Mezzoni the Brigand — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. 129 examination of this man could elicit no evidence against his master. Alberto Corrello, however, could not have carried on his schemes entirely unassisted. Ingenious and self-reliant as he was, he must have had one or more confederates on whom he could rely. It was clear enough that he was not one to put himself into the hands of others, by the manner in which he had avoided trusting Beppo, but still he could not have accomplished single-handed, it was believed, even the robbing of the jewelers’ store in the Strada St. Carlo. Of course, this was a very important point to de- cide, and the clerk who had slept in the store on the night of the robbing was re-examined. This man was seized so suddenly, and on awaking’ from a sound sleep, that he could hardly say posi- tively whether there was one or two robbers in the store. One only stood over and tied him, telling him that the least movement on his part would cost him his life, and gagging him instantly. There was no conversation loud enough for him to hear one word distinctly, yet he thought at times he heard voices, while he was compelled to lie tied and covered be- neath the bed-clothes. The fact was, as is generally the case in such instances, the man’s terror at the time almost incapacitated him for the clear exercise _ of his senses. He remembered hearing the robber or robbers lock the rear door of the store, as they finally left it. “Why did you not mention that at your first ex- amination?’ he was asked. “Tt did not come to my memory until long after-. ward,’’ he replied. | On Beppo being called for further examination, comicbooks.com