The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1921-08-13
Code Of Honor as II Is Enforced
in Sardinia, Corsica and
Elsewhere
DIFFICULT 70 STAMP OUT
host Persistent Disciples Are Among
the Most Mlld.Msnnsred and Most
HospitsbIe People in the World
--Csrsmony Of Reconcile
alton.

la no place Is II more firmly estab-
lisbed than In the Island Of Sardinia.
Why Il fourishes there Is mys-
terry still unSOlved, for the Sardlni-
ans themselves are probably among
the mildest hammered men In the
world. Travel all over their island
aud you will be received with tho
greatest hospitality.
There are few inns, except In the
two or three chief towns, but inns are
mot needed. for every door is open
" the stranger. the best OF fare Is Of
dered--nay, lavished with open hands
the fatted calf Is instantly slain. the
cellars are ransacked for the oldest
vino. Indeed, yOjl mlght almost start
vendetta by refusing hospitality or
whiting to hurry away too soon
So hong AS you do not smile at the
women folk you are an hOnored guest
for a much longer time than you wish
tO remain. But the etiquette about
women Is as strict MS In any harem
land In the East. and no Intercourse
Is allowed with strangers.
Next to Sardinia In the vendetta
business comes Corsica, where the peo-
pie after all, are not very different.
There is plenty OF bloodshed in Sicily.
hut II Is organized by secret so
ciety and has nothing to do with ven.
delta.
Albania runs the blood-feud on very
similar lines and Albanlas hereditary
enemy, Montenegro, oddly enough,
nhorfghng al traditions
whereas the Serblans, the cousins OF
the Montenegrins, are bloodthlrsty In
quite different way. II Is probably
not an accident that feuds and feudal-
Ism have the same derivation, and
clannlsh traditions must have some
thing to do with the custom writes
Herbert Vivian.
Part Of Their Code OF Honor.
The great difficulty that govern
ments find In suppressIng vendetta IA
that its disciples regard II as part Of
their code OF honor. Men who go to
church regularly and observe all the
religious feasts--black- coated gentle
men Of infinite respectabillty, who
could be trusted anywhere with UNI
told gold and frivolous females--nev.
ertheless consider II their sacred duty
10 Stay the second cousin twice re-
moved OF some one who has killed a
member of their family In legitimate
self-defense. Indeed. there is stigma
on their whole clan II blood has not
been wiped out with blood, II many
molars have not repaid a single tooth.
II ceases TO belt never Is, In fact
personal affair. 1t Is just primitive.
savage justice.
In Sardinia church and state have
been frantlcally at work for genera.
lions trying to suppress the vendetta,
but II is very slow work.
From time TO time, however, rec
oscillations do take place. Slxty-fve
years ago there was solemn cere.
mony OF forgiveness between two fam
lilies that had been at war for two cen
turtles killing one another and de-
Stroying one another's cattle and
fnrmSteads II made an enormous
sensation, and marked an epoch In the
history of the island. Only the other
day there was a similar event. for
which the parish priest and the mayor
Nf Temple. amid the savage rockland
of Angina, are Jointly responsible.
Almost endless negotiations preced-
ed the formal kiss of peace. No one
wished to forego his vengeance; the
honor OF five hostile families was at
stake. Again and again, for a whole
generation, men and boys have been
stabbed, and though everybody knew
the culprits and all the reasons for
the crimes, no one was ever punished
by the law.
Agreed to Attend Mass Together.
Then some one having authority
suddenly listened TO reason. All the
hostile famllles--the Leporis, the Pes,
the Seazzus, the Spezzlgas and the
Vusns-far more hostile than the Mon
tagues and Capulets, agreed to attend
service OF reconciliation together.
Their famous feud has been respon-
sible for no fewer than 10 hOmicides
during the last 10 years. IL all began
with the murder Of Prof. Pier Felice
StangOni, a widower who lectured at
Abe technical institute OF Sassari.
What he had done Is not quite clear.
Some say he had flrted with a Miss
Pes and then refused to marry her:
Another story Is that he was unin-
tentionnlly killed by mischievOus
boy from an unfriendly village Any
how, the professor was taking a cOun.
try walk with his three boys, Albert,
Sar'o and Arnold, when some one
lurking In the thickets suddenly hit
him on the forehead with bullet
FROM a catapult and killed him In
unntly,
There was sensational trial and
tile suspects were acquitted, A few
months later, however, one OF them
Martin Pes, was killed. ThepupOe
the authorities arrested Processes
5 pu"O' - fnther-in-law Paul LepOrk
= 4