Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-11-09
Clever RASCALS.
Robbers of Naples as Daring az
They Are ReSourceful.
SCHEME OF ONE LONE THIEF.
Mastery Manner In Which This Au-
daeious Rogue FILTERED a Church
Furnishing Shop and Corded Up Iss
Too Confiding Proprietor.

His name was Signor Domenico Doc
tor Dolchinetti. and he was host in
Rome. For n scholar with a degree
lie 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
tn, beautiful. beautiful, And what
thieves are they in Naples, IL is the
one city where you cannot lead a DON
key through the streets"
There did not seem TO be much con-
nection between these. and our puzzled
looks said so.
"Pcrche? You dare not lead. You
must take him by the tail. for when
the unsuspecdng peasant leads an ass
laden with parnicrs 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.
"LS'i-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 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 a poor
music teacher. His piano was all he had
10 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 a piano. which they set In
It's accustomed corner, then they drove
of without a 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 lirel"
! yelled the other. L, 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 a
Neapolitan single handed.
ss0po 10 Ir,vo ~, 70 N oh,,,.oN
furnishing shop an equipage W. a two
prancing horses and liveried coach
man and halted before the big win
dowS full of precious tinery. 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 crozier. The pro-
prietor fetched a superb crozier of sill
yer. the crook of it gold, wonderfully
chased and overweight with carving.
"'How muchT asked the well dressed
man
Rive thousand lire, signor'
Good. Tie it up and put it in
the carriage. And let me see alse q
inter. And again he chose the costIi-
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
Il bishops ring. How much was this
one:'
1.-Two thousand lire. signor.
"'Goodr And that. too. went into the
carriage with the inter and crozier
Finally this princely customer would
buy complete vesture and decided OF
a figured alb broidered with cloth OF
gold from shoulder to foot. only ht
doubted. will it fit? But stay hs
said to the shopman; you are bis
man, almost as large as my cousin
See if the garment will fit you 81
the proprietor put it on and stoot
clothed in magnificence from cravat I,
ankle.
Good! Beautiful! Only the waist
My cousin happens to be enormous .
s girth. Suppose you put your arms a
your sides. and ! shall fix the girdl
: to include them. That will about equa
my cousins waist SO he buckled tn
belt tight about the proprietor's wrist
= and moved back TO survey the effect
BOun. BelliSsima. Most beautifully b
cried. And now, signor-buon giorno
lie skipped through the door. int
his carriage and whirled downtown.
AT that Good day the prOprieto
let out one awful yell and bounde
into the street. Thief he screechet
|
trlppcd in his golden skirts. rolled an
could not get up again.
| "People would not touch him, kiei