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THE MALA VITA.

A cable message to the Melbourne Argus gives fuller details of the arrest and conviction of a great number of criminals in Italy, lhe message, dated London, May 25, is as follows : — At the town of Bari, in Italy, a series of trials in the Criminal Courts have been proceeding for a considerable time past, in which much interest has been taken . The offenders were members of a secret society known as the Mala Vita (" Evil Life ")• a g an g °* malefactors, who were bandod together to rob, assassinate, and exact tribute from those whom they could intimidate. Altogether one hundred and seventy-nine men were put upon their trial, of whom some ten were-accused of additional crimes committed in the Society, such as theft, rebellion, woundiug of police, pronouncing and carrying out sentences against individuals, stabbing, violation and abduction. Most of the accused had previously been sentenced, one of them for two homicides. The result of the triuls has been the conviction of one hundred and sixty-five of the accused, upon whom sentences have been passed ranging from six months to fifteen years' imprisonment. AN ACCOUNT OF THE OHGANISATION. An account of the organisation of the Society is given in the London Daily News, of which the following is a portion :— " The title of the Society, 'Mala Vita,' which signifies ' Evil Life,' is taken from a novel by Degia Como, which, at tho time of its publication, was tremendously popular in Italy. A person wishing to become a member had to bo introduced by a member to the chief oi the Society, who would then instruct another associate to institute a rigorous inquiry as to whether or not the applicant was worthy of admission. All these negotiations were conducted in a species of thieves' slang. There were three grades of members, each possessing a separate head, and to a certain extent keeping separate accounts. The chief of the Camorristes held the title of ' "Wise Master,' and the Camorristes were the senior or superior branch of the organisation. When the admission of a new associate had been resolved upon, a meeting of tho sect in which he wa9 to be enrolled was convened, and the formality of taking a vote upon the question having been gone through, the Candida' e was led into the place of meotiug. An interrogatory and interchange of declarations, conducted in the secret dialect of the body, next ensued. The novice was finally sworn in with great mystery. After the ceremony of initiation, the chief doliverod a fantastic harangue, intended to intimidate tho new member by impressing him with a due sense of the fearful pains and penalties which would certainly attend any betrayal of the Society's secrets or interests. No one was allowed to join the organisation who had been a gendarme, a policeman, or a customhouse officer. The principal object of the Society appears to have been brigandage. In the event of any person selected to carry out the Society's decrees failing to do so, he was visited with the same penalty that he had been deputed to givo effect to in the caso of another. "When a member was promoted to the superior grade, and became a Camorriste, he had to undergo a ceremony similar to that which accompanied his first admission to the Society, with certain additions, such as a mock combat with daggers. He was also obliged to have certain designs or hieroglj phics tatooed upon his body by which he would at any future time bo identified. The oath of membership was as follows — ' I swear to abandon father, mother, wito, and children with one foot in the griivo and tho othor in chains, to act again&t infamy and support humility.' Their priuciplo was that l»o who has nothing has a right to live at the oxpense of him who posBessts. The chiefs had to correspond with all the members in prison, or in penal colonies and tetablishments. The profits of the theft were given to a cashier, who divided them within the week, the chiefs receiving the largest share. The discovery of the conspiracy and tho cons quent trial were due to tho disclosures of nine members of the Society, who became informers."

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP18910613.2.64

Bibliographic details

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 138, 13 June 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

Word Count
706

THE MALA VITA. Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 138, 13 June 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MALA VITA. Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 138, 13 June 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)