUR sides, and l shall fx the girdl'
to include them. That will about eQua
nv cousins waist So he buckled tn
belt tight about the proprietor's wrist
and moved back to survey the effect
'Boun. Bellissima. Most beautiful" b
cried And now. signor-buOn giorno
He skipped through the door. int
his carriage and whirled downtown.
"At that Good day the proprieto
let out one awful yell and tDunde
into the street. Thief he screechet
he crashed into astounded people
tripped in his golden skirts. rolled an
could not get up again.
"People would not touch him. kick
ing and frothing and trying to poiu
Thief thief-would not even look
the direction Of the vanishing carriag'
Finally the police grabbed him. di'
covered that he was insane and a rOl
Der and hustled him to prison. Pol
they let him go next morning. Phil,
delphia Ledger.
Not Worthless.
AShlev-I always thought that Bee