CAMORRA 120 YEARS OLD.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 167, 1 July 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

CAMORRA 120 YEARS OLD.

The Italian murder society, known as the Camorra, which is now so prominentlv in the public eye, had its ori* gin 120 years ago in the filthy dungeons of old Naples, where it originated as a blackmailing association amongst the prisoners themselves. Thence it spread outside, and all over the land, until its very name became a bve-word and a terror to lawabiding folk. None wore safe. All had to subscribe to its funds, or suffer the penalty—death’ Mostly the victims were poor people, whose taking off attracted but little attention. A cabman refused to hand ever the re ognised percentage of his takings, a small shopkeeper declined to be blackmailed. Each in his turn was found stabbed to death, and on each body was .1 tell-tale mark, two knifo slashes in tho form of a rough Latin cross, as a sign that the murder was the work of the Camorra, and not the cuteo-ne of mere private vengeance. Or tho victim’s face would be branded with a capital “ S,” showing that the dead man had himself boon a Camorlist' who had incurred tho vengeance of his associates by giving information to the police. Occasionally, too, Camorrists flew at higher frame. Thus the famous statesman. Sienor Mi :ali. known as the “ Gladstone- of Italy." was assassinated for daring to ntta'-k them ; and about the same time Italv’s foremost journalist. Signor Notorbartolo. was murdered for exposing their methods in his ncspaper. Similarly, Petrosino, tho famous New Yoik detective, as shot dead in Palermo. where he had gone to try and arrest the Camorrist chief, Erricone, now on trial at Viterbo.