Crime on a Large Scale.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 181, 29 April 1873, Page 7

Crime on a Large Scale.

A trial is at the present moment.taking place in Szeged in, in Hungary, the extraordinary complicated and dramatic history of which is destined to occupy a conspicuous place amongst the criminal records and epochs. The individuals involved may be counted by hundreds—their crimes and offences by thousands ; and their first arrest took place as far back as 1869. The Il °yd of Pesth gives an outline of the case under the title of the “ Proces Sandor"— Sandor being the name of the chief of a band of malefactors whose depredations and atrocities rendered them a horror. The inhabitants of Szegedin had become so terrinod in consequence of the daring exploits of Sander’s band of brigands, that they locked and barred themselves in their houses every night at dusk, and dared not denture into the streets even during the day without being armed with revolvers end sword-sticks. Robbers, incendiary ores, and assassinations, were the order of dm day, and the malefactors carried their .acity 80 ns to attack the diligences ® the open day, and in the very midst 0 < the town itself. For a long time the criminals escaped, whilst numbers of inno--ontinhabitants were arrested on suspicion; it was under these circumstances that . Rnyday was sent as Royal Commissioner to Szegedin, charged with full P ow ers, and haying at his disposition the oices and resources necessary to put an , to a state of things so deplorable and a arming. M. de Payday soon became convinced that not only Szegedin, but the

whole comitat and the surrounding districts were infested by formidable " companies" of brigands, whose organism was complete and their circle of action clearly defined. When one of these companies was not sufficiently numerous to carry out a daring enterprise, assistance was lent by other companies. Two of these bands of brigands, leagued together, not long ago succeeded in entering the cellars of a bank, and in carrying the immense safe into the street; they failed, however, in getting it into a cart which they had brought for the purpose, and found themselves compelled to abandon their valuable booty. The safe was intact at the door of the bank on the following morning; and the operation had been carried on without anyone's attention being called to it, or without anyone daring to give the alarm. After careful and minute inquiries, the Royal Commissioner found to his amazement that a number of admi 7 nistrative and judicial functionaries were acting as accomplices of the various bands of brigands—that even the titled nobilities of the district acted as receivers of the stolen property. A number of these companions were soon tracked, and several of the bandits were arrested and given up to justice. It was then found that the police agents were in league with the malefactors. At Szegedin, a commissary of police, two judges, four employes of the Treasury, and forty-six detectives were arrested as being implicated in the depreciations of the bands. Crimes have been brought to light which were perpetrated thirty years ago ; and an old man of seventy was condemned some short time ago for a crime committed when he was forty years of age. The novel and peculiarly " psychological" system pursued by the Royal Commissioner in order to find out the guilty parties amongst the hundreds of individuals arrested is worth recording. The prisoners were completely isolated from the rest of the world during their confinement; and their eyes were bound in order to prevent any conversation by signs usually resorted to by accomplished thieves. " Companions of captivity," totally unknown to them, were placed in the same cells, who soon insinuated themselves into the confidence of the prisoners, studied their characters, made themselves acquainted with their secrets and used all their efforts to bring a full confession. All the malefactors arrested, it must not be forgotten, are kept in the utmost ignorance as to the charges which weigh against them. On their first examination they were not questioned as to the perpetration of such a crime, but they were simply asked to give an account of any offence of which they micdit acknowledge themselves guilty. By these means a n umber of crimes have been brought to light hitherto totally unsuspected. An idea of how desirable a place Szegedin must have been to live in may be formed from the following emuneration of the cases which are now being tried before a specially appointed court. When the Royal Commisioner first arrived at Szegedin there were 1506 criminal charges to be heard ; a little later 500 more charges were made ; and when the Uoyal Commission had terminated its duties 950 fresh cases were brought to light—making in all nearly 3000 crimes of the gravest character. Of this total 1000 judgments jhave already been given, and nearly all I these judgments have been, confirmed on appeal. The crimes and offencas discovered by the Royal Commission amount to 8000. The principal charges are those of murder, robbery, pillage, incendiarism, &c. (the cases of robbery alone exceeding 4000). The trial of this unprecedented batch of highwaymen, which commenced on the 12th ult, was not expected to terminate before the end of the month.