CORSICAN BANDITS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 April 1932, Page 3

CORSICAN BANDITS

CHARGE OF PERJURY.

AJACCIO, February 19-

One of the most famous bandit vendettas of Corsica will be recalle before the assize court at Bastia tomorrow when Touissaint Valle will' answer a charge of bearing false witness.

On the jury’s verdict depends the; fate of a beautiful young woman! named Madeleine Mancini, who is now serving a life sentence- She was thei mistress of Romanetti, the notorious! leader of outlaws, but ever- since sentence was. passed- on. hes in February, 1929, she : has continued to declare her innocence.

The shooting- of Romanetti started one of those family feuds, which are the bane of- Corsica. It was: followed by the murder of Valle’s brother-in-laW, Antoipe Mancini,, and of Valle’s two sons.. Subsequently Valle alleged- that Madqleine Mancini had promised to. be the mistress of a bandit named’ Figgianelli on- condition that the latter avenged the death of RomanettiValle credited Faggianelli with a statement to this effect, and it was this evidence which led to the condemnation of the young woman- Soon after her trial, however, Valle was persuaded to sign a document admitting that Faggianelli had not made the confession attributed to him. He now declares that he signed this document in order to avoid being niurdered himself. But grave doubts are entertained about the value of his evidence at the trial of Madeleine Mancini.

If he is found guilty by the assize court of having lied it is quite certain that the girl will be given a fresh trial, and have a good chance of being liberated. She has spent three years in gaol and is widely sympathised with in the island.

The bandit Faggian'elli, who has served a sentence of five years’ imprisonment for having fired at gendarmes, will give evidence against Valle at Bastia.