A NOTORIOUS BRIGAND.

Mt Benger Mail, Volume 17, Issue 854, 5 September 1896, Page 4

A NOTORIOUS BRIGAND.

GAME'{TO THE VERY LAST. A .dangeroiis brigand named Franz Csonka was execute<rat Essegg, in Hungary, on June 12. Though seventy-four years old, he was'a powerful man, and walked to the gallows with a jaunty air, smoking a pipe. He tapped the hangman on the shoulder and said loud enough for everybody to hear: " Do your work well, and don't make a fool of yourself." This Csonka was the most fearless of the accomplices of the notorious Rossa Sandor, with whom he committed numerous robberies and murders in the Bankonyer Forests. They were captured with the greatest diihculty about twentyfive years ago, and Csonka declared he would confess to the murders only, as everything else was mere child's play. Rossa Sandor was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment, and died about ten years ago. Csonka got twenty years, and was released by an amnesty a year ago. He returned to his old habits, and soon was convicted of a murder of exceptional atrocity. For this crime he has now suffered death.

In Hungary Rossa Sandor and his band have never besn regarded as common criminals, but were regarded as heroes of romance, and numerous ballads and cheap novels describe their deeds. It i 3 averred that judges and magistrates were often in their pay and acted accordingly. The fear of the vendetta prevented everybody from accusing them. The different bands were excellently Organised, and never interfered with each other's business. Rossa Sandor came of a family of brigands. His father was shot by an Englishman he tried to rob. A fine man and the best horseman in Hungary, Rossa Sandor was a great favorite with women. Kossuth appointed him the leader of a corps of volunteers, and sent him into the fortress of Komorn to get information. In 1856 he was lying in a maize field with his cousin Kuss, who betrayed him. When he saw himself surrounded by soldiers he jumped up, and crying " Traitor !" shot Kuss dead.