THE BANDITS OF SOUTHERN ITALY.

Otago Witness, Issue 560, 23 August 1862, Page 3

THE BANDITS OF SOUTHERN ITALY.

The Naples correspondent of the Times writes as follows :—: — I have a baudit story and a true one lor you, which is more than can be saiil of every story that is narrated. I have alluded to some of thf> details of it before, but was unwilling to s.iy anythimr more on the subject until I had seen one of the travellers who was captured by Croceo's band on the 14th of March, in the Val di Bovino. "We were recommended," he said tome, on Wednesday last, " to avoid the diligence, so we lelt Bail in a carriage drawn by five horses, and at Foggia were johud by another carriage with three horae3. At a quarter to nine o'clock in the morning, as we were de-rending a hill, at the bottom of which was a bridge, we saw upwards of a hundred men on horseback, aiul thought that for the moment they were regular troops, but it was soon evident we were mistaken, and, seeing that flight was impossiole we pushed on. Abont fifty ot the band crossed over to the opposite side, and when we wera about 200 paces distant the captai.i called out, ' Don't move or you shall have a ball in you ; oat with you, you brigands !' Orders were then given to the band to rifle tbe carnages, and to the coachmen to uubarness the horses. We were ten of us in all, and a lady among the number, and for four hours and a half, stripped of everything except trousers and waistcoat, we were marched into the woods before the brigands, who were nil mounted and had several led horses. At last one of our party, a monk, declared he could walk no further, and he and seven others were mounted. For myself, I and a boy were compelled to walk still, and the brigands questioned me as to what was being done at Naples. ' They cry out for Francis ll.' I replied, being in great fear, ' for they want bread.' 'Ah! I thought it would be so/ said Crocco; 'are there soldiers in your mountains?' 'Yes, sir, and I will take you there if you like.' ' No, assassin, you must stop with us. Do you know me V he continued. ' I was sergeant in Caatel d'Ovo, in Naples. What do the Neapolitans say of me, and what a*e you?' ' Here is my passport.' Well, on and on we walked, until my strength was gone, and, after threatening to shoot me, they mounted me, and put the boy behind a man. At this moment a brigantessa came up, and said, ' Arm the fellow, or we will shoot him up there.' They then compelled me to carry a musket, the poor boy weeping bitterly at the sight. Alter many miles of walking and riding, we were halted at lencth, nnd bread and cheese distributed to all. One who was called ' General,' was then pointed out to me. and I was asked if I knew him. 'He knows you all, however,' said Crocco. The general was a gentleman and a foreigner, and spoke French with the monk for a long time, and he had a glass with which he looked over the country. After reposing, the general ordered our passports to be read. One by one eight of us were told oft, and put together under a tree, when the ninth was discovered to have been first sergeant in some regiment. ' Don't kill me,' he screamed, ' and I will join you, I have my horse ready.' 'Assassin !' said the captain, 'no pity for you; you must be shot. Put him alone on the other side.' The tenth pa<s read was still worse - that of a Guard of Public Security, who was going to Naol son leave of absence. ' Why did you not get ai>y ot«°r occupation than that of hunting brigands? You shall be burnt alive. Put him up with the sergeant.' A consultation then took place between Crocco and Schiavone as to what should be done with us. The monk and two merchants were ordered to get 13,000 ducats, on pain of beiii? shot, but they protested they had not a grain. As for myself, the boy, the lady, and two others, we were liberated, and after being misdirected, we got after dark into the Strada Eegia, and had the good fortune to me«t the postman of Bovino, wno was mounted, and conducted us more dead than alive into the city. As we letfc the brigands we heard three shots fired, and concluded that the poor sergeant was done for, as was really the case, for his body was fouud by the Nationals the next day. As for the Guard of Public Security, I don't know what b°came of him." My informant describes fifcy_of the men as being about eighteen or twenty years of age, au-1 the others, perhaps twenty-four or twenty- live, iiue looking young fellows, and apparently conscripts who had fled. They were all dressed as peasants, and liad plenty of gold about them. The Paris correspondent of the Post writes : — It seems to be positive that the brigand chief Crocco was killed when the troops lately dispersed a band sent from Rome, and composed of Spaniards and other foreigners. Some interesting correspondence connected with Italians of the Bourbon party, now in Paris, has fallen into the hands of the authorities at Turin. A letter from Potenza, in the Paese of Naples announces the arrest of six Capuchin monks of the convent of Tramontola, convicted of furnishing arms and provisions to the brigands. The fact was proved in the following manner .-—An officer of the troops quartered in the neighbourhood went to the convent under the disguise of a brigand,, and entered into conversation with the monks, complaining that he had often sent to them for provisions and ammunition, but they had never complied with his request. The monks replied that this must have been owing to the number of spies about, who may have prevented" them from sending out the requisite supplies ; upon wliich the officer begged of them to keep some in readiness, as he would soon return with gome men and carts to carry them uway. He did return accordingly, with fifteen, men disguised like himself, and after receiving the supplies arrested the monks. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was found in the convent, together with a mass of treasonable correspondence. My dear, what shall we name our baby !" said Mr. Smith to Mr. Smith the other day. " Why, huz, I've settled on Peter." " Peter ! I never heard a man with the simple name of Peter who could earn his salt." '' Why, then ; we will call him Salt Peter. 'j " Bnt papa," said an intelligent little fellow, a few days ago, atter witnessing for a short time, at ono of the menageries then in town, the performance of the lion tamer in the lion's cage — "whenware^they going to eat him V „ - ,:-ju •:„•/■

When you hear anyone making a'rioisoTaboHt'liHnself, hia merits; and; good qualities, remember ihat