The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-04-08
Solitary Confinement For
Eight Years Makes Raw
ing Maniac of Gieuseppe
Mulsolino, Who Murder
ed Thirty People.
LOVER DIED OF GRIEF

outside world, the exploits of Giuseppe
Musolino, modern Italy's most motor
Gus bandit, are again recalled by his
removal n few DAYS ago from the un.
derground dungeon in the government
prison nc Florence where he has been
confined since 1902 to the Criminal In.
sane Asylum at Montupo.
Eight years solitary confinement in
the depths of the Florentine prison.
where he was sentenced for life, fol
lowing an almost unprecedented career
Of crime, has deprived Muslino Of his
reason, and when taken from his dun
geon home on January -. he was n raw.
ing maniac.
For eighteen months this daring Grim.
inal shouted his defiance to the Italian
government from his haunts in the Cal.
ADRIAN hills, and sneered at the army
sent against him. Now aud then he
would turn up in some mountain village,
and the following morning his pursuers
would discover the bloody remnants
Of his presence. In all, thirty murders
are laid at his door, and a countless
number Of robberies and other outrages.
Hunted from place to place like a wild
beast, he always managed to elude his
pursuers with the aid of the peasantry.
II was while walking along the
streets Of Urbino like a peaceful citi.
zen, that he was finally captured on
October 10, 1901. Then followed his
sensational trial, which became of in
ternational interest, because of the pie.
turesque career of the prisoner, and
the many daring attempts he had made
to escape from prison. The innumera
ble feats of daredeviltry with which he
was credited made him n popular hero,
and in spite of the long list of crimes
laid at his door, public sympathy, as.
pecially among the middle and lower
classes, was overwhelmingly with him
during the trial. He was finally con
victed, however, and az the Italian law
does not permit capital punishment
he was sentenced TO life imprisonment
on June II, 1902, being only 81 years
IF age.
Opinions differ as TO the reason why
Musolino became an outlaw. but il is
generally believed that his career was
the result Of an alleged injustice that
was done him by the Government in
his early youth.
He was born nj Santo Stcfano. a lit
tie mountain village in the province
Of Reggie Calabria. His father, assist.
cd by Giuseppe = two sisters kept u
little wine shop.
Giuseppe, like the celebrated English
brigand Robin Hood, began life ~ "A
woodman, but he differed entirely in
character from the legendary English
outlaw, having been from childhood re
markable for his sentimental and mo.
rose disposition.
He was a lover of outdoor life, with
a free, roaming spirit, and grew up
strong and independent and was, in
his own mind perfectly happy.
II was about 1887 when the mind OF
the harmless woodsman was changed
to that of an vindictive AID inexhor.
able avenger Of his wrongs. This all
occurred in the course of an evening.
Muslino was sitting peacefully in his
fathers cottage when Vincenzo Zocali,
"a comrade, with whom he had n slight
disagreement the day previous, called,
and upon the pretext that they would
celebrate their reconciliation invited
him to come put. Upon doing so Muse.
limo was attacked by Zocali and three
confederates with knives and was
wounded in thirty different places; his
hands being hacked and cut in his at.
tempt TO ward Oft the blows. Fortu,
nately a cousin Of Musolino came 20
the rescue and his ASSISTANTS took 10
flight.
The following day Zocalli, who had
moi been arrested, filed a complaint
against Musolino, charging that he had
been shot at upon opening his barn
do0r one evening, and that Musolino
was the one that tried to kill him. AZ
the trial Musolino was sentenced "a
twsnty-one years imprisonment despite
the fact that his hands were so badly
damaged that he could not possibly
hold a gun.
As the verdict was pronounced, Muse
limo g sweetheart who was at the trial
fell In q faint, muttering "He Is limo