The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-12-28

SOIulllOio VI CSOlohAiS liz III
tellectual poverty subsist, but they and
the world at large will never be able
to understand how, in spite OF the
high degree Of civilization Of our mod
ern times, the Camorra can easily COM
NIT daring robberies, assaults, afro
cious murders and other excesses OF
uncomfortable ferocity and still have
the almost complete certainty OF be-
ing left systematically unpublished, re-
lying partly on its members secrecy,
which is the very gospel Of this GRIM
inal association, partly on the weak
ness of public officials. For every hun
dred Camorrists that are caught there
are other thousands who will come to
the front. AS happens on the morrow
OF a deadly battle where the etat
majeur has been dispersed by the
shrapnel, the cadets are promoted In
masses to the higher ranks; and the
Camorra's cadets, tolder than ever.
are eager to excel their leaders.
Five years ago a great lady Of
Naples drove out to take the air
in the villa Nazionale, that strip Of
park by the sea. She was blithe and
smiling, for royalty was to drink tea
with her at five. There came riding
by a big man, all gold chains and dia-
monds, on a young horse. He was De
Marinis, boss of one of the election
districts Of Naples, a plumed chief Of
the Camorra. Was the great lady's
pnQnhmon or fatt1to In anu noeA
there was a collision and the mighty
politician was rolled in the dirt. He
got to his feet, ~cursing-oh, a black
stream of blasphemy dubbed from
his mouth! He cursed and spat into
her carriage.
AS much Of 1t as could be told the
great lady told the duke of Aosta.
That indignant prince vowed to pull
down this topping insolence.
What the duke of Aosta did was to
go straight to the king. When his
majesty was heir to the throne he
lived for many years in Naples. None
better than he knew the power Of the
Camorra; none better than he knew
that his ministers looked to 1t for q
governmental majority in Naples; but
he said: Stamp them out IL you can.
] I'M with you in this fight" And king
and duke planned the war on the
Camorra. There was no p~retense of
trusting the magistracy of the police
-rat-ridden, both, with Camorra cor
ruption. The work was given to the
army. Notably 1t was given to the
military police-more notably still to
Capt. Fabroni Of the Carabineers, a
smart young Roman officer, all brain
and pluck.
And the chiefs of the Camorra took
the air Of the Villa N~azionale on their
tall horses, they talked politics and
crime in the smart Cafe Tortunio in
the Galleria; they supped at Santa Luz
ella and took their ease. They neither
knew nor cared that Fabroni, captain
Of the carabineers, was at work. Es-
pecially they did not know that Fab
roni had loosed among them a soft
footed Roman hound-one Capezzuto.
In and out of the dark holes of the
Camorra this devil of a man slipped
sometimes posing as a criminal, a fu-
gitive. a beggar. till they laid the oath
of the Camorra on him and told him
things best untold. But the true work
he did was to find a traitor. And what
a traitor!
Get a camorra Chief.
The great chiefs Of the Camorra
were quite at ease. Erricone Alamo,
who had been the chief since 1893,
resigned that high post and contented
himself with his district leadership Of
the Vicaria. He even made a trip to
New York. where he was feted and
banqueted. Fucci reigned in his stead.
Then the blow fell. One night the
carabineers gathered in over two Gcore