BATTLE WITH A BRIGAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81894, 26 November 1906, Page 4

BATTLE WITH A BRIGAND.

FIERCE FIGHT IN A LONELY MOUNTAIN HUT. Geneva, October 2. The notorious brigand, Guiseppe Crealin, who has long been the terror of the valley between the Lepon.ine Alps an-i Lake Maggiore, has been captured in his hut in the snow snow on tne summit of Mont Zeda, after a long and desperate fight with a party of soldiers. A year ago C're,< in built a hut on Mont Znla, 1 ■■_■. > t«> high. He plundered ,n.! tirroiised the valley, and then r<;u...ttj through the forests and snow to nisi mountain fatness. The >.ocal authorities made many attempts to cutca mm, but the elusive Crealin only laughed at th-m, au.l when they thought they were close on his tracks iu tho woods, he was making Jove to a farmer's daughter, white ne carefully coded the position of her father's household goods.

At last the local policj appealed to the Italian authorities, and a dozen -pecid. men were sent to capture Ciealin. They were dressed as guides, but each man carried a rifle and a revolver.

They divided up into pairs, and preceded cautiously through tne forest. There they caught sight ot the nimble Ciealin, but he was totquick for them and effectively stopped them by -etting fire to a belt of dry wood that barred their progress for some time, while it gav,. him an opportunity to disappear in the smoke.

A large tract of forest was burned. but trie soldiers continued the ascent by different route.) to the s Um mit. Six hundred yards from the top CreVin challenged them by firing a shot over their heads

He had loopholed his hut, and was evidently prepared to withstand a siege. The soldiers took cover, and opened fire on the hut Crealin replied with great spirit and the soldiers closed in round him very cautiouily, for he was sending shots in at directions. The attack began in the late afternoon, and at sunset the reports of the shots were still echoing along the mountain. The attacking party were thinking of making a retreat, for they recognised that if they could not capture the hut they would tave to spend the night on the 'mountain top, and probablv be frozen to death. Their hand", too, were almost numb, and their firing was erratic

Afur Crealin liad poured out a very brisk fu ilade, the tiring stopped The soldiers suspected a ruse, and waited. Then they made a dash for th« daor, and battered it in, to find Crealin unconscious on the floor. A bullet had struck him above the temple, and knocked him out, without injuring him -eriou-ly. A large sum of money and jewellery, and a great stock of provisions, were found on the premises, a; wet as a number of love letters from his sweethearts in the valley. When he recovered consciousness Crealin said: "Well, Messieurs, 1 tnink I have given you a good long cba-c al the-e months, and a stiff tight at the end of it." Crjaia. wiij i- a tall, handsome n>an of about forty, will probably be taken to Milan for trial.