THE ITALIAN CAMORRA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 26, 25 July 1911, Page 5

THE ITALIAN CAMORRA

EXTRAORDINARY SCENES. UPROAR AND VIOLENCE. By Oable.—Press Association.—Copyright Received 24, 9.5 p.m. Rome, July 24. Extraordinary scenes of uproar and violence at the Camorrist trials at Viterbo culminated in the lawyers for the defence throwing off their gowns and stalking from the Court in a body, owing to Fabbroni accusing Lawyer Lyoy of being heavily compromised with the Camorra.

The president censured Fabbroni, and the Court adjourned till Wednesday. There is a possibility of the trial commencing afresh unless the lawyers arc appeased. Several prisoners were removed by force from the cage, raving like madmen. One collapsed in an epileptic fit.

A generous view of the Camorra, whost leaders arc now on trial at Rome, is taken by M. Maurice Ajam, a distinguished member of the French Chamber of Deputies, and editor of the Paris Siecle. He does not set out to defend the great secret society of the Neapoli tans, and admits that it is now an association of social outcasts, but holds that its origin illustrates the. Horatinn maxim that "the sins and errors of rulers are invariably visited on the ruled." M. Ajnm traces the Camorra to the original Garduna. or self-protective club. This Hub was not, without certain elevated characteristics. according the editor of the Siecle. who savs:—"As the aristocracy had their nrinciples of chivalry and military knijrht.hood. so in the Garduna. the .proletariat instituted an organisation of courageous fitrhters all their own and quite above the present association of malefactors, who harass the administration of justice by means j of the mo*t shocking reprisals." No- j thing, however, could be more complete and effective than the organisation of .the members. Tiieir club is built up in clearly separated ranks, and "the discipline," we are told, "is absolute." M. Aiam cites as an example of their skilful methods of evading justice and keeping up intercommunication, even when divided bv prison walls, liv the secret cipher which thev use. "Living in con--1 stant conflict with the police, the Camorrists nevertheless strictly observe their own laws. They carry a (lag of their own, and have even contrived a secret, alphabet, which is used mainly by prisoners when they dekire to correspond with their comrades who are at large." At other times they use songs containing phrases and notes whose real significance is known onlv to the band. "When correspondence by the secret cipher is not possible, they have recourse to the 'Canto a fisfliola' ('Song of the Children'). All the little rapscallions of Naples practice the, singing of such song?. Those picturesque choirs mav be seen and heard chanting the racy Neapolitan dialect, and it is the commonest, thing in the world to find groups of street arabs or little girls singing at the top of their voices ballads of the Camorra. No one pays any attention to them. But most frequently these songs have a secret meaning, and when sung in the neighborhood of prisons their symbolic phrases convey to the captive Camorrists news of their friends who are at liberty." The Camorra. says M. Ajam, lives only bv popular ignorance. Tts most redoubtable enemy is the education of the people, and it is already giving way before the school.