Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1896 — A Bold Brigand. [ARTICLE]

A Bold Brigand.

Franz Csonka, a famous 74-year-old brigand, was .hanged recently for murder at Essegg, in Slavonia. He smoked his pipe to the gallows, slapped the hangman on the shoulder and said to him: “Do your job well; don't make a fool of yourself.” He was the most fearless of the band of Rosza Sandor, with whom he committed many robberies and murders in the Bakonyer forests. They were captured with’dlflieulty twenty-ttve- -years ago, -when Csonka declared he would confess to murders only, the rest being merely child's play. He was sentenced to tweqty years’ imprisonment? from which he was released a year ago, blit soon after committed an unusually atrocious murder, for which he was executed. Rosza Sandor was sentenced to imprisonment for life, and died in jail ten years ago. In Hungary he was never looked upon as. a common criminal, but rather as a hero of romance, lie was a 'handsome man, the horseman in Hungary, and a groat favorite with the women. Kossuth appointed him leader of a corps of volunteers in 1849. His,father was a brigand like himself, belonging to the organized bands that wept Judges and police in their pay, and preventing accusations by fear of the vengeance of the organization.