The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-18

|
over him. Nevertheless to satisfy ap'
pearances Vampa's quarters were still
In the prison. though instead of q cell
he occupied handsomely furnished
rooms.
Vampa was now frequently seen
walking with his ladylove in the pub.
lie park on the shore Of the bay Of Ma.
pies. One day while 1ey were stroll.
Ing along on the path within the sea
wall Vampa was attacked by a man
whom he had robbed and whose broth.
er he had murdered. vampa drew a
knife from under his coat and defend
ed himself SO resOlutely and with such
skill that he kept the man at bay till
the police interfered.
| This added to the scandal Of Vampa' 3
| privileges, for it revealed the fact that
he was permitted to carry arms. He
did not appear again for some time in
public, and 1t was generally understood
that it was mutually agreed between
him and the government that he had
better withdraw himself from public
notice.
The Spanish senOrita was more Of q
mystery than the privileges granted to
Vampa by the government. Few per-
sons got near enough to her to learn
what kind of person she was. but
those who did reported that she had
evidently sprung from better stock than
Vampa AT any rate, she had some
thing of the manner of Il lady, though
whether this was natural to her or as
sumed they could not be sure. If the
bandit had been devoted to her while
plying his vocation the fact had not
been known, for no such person had
ever been reported as being in his con
6dence.
A number Of conflicting reports were
circulated with regard to her One
was that she had been prominent So
cially in Madrid, but had been dropped
from society. Another was that she
had been leader In one Of the revo-
lutionary plots in France against the
empire and had been used by Louis
XVIII. to further some secret diplo
matte scheme. Still another was that
she was the daughter Of a bandit in
Spain and had been a danseuse on the
stage In that country.
One evening Vampa and the senorita
were seen walking In the twilight by
the sea wall, and when they eagle to
landing where there were boats fog
hire they got into light skiff, and
Vampa, taking the oars, pulled out for
q ride on the bay. The water was Of
Q deep blue. To the north the island
Of Ischia rose, a black rock against the
red sky left by the descending sun; to
the west Capri was enveloped in thin
veil Of mist. The senorita was OBJ
served as her companion pulled away
sitting in the stern Of the boat, point
ing here and there enthusiastically at
the beauties Of the scene. AS they
went farther and farther from the
shore darkness fell, and they finally
were merged with the black waters of
the Mediterranean.
That was the last ever seen of the
senorita in Naples, nor was the bandit
ever seen by any one again alive. The
next morning the boat in which they
had gone out on the bay was found
under the sea wall. 1t was not fasten-
ed. Whether it had drifted in or been
pulled in and left where 1t touched the
shore could not be determined. During
the day some fishermen from Sorrento
picked up the dead body Of Luigi
Vampa floating between that point and
the island Of Capri. No mark of vio-
lence was found on the body.
The mysteries that had so long puz-
zled the Neapolitans ended in q mys-
terry. How Luigi Vampa met his death
was never discovered The govern
ment did not even make show of
trying to learn anything concerning 1t,
not Disgusting the fact that they were
relieved that the bandit would no
longer trouble them.
A few years after all this occurred
man who had dined in Neapolitan
restaurant at a table near Vampa and
his senorita, while in Paris saw at the
races a woman who was making huge
bets. He recognized her at once as
the senorita. Inquiry brought the fact
that the woman was very rich and that
she had a title from the Neapolitan
government She was considered an
adventures and was Stunned by re-
spectacle women.
There was no doubt in southern
Italy so long as that episode was re-
membered that Luigi Vampa was put
out Of the way by this woman, that she
was given a large sum and title as
her pay for the deed. That she was
some time in effecting her object Is &C.
counted for by the fact that Vampa
was never without a weapon on his
person. But just how the woman COM
mitted the deed for which she was
paid has ever remained a mystery.
The only report Of her that was ever
received by the Neapolitans came from
the person who had seen and recogniS.
ed her In Paris.
The true story of the senorita Is as
follows: She was really the daughter
| Of a Spanish bandit She was a ia
vovixo NTH hor fofhar,S man opd xras