KING OF OUTLAWS.

Western Star, 6 December 1935, Page 3

KING OF OUTLAWS.

GANG OF MURDERERS. BRAZIL’S PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1. FIVE STATES TERRORISED. The famous “Lanipeao,” king of outlaws and Brazil’s acknowledged public; enemy No. 1, continues with his reduced gang of murderei'g and criminals to commit all sorts of outrages, robberies, assaults and murders. Five men and two women compose the small army of this extraordinny outlaw, who dining the last decade has been aide to esea.no from the army and the police of five States, as well as from the Federal troops which by Government decree were mobilised in order to fight (he most dangerous criminal who won the nickname, of “the terror of the north-western section of Brazil.”

“Lampeao,” whoso real name is Vergolino Ferreira, is still a very young man and started his criminal career when he wa s just fourteen yearg hid. After his first murder he took t 0 the “Sertao” (mountain lair) and became quite Prominent in local politics and especially in connection witli the "making” of elections. Due to this lastspecialty of his, he- won a commission in the regular reserve of the Federal Army during the presidential term of Dr Arthur Bernardes, and up to thi-j day he has never dropped his title and rank whenever he has chosen to communicate in writing with the Press 'or even with the authorities entrusted with the dangerous task of capturing him. RISE TO POLITICAL FAME. More than one election was won by the Government through the help of Lampeao. who in return for In's valuable political gen-ices enjoyed full liberty an ! a certain fame for many years. However, along with his political fame Dampen n started to he quite proud of his other fame as king of the outlaws. Protected by rich farmers and by crooked politicians and always making a point of robbing the rich in order to help the poor. Lampeao soon became the idol of tlu> Sertao and started the tragic series of murders which, according to statisticand also to the tales that are heard in the fiv e States where he operate; , amount to several dozen.

Th e police and the army, in spite o' organising special expeditions equipped with machine-guns, field guns, and tear gas bombs, have failed to capture the famoug outlaw. Incidentally, ©ach expedition hag cost- several hundred thousand dollars and the loss of many good officers. In spite of all tin's, Lam pen is reported periodically as being com pletely surrounded by representative,- o ' the law. The result, however, is alway s the same : Lampeao disappear* mysteriously and a few days later he is ,reported to h© in a different district, engaged in committing new outrages end murder-, BRUTAL OFFENCES. His latest outrage took place in instate of PpnKUiih’K’o at the Serrinlia. Accompanied hr fi\ e men am: three women, Lam-ieno whiV ,a :" ik' n Serrinha attacked a farm, kiik-il ; proprietor and two farm hands, slid everything worth while, "ml jirr’V triumphantly in the direction, of th village. The police opened fire -- .n outlaws, compelling them In ret rear. During the fierce engage;!,- between; outlaws and police ‘filicc.s :-. a ad common law wif© was srri o: .! ■ ......aided; but the bandits si'ccer ' 1 k.: \ her away. Later one <:( ba;; ; o;;rd : , gangsters leading a. her.-:.' -.,-hh-h th wounded woman was pi.a 1 two peasants and .compeiiH D ; t take her to th© nearest Tv;: her at the hospital. Tv afraid of losing their lives, obeyed, auu the woman was taken safely to the hospital. Early on the following'morning .Lanipeao, with hie five men and two women, attacked once more the village ’of Serrinha, robbing every house, taking 25 prisoners, and escaping with a large amound of cash ami abundant supplies. He compelled his prisoners to carry , all the stolen good s right to his headquarters in th© Sertao. Twenty-one prisoners were released after reaching the outlaw’s mountain fortress, while the four others were kept as hostages in ease the police should try to arrest the bandit’s common law wife. They arc still prisoners in the mountains and under threat of death should the polic© ill-treat Lam. peso’s “wife.” Six hundred men both from the State police and the Federal Army ar c reported to be very near Lampeao’s headquarters, and optimistic persons expect that the famous king 0 f outlaws will bo captured very p oon. But apparently the bandit'still is immune. He has sent an open letter to the newspapers of the. five States In which he operates, challenging the police and the Federal Army to capture him. He has also sent to his “wife” at the hospital a large amount of cash and a letter in which he assures her that as soon as she is able to travel his friends wil] rescue her from the hospital and from the hands bf tho police and bring her safely t 0 him.

WIVES IN PAWN.

UNUSUAL CHINESE TRANSACTIONS. A MEANS OF RAISING LOANS The Peiping police, it is reported by tho ‘North Chl,, a, Daily News,’ have, discovered a new and original svstem of pawnbroking, the motive for whlvii i P Ascribed to the prevailing economic depression Rickshaw coolies and similar gentlemen have started a new method of putting their wives in pawn, in the same wa y as they had hitherto done with clothes and other domestic articles at the pawn shops. Ry the terms of the contract they are entitled to take repossession of their property—that is. thei r wives—whenever they repay the loan. The advantage of this particular ■system is that th e mortgagor does not have to pav any interest, the lender recouping himself with the free services of the ladies thus pledged. Recently ih e police have been troubled with a number of complaints from indignant mortgagors -who are unable to obtain the restitution nf their property in accordance with the terms of the contract, although they are quite willing to repay the original hem It appears that the ditlhudlios have ansen. not with the lenders, n ; it with the ladies themselves. who refuse to return to their erstwhile hr-'-.:■:,!■ on a variety of pretexts. The according to the Chinese now-p-m. are at their wits’ end how to yd (!e f hos;> eases.

What wc need nurd is ■ 1 hinc letter (ban a political iidji-y 'h a i.i«dis to put us on on r i'ri’t aid the,, :c:md'ns on our h, ads.