THE CAMORRA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 178, 14 July 1911, Page 1

THE CAMORRA

STARTLING EVIDENCE

EXTRAORDINARY SCENES IN

COURT.

(press association.— copyright]. Rome. July 12. Interest has been revived in the Camorra trial at Viterbo by a series of remarkable revelations by Captain Fabbroni.

The captain, who is a young and distinguished officer, and a Knight »f the Order of the Crown of Italy, stated that as captain of the Carabineers at Naples, he had made inquiries into the methods of the Camorra. He gave his evidence, with great clearness and confidence.

The witness showed that the corpses of the innkeeper Uucolo and his wife, with whose murder the 39 prisoners are charged, had been given the imprint of revenge in order to inspire fear. Erricone, the leader of the society, he declared, had invented a system by which each branch of the Camorra had a figurehead in addition to its real head.

These disclosures led to an uproar in the cage in which the prisoners are confined while in court. Captain Fabbroni, in continuing, said the chief injunction of the Camorrist decalogue was ‘ Never confess, even if it would help the person accused.” Betrayers were punished in various ways, ranging from beatings and razor slashings to murder.

Abbatemaggio. the informer, had already been condemned to death, and it was impossible for him to escape if he left the prison. The Camorra s object was to des poil everyone within its clutches, from the prostitute or sneak-thief to the highest officials.

Erricone was subsidised by the Naples Illumination Company, in order to prevent the theft of its wires and other implements. Other Neapolitan >■ rip.mo s had similarly secured immunity. The system recalled the times when landed proprietors had supported brigandage in order to secure their own safety. Captain Fabbroni gave instances of the prisoners’ influence over thieves, and recalled the case of a • abman who overcharged Father Vitozzi. the priest arrested with the gang. His reverence said the cabman would regret his act, and the same evening three •Camorrists heat the cabman, and compelled him to apologise and return the overcharge to Father Vitozzi.

The society’s chief usher was one Danna, a cobbler, who drove youths to light women, who accompanied them to gambling hells, the usher completing their ruin.

Erricone had been tried for complicity in such cases. One of the lawyers. Signor Bovio. called out, ’ Erricone was acquitted Captain Fabbroni: “Yes. But the President of the Court was the brother of the lawyer who is now defending Erricone A terrific tumult- followed this statement —Erricone ' ::n;ud about in the cage howling like a hyena.

Signor Rovio protested that Neapolitan Judges had been insulted. Captain Fabbroni retorted : You forged documents in Paris in connection with Rapi’s defence 1”

The uproar and disorder then rose to such a pitch that the Carabineers with difficulty prevented a free fight between the lawyers and wit reuses.

Captain Fabbroni afterwards traced the rise of the Camorra’s power from I'6'. when Garibaldi handed over to it the maiiiti-naiu-e <>f public order, on the plea th.-o the society was best acquainted with local rascaldom.

ELECTORS MALTREATED AND KIDNAPPED. Rome. July 13. Continuing his evidence, t'antam Fabrroni said that gangs of Cainorrists were distributed throughout the towns during the election, and recalcitrant electors were beaten, maltreated, wounded, anti kidnapped. Captain Fabbron i's reconstruction of the murder of Cuocolo led tn Erricone shaking the B;ir< of the cage like a lunatic, yelling “Murderer. you made my brother die in prison.”