CAMORRA TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 5

CAMORRA TRIAL.

THREE PRISONERS RELEASED.

MAXIMUM TERM SERVED

By Tolojraph-l'rcss Asjcoiation-GoDyrißbt (Rue. February 15, 10.10 p.m.) Romo, l'Vbniiiry 15. Three of the Camorrisls on trial «t Viterbo huvo been released on the ground Hint they have already been imprisoned for live years, which is tin , maximum sentence under the law for criminal association, the crime with which the Caninrrists are charged.

Several others of the prisoners will be released shortly on similar grounds. DETAILS OF THE CRIME. CONSTKKNATION IN ITALY. Owing to the great excitement caused by the case, the trial was removed from Naples, and almost an army of soldiers and police was drafted into Viterbo to assure order. The authorities adopted remarkable precautions to prevent any attempt to rescue ths prisoners, who were conveyed in an armoured train, while troops patrolled tho whole of the route. AVheii the arrests were reported early in January of la-.-t year "Lloyd's Weekly News" gave Hie following interesting details:—"Tho history of the Italian crimes is startling. On the night of June r>, M)l>, an Italian woman of great beauty was found murdered in bed in her apartment in one of the central streets of Naples. She was known to a wide circle as La Sorrentina, and her beauty was famed far and wide. Suspicion at first rather fell on her husband, named Cuocolo, but the stih.teqitc-iit discovery of his body on a lonely road not far from Naples was sufficient proof of a plot against the pair. It was known (hat Cuocolo knew several members of the secret society called the Mala Vita, which is practically, like the Malia, a branch of tlie notorious Camorra or Black Hand Society. Not until a fortnight later was it discovered that Cuocolo had been connected with the Camorra. His special work was to find out. by means of such influence and social position as he hud, where Hie Black Hand members might expect to find treasure worth stealing. At the same time that this- discovery was made evidence also came to light that Cuocolo was by no means free from suspicion of having acted as a spy oil behalf of the police. In several big burglaries he planned it was noticed by tho Black Hand desperadoes that the police were on the scene almost as earlv as thev themselves.

Now, the Blni'fc Hand punish with death any member of their society who is sus-1 pected of treachery of the kind that Cuoeolo appeared to have been guilty of. Hence it was soon regarded as clear that he was yet another of their victims, and that his beautiful and notorious wife must have had a share in his treachery. On the day following this discovery the head of the very Camorra itself, and three of the chief members, were arrested. Naples was in a ferment of excitement. The city was restless with astonishment, apprehension, and fear. The O.unorrist leader arrested was named Erricone, a man whose reckless daring and inexhaustible emming had alone raised him to his position of leader. He had been seen with three friends close to the scene of G'uocob's murder, and on the samp night. It was sufficient to justify his arrest. For f>o days he and the three men wore kept in prison, but, in spite of diligent search and inquiry, tin further evidence could be brought agai/ist them, and they were released.

A year later a man named Capez&ato, a sergeant of the Carabiuisri, who have an irrrconciliablc rivalry with tho police, learned that in an Italian prison there was a man named Abattoniaggio, who, having been expelled from the Cnmorrn, boasted, in revenge, that he knew the guilty hands that had done the foul murders of Cuocolo and La Sorrentina. After much badgering and many threats Abattemaggio told a story to the effect that tho C'ainorrists, suspecting that Cuocolo was acting both for them and for tho police, laid traps , for <hinui A.-nfJiimorfa tribunal held ti meeting and decided unanimously that Cuocolo and his wife should die. Six of the most resolute of tlie gang were selected to carry out the dread sentence'." Their "plan was to waylay Cuocolo on the road, murder him, and take his keys from him anil Ihen return to Nanlcs, enter her house with her (lead husband's key, and carry out the Black Hand sentence on La Sorrentina. These facts were communicated to the head of the Naples police. This man. jealous that a member of the Carabinieri had discovered them, declared that there was no truth in the story. The Cavnbinieri therefore determined to act on their own initiative. They promptly seized every member of Hie Camorrn who had any hnud in the sentence of death passed on Cuocolo and his wife. Their action was entirely and enthusiastically supported by the people of Naples. All this was in the spring of 1907, and since then the authorities continued to ninke the case stronger every day with fresh evidence. Not far from one hundred lawyers have been engaged in the case, a largo number of them taking part in tho defence of the accused men. To ensure the safety of the Camorrist informer a special cage, in addition to th'iit for the prisoners, had to be erected in Conrt. All the prisoners have been well supplied with money, , and, the Italian prison regulations permitting thorn to provide their own food, they make themselves exceedingly comfortable, having their menls from the best restaurants, drinking freely, and smoking the best cigars.