Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1877 — Sir John Bom’s Experiences with Italian Brigands. [ARTICLE]

Sir John Bom’s Experiences with Italian Brigands.

The history of brigandage in the south of the Italian peninsula and in the lovely island of Sicily is full of thrilling episodes, one of which is still fresh in the minds of the English and Italian publio, the capture of Sir John Road. Sir John Rose, a wealthy Englishman traveling in Sicily, was captured by the bandit Leone and bis company on the 4th of November, and held in captivity by them for three weeks. After being carried about Secretly and exposed to great fear and privation, be was at last released on the payment of $12,0004 The captive’s account after his return of the life of these Robin Hoods in the green - wood is romantic enough to satisfy the most adventurous traveler, and recalls that story of the brigands’ life told by Washington Irving. The band, consisting of four or five men, first made a forced march of sixteen hours, which was so fatiguing that the horse of Sir John Rose roll down twice and was finally abandoned by the chief. They arrived in the night at a grotto, where they remained hidden seven days, feasting in the meanwhile on all manner of delicacies. They then heard that the public force was in search of them and moved away with the utmost quiet and secrecy by night and on foot. Having found a tree and a mass of shrubbery around it, they threw themselves face downward on the ground and lay there without any movement or aoise whatever, even killing a dog which came near them by throwing stones at it in order not to use their guns. Thus for thirteen days they hid among the bushes, in grottoes and valleys by day and walked at night. They had nothing but bread, cheese and wine to sustain them, and the scarcity of water was so great that Sir John was obliged to wash his hands in wine. Often the beraaglieri, who were in search of them, passed very near, and then Leone placed the captive In front of the group and gave him a pistol, ordering him to fire at the first appearance of the enemy. He wus always guarded by four bandits, but otherwise was not treated harshly. His liberation was effected by a person of influence in Palermo, who is secretly in league with the famous brigands. Leone professed to desire nothing for himself, but said that his companions would never liberate their captive without money. He said also that in compensation for the service which was asked of him he wished his passage to be paid in some vessel which would carry him very far away from Sicily. But the truthfulness of this virtuous desire is doubtful. The distress of Sir John Rose’s family, which, divided between hope and fear, sought for help from every source, even from those connected secretly with the brigands, was intense until reassured by their secret agents that he would be liberated on the payment of the required sum. He was finally conducted to a railway station at some hours’ distance from Palermo, dressed in a brigand’s cloak and cap, and piaced on a train of the third class \Vith an injunction not to make himself known immediately. This is the incident which has caused the English news papers to reproach the Government bitterly for these outrages, and to compare the public safety of Italy with that of Turkey.—Roms Cor. N. 7. Evening Poet.