BRIGANDAGE IN ITALY.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 131, 2 April 1901, Page 4

BRIGANDAGE IN ITALY.

No criminal of recent times ha# attracted more attention than the celebrated brigand Musolino. He has been described as the champion murderer and brigand of the age, and the description is by no means exaggerated. His career has been so remarkable that he has been surrounded by legends sad roman Lie stories, attributing to him various good qualities which, as a matter of fact, ho does not possess. It is said that he was unjustly ccldemned for a crime he did not commit, and has taken to a life of outlawry in consequence. By some he is looked upon as a hero, but the truth is he is one of the most desperate ruffians that ever lived. He has numberless murders on his conscience—no one can. say how many. He is reported to have killed the whole of his followers because he suspected them of treachery. The authorities of Reggio (Calabria) are making immense efforts to capture Musolino. Various police and military expeditions have been seat out against him, but so far without success. It was once decided to blow up the cave in which he was supposed to be concealed, with dynamite, but it was found he had again made his escape. The Italian Government have offered £BOOO for his capture alive or dead. Three other brigands, named respectively Monigoddi, Astara and Budroni, were recently captured in Sardinia, and tried and condemned by the Court of Assizes at Sassari. All of them were murderers; in feet, the firstnamed had killed no fewer than seven of his own relations.