Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-06-08
The
Shadow
Ii Was an Important Matter
In q Mans Life
By Manuel Cosio
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

4
one was in the place except myself.
! though In back room was a woman.
who kept the shop. | was dressed In
rags. Twilight had nearly died away.
and the room in which / sat was light
ed only by a lamp in the adjoining
room. But it was sufficient TO cast
shadow Ny back was toward 1t. and
/ saw on the wall before me the
shadow Of figure advancing with a
raised arm. My blood ran cold, for l
knew some one was behind me who
intended to murder me.
This is how 1t came about:
belong to the Italian national po-
lice, or the carabineers. We are a
very different body from the munich
pal police, assure you. We are Sc
lected from the better classes, and II
Is quite difficult to enter the corps.
One day l was called to headquar-
tiers and asked If would volunteer
for duty in getting evidence in muir
der case. 1t was not matter that |
could be ordered upon, because 1t was
necessary for me to spy upon the cele-
brated Camorra society. possibly to
become a member Of it in order to Sc
cure the evidence needed. ! consent
ed to undertake the work and was
supplied with what means ! needed
temporarily and assured that any draft
Of mine would be honored.
My field Of operations was Naples
and its vicinity. The Neapolitans have
been more tyrannized over than any
other body Of Italians; consequently
there are more poverty, misery and
crime among them than any other Ital-
ian people An American lady had been
walking on the sea wall promenade
when dusk was coming on and there
were few people about. She was found
murdered, several valuable finger rings
and what money she had having been
taken. The murderer was probably
member Of the CamOrra, and 1t was
my object to discover and convict him.
The only information ! could get to
aid me was that the American lady
had about 400 lire $50 on her person
and a description Of the finger rings.
There were a solitaire diamond and a
sapphire, and one setting included three
stones-a ruby between two emeralds.
Having been enlisted at Milan, was
not known at Naples. / appeared there
one morning dressed In dirty rags and
began operations on the street as a
professional beggar. 1t was unique
position for one who had behind him
the treasury Of the kingdom Of Italy
I pass over a month that spent either
in begging or poking trinkets to sell
under the noses of tourists. Mean
while l was forming acquaintance
among the worst element Of Naples.
One only among the men met inter-
ested me. He appeared to be of the
better class. He gave me tip for
some petty service I insisted on doing
him, looked into my face and said to
me:
"You are too intelligent looking to
wear such clothes. You should be in
better condition"
"Oh, we poor people have no oppor-
tunity to better ourselvesr' replied.
"You are right. The rich absorb ev-
erything. The laws protect them in
their iniquities. But the poor mamie
must be slave. However. there are
ways for a bright looking fellow like
you to make money"
The result Of this meeting was that
I went to the rooms OF this man
Genazzini to learn how to make mon
ey. 1t was by assisting him to get his
hands on other peoples property.
When spoke of being detected ana
Obliged to go to Jail he told me that l
need not fear that; he was in with the
police and would protect me- did
not at the time ask him for further
information as to his means or pro-
lection, for suspected that I had
found a member Of the Camorra.
became his assistant In a number of
thefts. He worked up the cases, SO to
speak, and did the pilfering. In ev-
cry case the person robbed received
compensation from the chief of police,
stating that 1t was not their policy to
prosecute the thief. In one instance
i contrived to get caught In the act in
order to learn OF the protection that
weuld follow. The man l robbed or
dered my arrest and was very boastful
~ to the punishment that would be
meted out to me. but when he con.
fronted me In court failed to identity
me. He dared not do 90.
This satisfied me that Genazzini was
Q member Of the Camorra, but pre-.
tended not to know that such society
existed. He had lost his thumb and
forefnger In some accident or fracas
ana told me that that was the reason
he would do no stealing himself. he
would always be liable to be identi-
ned by his missing digits.
When entered his service he gave
me better clothes. and displayed suf-
dcient intelligence for him to mani
Test friendship for me. I asked him
one day If he knew anything about
the murder of the American lady. He
made no reply. but I had my eye fixed
on his when asked the question, and
practice had made me very expert In
| getting unintenfional replies from the