The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-05-04

teatntul to the CamOrra, as the
SaLnorra ~ faithful To me. As my
nesh ~ now burned and u drop
OF my blood Is now split. 40 may
AJ@h my body be consumed and all
my blood be shed IL 1 over break
iath with or leave the Camorra."
SOne may approach the considera-
SAoh or the trial OF thirty-six mem
oers of the Camorrist Society, Jointly
charged with murder. from as many
avenues as there are fingers on two
hands II the start be made from
Palermo, the Sicilian capital and
headquarters OF the sister society, the
Mana, which nestles in the shadow
or Mount Etna. on the sunny coast,
We nave first the story of the assas-
slhatlOn OF Detective Joseph Petro-
sino. OF the New York police depart
ment. who was here to draw tighter
the net around this underworld band
of criminals
The Camorrists long ago had mark
q him. Next they assigned agents to
1v6ill him. And the agents, whether
Camorrists or members OF the Malta
acting for them. did il from the sha-
dows and from behind-the towards
way-three bullets to the head, Pc
led, there was twitch OF eyehds
and gasp, and he was dead. Thus
the Camorrists squared matters with
one they feared. as provided by ritual
VI OF DNlANS.
Staying OF CuOccoIo,
Likewise they squared accounts
with otherS-with Gennaro Cuoccolo,
one of the men higher up in their
own band, who had grown rich on his
day-by-day share OF crimes profit
the beautiful Sorrentina." who knew
AShings and. being a woman. might be
~ mpted to talk. They died, too, ac-
cording to ritual; the man on the
hon - Of -
wounds in his body. numbering forty
seven, from which the dry sand suck
ed all his blood, and the woman in
her apartments in Naples, her fair
body slashed fewer times. but one
wound opening the heart, with the
same result.
Then. too. we may approach this trial
from the banquet table, where men
of the committee. conspicuous figures
In this DEVILS solidarity, drank and
toasted the cause. while they waited
for Il report of how the blades had
been imbeddcd in CuOccolo's Quivering
flesh. They dined at a beach resort,
near the spot where Cuoccolo was to
die. The report came-fOrty-seven
stiffness. according to count. and a per
feet job-and the messenger, with a
warm hand grasp. was speeded on the
second mission-to carve woman
heart
Oath of the Canorra-
a journey long in time and wide i'm ter
ritory as set down in the 20.0O0word
confession Of Gennaro Abbatema ggio.
of the order, wherein IL given the oath
which men and even women have
bound themselves TO obey, an oath ad-
ministered with candletiame on bare
breast and blood letting at the wrist.
And barking back for centuries. one
may see the birth OF the Camorra at a
time when there was need OF men
banding themselves together to resist
the INSCRIPTIONS cXactions Of officials,
as was the case when the Neapolitans
we're subjects Of the Spanish kings
- and the vicerOys from the western pc
uinsula enriched themselves ut the eN-
pcnse OF the subject nation.
But now the trial is on-the great
est criminal trial In all history. as
some speak of IL; trial of thirty-siN.
Including youth and age. man who
once was u priest. and n woman. and
for the specific murder OF the CuOcco-
los. according to the indictments, but
in another and larger more important
sense the trial OF the Camorra. as an
institution. for all murders and crimes
Of all sorts committed in It's name
Law rs trying outlaw, government Is
trying anarchy. order is trying dis
order Italy has the Camorra in the
dock
Scone OF Great Trial.
Viterbo where the great case rs be-
ing tried. lies north Of Rome some
atty miles. Mount Cinimo stands
sentinel over its $4,000 Inhabitants.
IL is a town OF papal medievalisn.
with small shops. lazy peasants In
oorduroys, with shawls or capes lung
over one shoulder. and feather-tlpped
alpine hats. Measured BY the church
spires. Xiterbo is intensely devout-
civic officials came up from Rome
with your correspondent Soldiers
were patroIling the station as we de-
trained. Upstreet and across, other
carabineerS were posted. Armed
guards held all the town gates. No
one may enter at night. Every NeA-
politan found I'm town Is at once ar
rested, unless he be provided with
certificate of good character bearing
q government stamp, thing hard TO
get in these days. The garrison, nom
inally company OF pipe-smoklng re-
cruits, has been increased to bat
talon of selected men.
A monastery long ago converted
into a prison and n church that is
now a hall of Justice are the scene
OF this significant trial. The monas-
terry still retains its name of Santa
Maria Gardi, but it's massive halls
have been made higher. and where
once Dominican friars found seclusion
the enemies Of the church and nation
the thirty-six-are kept in solitary
confinement. Within the walls. too,
are apartments specially fitted for the
comfort OF the judge and the crown
prosecutor. The prisoners were
brought up from Naples, a distance
of $50 miles, In chain gangs of seven,
guarded by nifty carabineers. in com
mand OF O captain. They are taken
from prison to court In let-preof
vans. escorted by 500 armed men.
Within the Old Franciscan church
the court is being held. No one has
called IL y sacrilege. 1t rs one of the
churches that were SecuIariSed years
ago.
Prisoners Kept In Gage.
The interior Of the edifce has the
form OF a cross. The court sits In
what was the chancel. the Jury in
the left transept, the prisoners in the
right transept. and the public in the
nave facing the bench. A cage shaped
not unlike that OF the teller's In a
metropolitan bank, but constructed
Of bars such as hold the wild animals
in the gilded circus wagons, forms
the prisoners pen. The tomb OF Lo-
renZo de Viterbo. famous as n re-
ligious painter, is underneath the
sanctuary. There's chance for a
live Dainter to win fame hare nnw