Evening star., 1933-08-27
fFS BY MILTON BRONNER.

ORSICA mountainous isle OF beauty,
famed in song and story as the
birthplace of Frances greatest
soldier, Napoleon Bonaparte, has
- also for centuries been infamous for
its vendettas, its crimes of passion
and it's bandits
Now with Andre Spada, king and last OF the
bandits, safely locked up in prison, the little
island in the Mediterranean bids once more to
enjoy fairly peaceful nfe-unless the younger
Corsican generation lives up to the troubled
and bloody story of its past.
Calm was restored to Corsica and law and
order reigned only after real war which lasted
nearly two years and cost the French govern
ment something ike $500 day.
The situation was unique. 1t hurt French
pride In their North African empire, dealing
with Arabs, Berbers and Moors, they had re-
stored order after various military punitive ex-
peditions and little wars, but in Corsica, so to
speak, near French DOORS lawlessness reigned
supreme.
Banditry was q recognized Industry. People
were killed in their homes. Tribute was levied
upon law abiding citizens. The French postal
service was consistently held up and robbed.
When some of the malefactors were arrested
and arraigned in the law courts, the prosecu-
ton found difficulty in getting convictions be-
cause the principal witnesses suddenly became
deaf and tongue-tied They had fear IN their
hearts. They were in terror of the vengeance
the pals of the accused bandits would wreak
upon them.
THE French government finally decided this
! scandal had lasted long enough. In No.
vember 1881, two French warships appeared
in the harbor of Ajaccio, the little Corsican
capital where Napoleon/wa born. At the same
time Gen. Fournier landed there with 600
troopers from Marseille.
s1oev ais had IN arnnOred cars a COllDle OF
tanks, airplanes, 20 especially trained blood
hounds and bomtiful supply Of machine guns.
Their orders were to comb the island and cap
ture every bandit, dead or alive.
It was not so easy as it sounded. The terri
tory of the bandits was about 900 square miles.
It consists of highly mountainous country, cut
with great ravines and gullies. OF the beaten
track there is nothing but pathless jungle
the "Maqtns," as the Corsicans call it.
Gradually most of the bandits were either
captured and imprisoned or killed while seek
ing to escape. But one eluded them-Andre
Spada, called the king Of the bandits.
He was sort of Corsican Robin Hood. He
did not seem to bother poor people unless he
thought they had betrayed him or crossed him
In his love affairs. Then he was utterly ruth
less. The French police claim that he is
directly implicated in many as IA murders
or attempted murders.
He was born February 13, 1897 Of a Sardinian
father and Corsican mother. He chose French
citizenship and for Is years led . peaceful.
humdrum existence He helped his father till
their sparse fields and gather their humble
harvests He went to church on Sundays. He
went to the wild native dances On Sunday
evenings
In the last year Of the World War he served
under the French colors The war over, he
returned to Cogsia where his parents dwelled.
Once more he became farmer.
This lasted Until October 3, 1922 when IN
event occurred which changed his whole career.
There was q fete In the picturesque village
of Sari dOrcino. An italian sailor tried to
take away the girl Of Rutin Dominique. The
Ccrsian killed the too-enterprising Italian.
When the gendarmes tried to arrest Rutih, It
Il alleged his friend Spada came to the rescue,
killing one gepdarme and srtevcasly wounding
another. The two young men took to the
maquis - outlaws With . price on their heads
cARLY In January, 1873, the Coesican police
Z allege, the refugees killed two men whom
they suspected Of revealing their whereabouts.
That was sunicient for the terrified villagers
From that time On the outlaws went about
n the jungle with comparative freedom.
Armed to the teeth, they would appear In IN
isolated mountain hamlet, 60 to the best house
IN the town, make their helpless host dish up
TO them the choicest viands and wines he had
n the place, and sleep IN his best bed.
This went On untN January, 1924. They
believed themselves surrounded By sendarmes
while they were staying at . house IN Finoeella-
Eearlessly, they confronted their attackers for