SICILIAN VENDETTA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 9

SICILIAN VENDETTA.

MANY MURDERS RESULT.

MAFIA MEMBERS CHARGED

ROME. July 20. An amazing trial which is expected to last six months has been commenced in Sicily. The accused comprise 200 members of the notorious secret criminal society, the Mafia. They tire charged •with having committed 43 murders and 24 attempted murders, besides blackmail, burglary and other crimes.

The preparation of the evidence for (he prosecution has taken three years. The crimes are all connected with a vendetta begun by the Mafia in 1909. after a quarrel between the chief of the society and some confederates.

Entire families have been murdered as a result of the vendetta. One man delayed his doom by remaining indoors for five years. Eventually two men, disguised as masons, gained entry to his house and killed him.

Numbers of possible jurors fled, fearing a six months' absence from their businesses. Some have been recaptured, heavily fined and forced to serve.

Vigorous action by the lascist Government 0 of Italy last year resulted in the stamping out of the Mafia. I lie crimes for which the 200 accused are now being tried apparently were committed two years before the campaign ot suppression was begun. The word Mafia came into use to designate a specific form of criminality which arose on the great landed estates ot Sicily a.s a result of bad government tor a long period of the Island's history unci more especially during the disorders consequent on the Napoleonic invasion of South Italy. The members of tlie society were not vei v numerous, but, bound by close ties of fellowship and capable of any crime, they compelled the landowners to employ peisons of their own choice. Their activities soou extended to the towns. They made it practically impossible for lands or crops to be sold at open auction and effectively hindered all efforts likely to interfere with their interests. On the other hand, fieice quarrels of all kinds arose among them, leading to terrible acts of revenge. These in turn led fo the formation of bands of outlaws, at feud among themselves, and all the crimes consequent on outlawryrobbery, rapino ind extortion. A complicated code of traditions regulated the Mafia based on the obligation never to apply for justice to the legally constituted authorities and never to assist in any way in the detection of crime committed against oneself or others. Absolute silence was required and enforced by ruthless reprisals, the light to avenge injuries being reserved to the victims or their families Since 1870 the Italian Government, had endeavoured with varvine and scant success to rid Sicily of the Mafia, which continued, however, to be tolerated by local authorities as affording a ready means to unscrupulous candidates to a majority at"the political or administrative elections. The abnormal conditions consentient'on Italy's participation in the Great War led to an alarming revival of these criminal activities. When the Fascist Government took oflice iri October, 1922. if, undertook to root out this evil ond used its exceptional powers to identify, capture and brine; to trial the leaders and their accomplices. This led, in 1927, to a series of trials at Termini Imerese and Palermo. The accused, in batches of as many as 150 at a time, were brought before the Courts and their victims reassured by the energetic police measures taken to ensure their safety, gave evidence against them. The leadet-s, found guilty of n series of atrocious crimes, received liie sentences, and exemplary punishment was meted out to their accomplices.