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Show THE DREADED MAFIA. Apml,i, 0f the Or'ro This Anclcot and Crime-Stained SicUiarrdcr Diffcr-Th. Rerolt oi Pulermo In 1282. (HiH-elal Correapondoncal .Jr. little known lo the Modrr"ln "' ""' ,h"' ','.,' the mil ward workliigs """'p.Vcrlmealalnnd society, "l,a of yf..n the rent nf the world ! H'nniig on, Hlrlly seems to have t'if.ii still and In Iho ahadnwa of the .IriilB of lo-day aha presenta to tho rest of the clvlllrod world a study of a state of society for the annloguo of which. In England, one would have to go back to the llmo of Henry VII., when Englnnd was pausing away from the old system of feudalism Into s brighter and higher life. It la almost precisely Iho aamo condition which rsletod In Germany after the Thirty Teara' war, and It presenta the earns picture nf aeml barbarism aa did France during tho years tbat preceded the French revolution. Tne Mafia la probably of very an- cleat origin. It la more than 00 years old. Just eiaetly w nen or bow It sprang Into existence Is not exactly known Home historians aay that the Italians' love for Intrigue and mystery prompted the organisation, but the writers who cling to the romances of history tell a pretty story, which shows that the society sprang into existence from an Inspiration of patriotism, pa-triotism, but Us very birth was heralded herald-ed by a libation of blond. These writers have Its origin at the ryolt of Pslmnro. which look place dtg en Kaster ceremonial In the aufuirba of that city In the year 122. IK beautiful beauti-ful young girl and her betrothed. In j arrnrdanoo with the quale customs of tbat iioople, approached 'he church of the Holy Ohost to be gutted In mar-rlago mar-rlago at the altar, anil . title the lover aougnt the pa.lre In to little room at the roar of Iho building, his bride walled In tho throsMd. As she stood there a drunken sergeant of the French garrison oamo along, threw hla arm about her waist and kissed her. Bha tore herself from hla grasp and turned to fly, but aa she did so the heel of her slipper caught In the coping nf the pavement and she fell, striking her hesd against a sharp projection pro-jection of the cornice. At that Instant Iho reluming Invar's yea fell upon her prostrate form and with the fury of a wild beast he three himself upon the French aorgoant, society aide up with lha Initial letters let-ters of the wor.la which eomposo that fateful neiih ery, thus forming Mafia. Hut selling aside tho possible ancient an-cient orlrtn of tho society. Ha present dovelt,:eilt seema duo to tho great eormpilcs which exlued under the Uoiirboef and especially In the police ,' ' C:-v,v..fft': ' ' . , 'v.'.v ... Avi v' ! -i,-- -; 4.- ' i'if'V'!)','.;-p." ' i':.U Cathedral, Palsrmo. I . j nf.that time, the consequence of which j.' Vni a jeneral tendency on tho pnrt of . tho Hidllana to do Justice for thorn- ri aolves. One of tho principal functlona K of thoMatla Is, Indeed, to decide dlt- j. fereneia and dispensn Justice without .' apeallig to tho declslona of rourta or ' trltiiinils. Y Tin Maflsta have their so-called' j- coilo if honor, and disregarding social -J law. iccopt "Omertn" and are guldod ; by tie teachlnga and by It rogulatei ft Iholr Uvea and adjust their relation f- to ts'tr fellow men. In the opinion k alios law. According lo It, If a msa ' appala to the law aunlnst his fellow- j-man j-man he la not only a fool, but oow- ; .rd. l's "Omnrta" tho code of ethlca ot r thedafla, conslsta of popular aaylnga t and proverbs, expressed In the ver ; nai-lar or alang resembling that ol ! Anrrlcan crooks. Ita purport la to -kea active In tha minds of these ': t-lnala the tendencies which fit I U4m to be Instruments of L Mafia '. aid to encourage all members to be ' Inifpondent of law and society. A ! ftMllsn who haa been wounded doaa i nst betray thn aaaaaln to Justice even though he knows tbat he la dying. Ac- -earning to the teachings of the "Omer-tOno "Omer-tOno says, "If I die I ahall be burled. 1 If I live I shall kill you,'' moaning tut he Intends to avengo himself. The Mafia la properly divided Into (vp parta, the one existing In l'alormo aid tho larger cltlea and the other mMile In the open country and In the Miintalna. Without organisation It ssf-mu Impossible that members of the mclety should be capahlo of recngnls-ng recngnls-ng other members. The Intercourse amies about through a cattle fair, flitch Is hold every year, and land-r land-r tiers, and pcaaanta, rich and poor, fllngle one with Iho other. (Hlnce 1876 the Mafia haa been Very pilot In Italy and baa been Utile heard sf elaewhoro until 1S91. when lta bold '""'' '-- ' .... - -... .Clwe,T.fl.lTF,'--v'''.'--ee.e Publlo Feuntala, Palermo. driving hla stllleto Into his hesrt and i crying ".Morte ala Fram-la!" Death to the French. Tho maddened cry became be-came the roar of Infurtutod thousand! It swelled and deepened; It look on a deeper meaning and became nation-allied nation-allied and then burst forth: "Murte ala Frauela Italia atielea!" (Death to the French la Ilaly'a ary.) For seventy-two hours srnnd hands, hesiled by the father and betrothed of the girl bunted down the hapless French. In dread of the vengoancn nf the French cation theso unhappy people formed themselves Into secret orcnnliailon with the password and name ot the operations In Now Orleans and the aa-sasslnatlon aa-sasslnatlon of Chief Hennosy of that city, so aroused the better elements ,, Sow Orleans that the citizens proceeded pro-ceeded to the Jul! and shot or bangod cloven of the Italian criminals confined con-fined there who had been Implicated , lne murder. Since then the Mafia iiss not dared to ralBe Us hesd In the ITnltrd Btatos, thoue no doubt there ,,111 exists orgaulxuilon amc:g the lowor classes. |
