Show mafia shows its strength in 1893 sig one of the leading men of palmero traveling tc that city in a night train was stabbed to death his body covered with wounds was found by the wayside next morning watch and purse un touched this mysterious murder was attributed to the mafia that terrible association of criminals which is the bane of sicily strenuous efforts were made to discover the murderers two railway guards of hazy antecedents were arrested tried and acquitted at milan whither the trial had been re moved so that it might not be influx encee by the mafia in that trial the son of the vict lnita lieutenant in the italian navy openly charged big fallz solo an inveterate enemy of the tar bartolo family with having hired two assassins to commit the crime raffaele was one of the leading citizens of palmero rich al lied to the nobility of the island a deputy in the italian parliament but suspected of being one of the secret chiefs of the mafia the charge against him was supported by strong circumstantial evidence but being a member ot the legislature be could not be arrested and tried without tho consent of the house of deputies tho government secured this consent one evening while telegraphic corn with bially was interrupt ed the police broke into his palace in tho middle of the night seized him in bed and hurried him away before any of his mafia friends could interfere his case was tried at bologna in and hung on tor a couple ot years at last the jurors agreed on a verdict and his two accod places were convicted and condemned to thirty years solitary confinement the court of cassation ordered a new trial at florence which began sept 23 1903 and ended on july 23 last wag acquitted by a majority of eight out of twelve jurors he comes out of prison after five years ruined in health and means but en welcomed in his native palermo which is determined to re turn airi to parliament |