Shot at Sight

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 June 1926, Page 11

Shot at Sight

~D OMANETTI, a Corsican bandit, who 20 years has kept to the hills anti eluded capture, fell in an ambuscade laid for him by the police (says a London message to the Christchurch Star/. He had been twice condemned to death in his absence for murder, but the peasantry refused to betray him. He was one of the. most important personages in Corsica and used to attend to his private affairs and visit market towns whenever he chose. He was actually shot clown -while on his way to visit a wine cellar which he was having built, as he had just bought one of the largest vineyards in Corsica. Every morning he rode down from his hillside refuge to inspect his vineyards. One day police were posted on the roadside. Early in the morning Romanetti, mounted on a pony and preceded by a mastiff, rode down the road. When the- dog barked, warning him of the police, he unslung his carbine and opened fire. The police returned his shots. Romanetti was hit several times, but, throwing his carbine down, he pulled out a big Mauser pistol and carried on the fight until he fell from his saddle. When the police came up they had first to shoot his dog, which refused to allow them to approach, and they then found that the bandit was dead. He had a belt of ammunition on him, and was wearing grey corduroys and a soft' felt hat. Romanetti was one of the most picturesque of the Corsican bandits. He was kind to the poor and lie had a keen sense of honour. When two of his guards were found guilty of bullying peasants in his name and thieving from them, he gave them, summary judgment and shot them out of hand. He also killed two police officials who tried to arrest him, and so orders had been given for him to be shot at sight.