BRIGAND NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6533, 3 February 1882, Page 3

BRIGAND NOTES.

(BngWKJlagiwim,), A blue-book about brigandage isa novelty; but; it ii sot at all exciting reading, The return, lately presented to Parliament, of British subjects who have been taken captive by brigands in foreign countries, it a very business-like production, proving that if there was ever any, romance attached to the lawless calling, it has long since vanished;.the only difference between the brigand and the common thief being, that the latter is contented with divesting his victim of his portable belongings, while the former holds nim a prisoner until ransom it paid.

Since 1860, thero have been fourteen cases of brigandage in which subjects of Her Majesty were concerned, Spain being discredited with four, Mexico three, Italy three, and Oreeoe and Turkey two each. On May 21, 1870} Messrs John and Anthony Boneu were captured in Spanish territory, near Gibraltarj obtaining their release, after a short detention, by paying down 27,000d015, obtained from the Governor of Gibraltar, who was afterwards repaid by the Spanish Government. On March 18, 1871, Mr and Mrs Banken, and Mrs Taylor, fell into the clutches of some brigands near Denia, but were fortunately able to part company at once; the adventure costing them £2OO. In July, 1874, Mr BTaseldin met with like ill-fortune near the Bio Grande Mines, in the Sierra Morena; but did not get off quite so easily. His captors demanded 4,000,000 of reals, or something like £40,000; but softened by their prisoner's expostulations, offered to set him at liberty for a quarter of that amount. He still considered the price too high, and remained in durance f«r nine days; when finding they could do no better, they accepted £6OOO, and bade Mr Haseldin good speed. Mr Bouse, who was taken near Hiendelaencina, on May 3, 1876, I was yet luckier, being only detained a few hours, while his servant fetched 100,000 reals —about £looo—whioh he was well content to pay for freedom. Mexican brigands would seem to be satisfied with a lower rate of ransom. It is true that they kept Mr Babling a prisoner for three weeks, in November, 1863, in the vain hope of extracting 6000dols out of his friends' pockets; but finding bo muoh was not |forthcoming, they eventually accepted 3400d01s and 12 muskets. In the same month, two years later, Mr Mirrilies was seized by an armed band, near Irapuato. He was told he was a prisoner to the army of the Liberal General AneUlon; but Mexican soldiers and Mexican brigands are hardly to be distinguished, and it matters very little which they since they would not let him take their leave under less than 20O0dols, a sum he was fain to_raise, after four days' experience of their society. Four days' grace was not allowed to Mr Furber, who was captured near Guanaxato, on See. 19, 1869 ; for the day after his capture the body of tire unfortunate man was found, having a paper attached to it, informing all whom it might concern that he had been put to death for refusing to purchase his life for SOOOdols. A traveller would naturally think himself safe from such gentry when within hail of a city of renown like Florence. Mr Beale was taught otherwise sixteen years ago ; when he found himself in the hands of a band, and his liberty valued at 12,000 scudi. He lived, however, to laugh at them; for in twentyfour hours his guards let him depart in peace, thanks to an erroneous notion that their comrades had received the money. The captors of the Bev. J. C. M. Ansley, Mr Moens, and their respective better-halves, made a more profitable haul. Setting the ladies at liberty at once, they allowed the clergyman to leave the camp the following day, detaining Mr Moens as hostage for the ransom of £BSOO. Mr Ansley sought the assistance of our consul at Naples, and after a deal of negotiation obtained his friend's release on payment of £SIOO. Mr Forester Bose found his Falermitan captors more reasonable. At first, they asked £5000; seeing this sum was unattainable they came down to £2OOO, and eventually accepted £1600; but as the firm to which he belonged spent £BOO in expenses attending the affair, and had to suspend business till the matter was Battled, they considered they paid dearly enough for their partner's visit to Lecara. In 1865, Mr Oorre was a nine days' involuntary guest of a band of Greek brigands, waiting for his companions in misfortune, Lord John Hervey and the Hon H. Strutt, to send the £3OOO pounds they had agreed to pay for their lives. When, in April, 1870, Lord and Lady Muncaster, Mr Vyner, Mr Herbert, Mr and Mrs Lloyd, and their child were captured some 12 miles from Athens, the brigands demanded no less than £50,000 as the price of the little party's release ; but afterwards reduced the terms to £25,000 and a free pardon. In the end, they got nothing. Suffering the ladies to return to Athens with, the child within a few hours of the capture, they released Lord Muncaster two days afterwards, in order that he might arrange about the payment of the ransom. The sum demanded was out of the question ; and a correspondence ensued between the brigands and the British and Italian ministers, whose efforts to bring about an arrangement were aided by those of a member of the Greek Government. They failed to come to terms; and growing impatient, on April 25 the brigands cruelly murdered Mr Herbert, Mr Tyner, and Mr Lloyd. The widow of the last-named received £IOOO from the King of Greece to supply her immediate wants; and the Greek Government ultimately paid an indemnity of £lo,ooo—the only instance of the kind return, which ends with mentioning the cases of brigandage in Turkey, wherein Colonel Synge and Mr and Mrs Suter figured, with the remark that they are " not concluded;" the British Government hoping, we suppose, to induce the Porte to pay the ransom money —nearly £2s,ooo—which it advanced, rather than leave the issue in the hands of the brigands. Suoh help will not be forthcoming again, the Foreign Secretary having notified Her Majesty's representatives abroad of the determination of the Government henceforth to advance no money for the release of any save offioial personages from captivity among brigands.