Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-12-02
CLEVER RASCALS.
Robbers of Naples as Daring as
They Are Resourceful.
SCHEME OF ONE LONE THIEF.
Mastery Manner In Which This Al
daelous Rogue PiIfsred a Church
Furnishing shop and Corded Up Its
Too Confidjna Proprietor.

Furnishing Shop and Corded UP Its
Too confidins Proprietor.
His name was Signor Domenico Doc
tor Dolchinetti, and he was host In
Rome. For q scholar with a degree
he enjoyed his meals rather unre-
STRANGELY, but after the spaghetti ana
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.
"Napolil 81, 81! Naples? Bella cit
ia, beautiful, beautiful! And what
thieves are they in Napies 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
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 q 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 1t 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 lave your
piano.. And about the time Of the
service that afternoon wagon came
to the little mans door. and four men
heaved out 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 pock-
cts, saying that he did not have much.
about 20 lire, all his savings-22 lire
perhaps. "What-twenty-two lirew
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.
but the most remarkable robbery
was done not by the band. but by
Nsapolitan single handed.
Zone day there drove up to church
furnishing shop an equipage with two
prancing horses and liveried coach
man and halted before the big win
dows full Of precious fnery. A beau
tifully dressed little signor alighted
and asked to see the proprietor. He
said he had cousin who would tho
next day be ordained bishop and he
desired to purchase appropriate gifts.
First he would see a croZier. The pro-
prietor fetched a superb crozier Of sill
yer, the crook of it gold. wonderfully
chased and overweight with carving.
allow much? asked the well dressed
man.
"'Five thousand lire, signor.'
"'Good! Tie 1t up and put 1t 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
oneY
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 on
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 big
man, almost as large as my cousin.
See If the garment will fit you SO
the proprietor put it on and stood
clothed in magnifcence from cravat to
ankle.
"'Good! Beautiful! Only the waist.
MY cousin happens to be enormous OF
girth. Suppose you put your arms at
your sides, and shall flx the girdle
to include them. That will about equal
my cousins waist So he buckled the
belt tight about the proprfetor's wrists
and moved back to survey the effect.
'Boun! Bellissimal Most beautifulP he
cried. And now, signor--buon g1ornoP
He skNoed 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 rob-
Der and hustled him to prison. Pol
they let him go next morning. "-Phila'
aelphia Ledger.
Not Worthless.
Ashley-I always thought that Bees
ling was leading a worthless Life.