Year: 1875




One of the most atrocious features of
the Italian bandit saytem is that Of the
riscatto, or kidnapping on the highway
and holding the person for ransom.
A trial was concluded at Viterbo last
week which excited good deal ofiu-
terest, both on account of the social
position of the victim and some of the
circumstances connected with the
criminal case Near the end of Nav.
last year, the Count Fana, rich pro
prietOr of 0rvieto, was returning from
Yiterbo, where he had passed several
days attending the fair or annual market
held there every year. for the purchase
and sale of all sorts of farm and other
products The Count han been invited
to take seat in the carriage of a lawyer
of his acquaintance, 10 return TO their
city. The cosehmen OF the gentlemen
we're on the box. 1t was in the morn
ing, and they had reached point on the
road called Bagnaroa, not far
from the Lake Of Bolsena. Sud
denly four men, with yelled faces,
presented themselves in the road,
ordered the party to odismouut and drove
them into ditch not far distant. There
the council was held, and the direction
was given to the notary and the servants
to return to Ovieto, the former bearing
an order to the son of the Count de-
manding the sum of 10000 francs as
the price of his fathers life. The Count
man of the advanced age of seventy,
was then compelled by the band to ac-
company them to their retreat to wait
the reply which might be made to their
demands. A condition was that the
money should be brought by messen-
ger with white band around his hat,
riding mule to whose neck was tied a
bell, and TO come the same night. As
soon as the son of Count Faina received
notice of the fate with which his father
was menaced, he got together 10000
francs gave 1t into the hands of the mes
senger as ordered, and sent him forward
to the place indicated and in carriage,
accompanied by friend, followed at a
distance behind. There was some mis-
understanding as to the spot, and no one
from the brigands camp showed himself,
after several hour waiting Before morn
ing, a waman was met bringing a
note written by his fathers own
hand, telling the son to come with
not less than 100000 a francs, and
with none Of the bills bearing marks
upon them, and no noticeto be given to
the public force. Every effort was made
to meet the conditions imposed, but an
imbroglio by some means had been COM
mitted, and a day or two after, the dead
body Of Count Faina was found by the
peasants in the road, some distance off
Effort was made by the authorities to put
hand d-upon the authors of the crime.
Five or six men upon whom suspicion
rested, were at length got hold of and
their trial is that which has just occu-
pied the court. The most important tes-
timoDy upon which the conviction rested
was that of a confession made by one of
the criminals to fellow-prisoner during
the long time of detention before trial.
For some reason the brigands believed
that q tradimento was meditated, in
stead Of the payment of the money, and
one of their number, the youngest, Just
past twenty, with two discharges of a
musket in the head, took the life of the
Count. This one was condemned to
hard labor for life, while another held to
be more guilty as the chief instigator,
was condemned to death, and three
others were sent to prison, each for a
term of seven years.