The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1911-09-15
The Camorra an Assassin
Band of italy.

The Camorra, that dreaded scourge of Neapohtan
life, has come into renewed prominence through its
activity at the last elections and all Italy is shudder-
ing in anticipation of new DEVELOPMENTS in the his
tory of this band of criminals
For years Italian statesmen have been irving to
stamp out utterly the CamOrra and the other murder
societies which are SO abominabe feature of Italian
e lhe society nearly won at the elections because
the Italian authorities had allowed themselves to be
ulled into the belief that they had altogether over
thrown the power of the Camorra
The attempt nearly failed because the people had
become thoroughly terrorized by the Camorra and
would rather pay blackma than run the risk of as.
sassination. The voters believed too that Camorra
officials were in charge of the polling booths and that
despite the presence OF the soldiers and police they
would take steps to inform themselves OF the denti
there would be nothing secret about the elections,
and many preferred not to antagonize the Camorra
BY voting against an organization which had shown
its ability to wreak so terrible vengeance
Feudal times, say these Italians once returned to
Naples and Rome, and bands of armed retainers
roamed the streets. as in the Olden times Rich and
prominent men frequently paid blackmail to the
Camorra until they faced ruin from the extortion
practlced upon them Complaints were met with
threats of eath and at last one of these men, seeing
that IN any case death must be his lot if he remained
IN his bondage, determined to make firm stand for
MS personal liberty. Gathering together the remains
OF his fortune, ne expended part in the rapid for
fcation of his house and in the hire of number of
daring men from distant part of the country These
men, all OF whom hated and feared the Camorra, he
armed with the best weapons available, and then
sent his defiance to the Camorra.
lhe main council of the Camorra met, considered
the case OF the recalcitrant merchant, and without
wasting much time on the matter, sentenced him to
death for his disObedience and detailed six men to
see that the sentence of death was carried out
Meanwhile the threatened merchant had organized
little private Camorra Of his own and one of his
spies was present at the meeting at which the death
sentence was pronounced He returned to his mas
ter with the names of the six men detailed for the
execution, and the next morning four of the would
be asSaSSinS were found dead. The other two were
killed the next night
This was the first real bloW of retaliation that had
ever been dealt to the Camorra. Another meeting
was held and more were detailed to kill the re-
pellous merchant This time the assassins were
more cautious, but nevertheless three of them died
before next dawn, and the other chosen ones appar
emily unwilling to play at game in which their ad
versary was so manfestly adept precptatey retired
TO the country The merchant never went out with
out an escort, and carefully guarded that he
was able to pursue his business unmolested The
result of this was that his affairs again began to
prosper and his bank account to increase. With the
money he added both to his fortifcations and his
private army until his defiance of the Camorra grew
into an undOubted success.
Other merchants gained courage by his example,
and themselves employed anti Camorra guards until
there were soon six powerful merchants, each with
ms own army OF retainers to defend him from the
Camorra.
On one occasion the six merchants Joined forces
and attacked the Camorra in its stronghold. The
local newspaper and the police, being dominated by
the Camorra, reported this affair as a mere street
riot, but Neapolitans say that it was riot in which
the Camorra lost ten Of its ringeaders After that
the Camorra lost some of its prestige of fear Little
shopkeepers who had formerly trembled before the
Camorras collector now refused to pay. Several COL
lectors were even killed.
Then it was that the murderous association
changed its tactics. 1t dsmantled it's headquarters
Its collectors no longer visited the places which had
paid toll. Its leaders disappeared and it was an
nounced that the association was beaten and had
dissolved. All Naples rejoiced, but at the same time
doubted that the Camorra was really gone
For nearly six month there was peace and men had
begun almost to forget the Camorra. The little
armies of retainers had nearly vanished. Only one
man the originator Of the system kept up his guard
and all Naples laughed at him for his fears He how
ever had carried on his breast for two weeks the
deep, black print of his own left-hand suspender
otuckle, which had Unexpectedly caught and stopped
'ne point OF stiletto welded by trusted business